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by omegaworks 768 days ago
As long as cheaper lines of credit (or straight-up massive amounts of cash on hand) remain more available to RE corporations than regular people looking for their first home then no, building more housing will never solve the problem.

There are structural problems with the demand side that also need addressing.

1 comments

> building more housing will never solve the problem.

It only seems that way because in many popular metros around the country, demand has far outstripped supply for decades.

The problem is "solved" in areas that aren't as popular, with zero regulation on who's allowed to purchase homes; ordinary people can buy ordinary homes on ordinary incomes. But aspirational young people don't tend to move to such areas.

> demand has far outstripped supply for decades

Why has this been the case in every area in our country? Because we have a policy at the national level that encourages speculation and hoarding. The problem is not just supply, we have a national aversion to shaping demand.

> The problem is "solved" in areas that aren't as popular,

The problem is absolutely not solved, in any place in our country[1]. You used to be able to maintain a minimum standard of living on a single wage earner's salary. That is not the case, literally anywhere in this nation any more.

1. https://www.vox.com/2015/5/28/8679889/minimum-wage-housing-m...