ABSTRACT
This chapter analyzes housing indicators and resident perceptions about housing and community growth issues across three types of rural places: chronically poor, declining, and amenity-rich rural communities. Chronically poor places have long-term high poverty, low education, and few opportunities for upward social mobility. Declining places, formerly dependent on agriculture and other natural resources have lost population over time, particularly young adults. Amenity-rich places are growing due to the influx of retirees and those seeking recreational opportunities. The dynamic is very different in amenity-rich places. Here affordability is also an issue, but the lack of affordable housing is brought about by increases in population. New residents here are attracted for very different reasons. Current work analyzing the differences between newcomers and long-term residents in these places will be important for understanding the different housing challenges they face. It is likely that long-term residents are struggling to meet the increased housing costs associated with growth.
