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January 22, 2026
Affordability, especially lowering housing costs, enjoys bipartisan political support — at least in theory. But affordability is a goal, not a specific program, and even progressive Democrats can break with each other on how to achieve it. That’s the lesson learned from New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s recent housing proposal, one that sets the relatively moderate Democrat…
December 9, 2025
If you’ve been on social media in the past ten years, you’ve surely seen it: The lamentation that it’s impossible for young adults in America today to buy a home of their own. It’s a complaint as likely to be offered by populist conservatives as by Taylor Lorenz-style progressives. The new right’s emphasis on family…
November 19, 2025
A telling new analysis of rising home maintenance costs from the real estate listing service Zillow, in conjunction with Thumbtack, which tracks the cost of local services, should remind those promoting the virtues of homeownership that it’s key for new buyers to be prepared and capable owners. At the same time, the findings tell yet another story…
September 25, 2025
If Americans have any shared image of public housing, it is one of dilapidated and even dangerous “projects” and locations of concentrated poverty. But there was a time—a brief shining moment—in which public housing was new and attractive and working married couples with children were glad to live in government-owned and -managed apartments. What might…
September 24, 2025
In 1983, Harvard scholars Mary Jo Bane and David Ellwood sought to determine the length of time participants in Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) spent in the program. Their report, titled The Dynamics of Dependence, revealed that the average participant could be expected to remain in AFDC for 10 years — a figure that increased to…
September 8, 2025
We hear a great deal about what’s called the black-white wealth gap. It’s not an inaccurate phrase. According to the latest data from the Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances, the “racial wealth gap” stands at $240,120 — the difference between the assets of the median white and median black household. Median white assets are $285,000;…
September 2, 2025
President Trump has come out swinging on homelessness. After taking small steps to peel back the homelessness bureaucracy early in his term, he issued a far-reaching executive order in July intent on getting homeless people off the streets and into treatment. Over the past couple weeks the administration has taken direct action in Washington, DC to clear homeless encampments…
August 11, 2025
Andrew Cuomo’s revelation that his mayoral rival Zohran Mamdani lives in a $2,300-a-month rent-stabilized apartment in Queens may surprise those who labor under the illusion that low-rent apartments are meant to help those of low income. But there’s nothing about New York City’s system of 960,000 rent-regulated homes to ensure that’s the case — witness its benefits…
August 11, 2025
This op-ed was originally published by The Cannon. You can read the original piece here. Large Texas municipalities have just been handed an enormous opportunity by the legislature. They should seize it. For such a large state, Texas is blessed with a rare advantage: relatively affordable housing. But clouds are gathering. In the Dallas-Fort Worth metro, home…
July 18, 2025
A letter to the editors in response to William A. Galston’s recent article, Trump Can’t Ignore Our Housing Crisis This letter was originally published by The Wall Street Journal. You can read the original article here. The three most important words in real estate are said to be location, location, location. The three most important factors in housing…