Study: Home Ownership a Challenge for Middle Class [POLL/AUDIO]

The dream of home ownership is losing its luster for a lot of Americans according to a study conducted by Hart Research Associates.

"Almost six in 10 Americans think it's challenging for middle-class families in their community to find quality affordable housing," said Rebecca Naser, senior vice president with Hart Research Associates.

The study of 1,335 adults also found 64 percent believe they are less likely to build wealth buying a home now, compared to 20 years ago.  Nearly 43 percent said buying a home isn't a good long term investment.

"People that are on pretty solid ground think that it is [a good investment] at a slightly higher rate, while people that are distressed and spending more than 30 percent of their income on housing don't think it is the pathway to security that it once was," Naser said.

Seventy percent believe the housing crisis is still going on, and nearly 20 percent are still expecting the worst.

With the home ownership market still very difficult to enter, many are opting for rentals. Naser said the recent crisis helped remove a lot of the stigma associated with renting, and it's becoming a viable option for many people.

"Almost four in 10 current home owners can see themselves renting in the future," Naser said.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, home ownership dropped to one of its lowest levels in almost 20 years during the first quarter of 2014.