Basic Human Need? Or Investment Asset? Housing Affordability in the US in 2023 and Beyond

There may be no more important topic in urbanist thought today than housing affordability. Do you see housing as a monthly expense, or as an investment that will contribute to your net worth over time -- possibly the largest asset in your portfolio when all is said and done? Do existing single-family homeowners deserve to have more say in policy than renters or condo owners? Are all new apartments "luxury apartments" just because they're new??? So many questions -- some of which are actually addressed in this video! How we think about the home ownership decision in the US has an enormous impact on housing supply, density, and affordability, with tons of downstream impacts on urban form, walkability, and the viability of high quality transit. I've only touched on housing tangentially so far on my channel, so consider this video a first attempt at defining the problem, with more to come in the future! Let me know which areas of this enormous topic you'd like to see me explore. ---------- Patreon - a way to directly support continuing CityNerd output! Thanks to all who have signed up so far. https://www.patreon.com/CityNerd ---------- Instagram: @nerd4cities Mastodon: @nerd4cities@mstdn.social Twitter: @nerd4cities ---------- Previous CityNerd Videos Referenced: - The Cost of Car Ownership: https://youtu.be/c2rI-5ZFW1E ---------- Resources: - Zillow Home Value Index: https://www.zillow.com/research/data/ - HIGHER URBAN DENSITIES ASSOCIATED WITH THE WORST HOUSING AFFORDABILITY by Wendell Cox https://www.newgeography.com/content/007221-higher-urban-densities-associated-with-worst-housing-affordability - The Wealth of Households 2020: https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2022/demo/p70br-181.pdf - https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/MORTGAGE30US - https://www.zillow.com/sellers-guide/costs-to-sell-a-house/ - https://investor.vanguard.com/investment-products/esg ---------- Images - Lloyd District tent camp By Graywalls - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=93007189 - Tent camp In Oakland, CA, near Laney College campus By NeoBatfreak - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=64627371 - Whoville Homeless Camp in Eugene, Oregon By Visitor7 - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28342909 - "Mortgage" stock photo Image by Mohamed Hassan from Pixabay - Lawnmower Image by Rudy and Peter Skitterians from Pixabay - Renovating Photo by Rene Asmussen: https://www.pexels.com/photo/house-renovation-3990359/ - Updated kitchen Photo by Mark McCammon: https://www.pexels.com/photo/white-wooden-cupboards-2724749/ - Asphalt shingle roof By DMahalko, Dale Mahalko, Gilman, WI, USA -- Email: dmahalko@gmail.com - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7020826 - McMansion By Stilfehler - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=88562155 - Ranch House Image by yourhomebylori from Pixabay - Modern McMansion Image by Paul Brennan from Pixabay - Rowhouses By John Phelan - Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15410550 - Bungalow By Robert D. Hubble - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=51224238 - Bungalow By David Sawyer - Flickr: Craftsman House, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15745700 - Bungalow By David Sawyer from Rancho Murieta, California, United States - Craftsman House, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=118978880 - House for thumbnail Photo by Curtis Adams: https://www.pexels.com/photo/american-house-in-suburb-6835133/ ---------- Music: CityNerd background: Caipirinha in Hawaii by Carmen María and Edu Espinal (YouTube music library) ---------- Inquiries: thecitynerd@nebula.tv