Sioux Falls officials look for affordable housing

SIOUX FALLS (AP) - Officials in South Dakota’s largest city say it’s getting tougher to find affordable housing.
The Argus Leader reported about 90 public officials and representatives from Sioux Falls housing programs met earlier this week to talk about trying to increase housing options.
Carol Muller, director of Minnehaha County Human Services, says her department gets an average of 5,000 requests for housing assistance each year.
In order to be eligible for assistance, clients must be at the poverty level, which is less than $11,490 a year for a single person, or $23,500 for a family of four.
Officials say the average rent for a four-bedroom apartment has gone up by $290 in the last two years.
The vacancy rate for rentals is about 4 percent.