# house poor

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/house-poor
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

In financial difficulty because of the excessive cost of owning a house, or because the cost of home ownership forms too high a proportion of household income.

## Examples

- They are house poor because their mortgage payments are too high.
- After buying that expensive property, they are house poor and cannot afford to go on vacation.
- Despite their impressive salaries, the couple became house poor, finding themselves with little disposable income after meeting the substantial monthly obligations of their mortgage.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.