The Pew Research Center has a valuable new report on how state and local governments destroyed much of their potential low-income housing stock by banning or severely restricting "single-room occupancy" (SRO) housing. Here is the summary of the report and its findings:

Low-cost micro-units, often called single-room occupancies, or SROs, were once a reliable form of housing for the United States' poorest residents of, and newcomers to, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and many other major U.S. cities. Well into the 20th century, SROs were the least expensive option on the housing market, providing a small room with a shared bathroom and sometimes a shared kitchen for a price that is unimaginable today—as little as $100 to $300 a month (in 2025 dollars).

In the late 19th and early 20th ce

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