Can they just force us to get a joint sponsor if my income does not meet the poverty guidelines?

You need to show the consulate 5 time the difference between what you are making and what the required amount is. If you have 5 time she difference then produce a current bank statement with another I864 completed to reflect the cash in the bank. If not you will need a joint sponsor.

If your income does not meet the poverty guidelines, you may also want to list the dollar value of any and all assets you have in United States, including bank accounts, IRAs real and other property including automobiles, jewelry etc. Doing this will probably involve that you have an accountant certify to its accuracy. But if in the end you still cannot meet the poverty guidelines, you may have to find a friend, colleague or family member to act as co-sponsor. The only requirement is that the co-sponsor must be either a US citizen or LPR. And except that such individual must be residing in the US, there is no requirement that it must be a family member or that the co-sponsor must be residing in the same city or state with you. Given this, you should expand your search to include any one who meets that basic requirement. I urge you to give this your priority before a consular officer finds that your husband is inadmissible to receive a visa on public charge grounds .

If your income is below the poverty guidelines, the consulate can require you to get a joint sponsor for the case. However, if your husband was to sell his home you could include the cash amount in the affidavit of support. To do so, the form must be filled-out correctly and the cash needs to be documented through a bank statement or letter or it won't be properly considered.

If the sponsor do have the required amount of income then a joint sponsor is required and it is a standard requirement. There are, in many cases, ways around that but it is very fact specific. Talk with an Immigration Attorney and the attorney may be able to help you prepare evidence and other documents to overcome this problem.

Maybe have an attorney write a letter stating that the income with assets meet the requirements. I have done that successfully. But the consulate has a lot of discretion. It can be unreasonable.