Affordability crisis: United States needs 4.3 million more homes

Gap between families and available homes widens and likely continues to grow

A lack of affordable homes has created millions of “missing households,” keeping families in shared homes and unable to strike out on their ownMore than two-thirds of these missing households earn less than $35,000 a year, highlighting the economic barriers many face when trying to find a place of their own

, /PRNewswire/ — A significant shortage of affordable housing options is fueling America’s affordability crisis, particularly for those looking to move out on their own for the first time, a new Zillow analysis shows. This huge housing deficit underscores the need for policies and investments that can boost construction.

This lack of housing — especially affordable options — has left millions of households “missing.” These missing households consist mainly of individuals and families living in another family’s owned or rented home. Across the country in 20211, there were nearly 8 million missing households, compared to just 3.7 million housing units available for rent or sale, a deficit of 4.3 million homes.

“The U.S. housing market is like a high-stakes version of the game musical chairs,” said Orphe Divounguy, senior economist at Zillow. “There are simply not enough homes for millions of people. Unless we address the shortage of smaller, more-affordable, starter-type homes, we risk leaving families without a seat — and it will only get worse over time.”

For each of the 3.7 million housing units available for rent or sale across the country in 2021, there were more than two potential households — families likely in need of their own homes. This means even if every missing household was willing and able to move into their own home, 4.3 million households would have been left without a place to move to.

The bulk of families doubling up have consistently lower incomes, highlighting the need for smaller, more affordable housing. Of the families that are doubling up, 68% had an annual income of $35,000 or less.

The mismatch between potential housing needs and available homes across the country is playing out in dramatic fashion in the most expensive coastal housing markets, such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose, San Diego and Boston but also in places like Boise.

What consumers need to know
Zillow has a number of tools and partnerships to help consumers overcome these challenges.

Zillow’s affordability calculator and monthly payment filter can help shoppers better understand how much they can afford and how best to find an affordable mortgage payment. Working with a trusted real estate partner is also critical to helping find an affordable home for new buyers.

All home listings on Zillow display available programs that help eligible shoppers with a down payment — the biggest barrier to homeownership for most. This first-of-its-kind tool was used by more than 1 million customers in just its first year, with the average recipient qualifying for $17,000 towards a down payment.

And for renters, Zillow offers a single, flat-fee rental application tool that helps would-be-tenants avoid paying hundreds of dollars in application fees, which can quickly become a financial hardship for low-income families.

What policymakers can do
Construction productivity has been declining relative to the rest of the U.S. economy since the late 1960s, with land-use restrictions, building approval delays, and stunted construction sector growth all contributing to the lack of new home construction across the country. Policymakers should explore ways to boost production and overall growth of the construction sector to ensure housing supply can catch up to demand.

Additionally, experts are near unanimous that loosening restrictive zoning laws is critical to creating more supply and easing housing costs. According to public polling conducted by Zillow, four out of five adults support allowing more, smaller home types to be built in their own neighborhoods. Researchers also suggest that speeding up building permitting, eliminating parking requirements, tax incentives to rehabilitate underutilized housing stock, and expanding affordable housing trust funds could all help ease the shortfall in new construction.

Metropolitan Area*

Housing Unit
Deficit (2021)

Missing Households
(2021)

Total Units for Sale
or Rent (2021)

Mortgage Burden
with 10% Down
Payment (May 2023)**

Rent Burden
(May 2023)**

United States

4,283,926

7,967,749

3,683,823

37.7 %

31.5 %

New York, NY

376,376

561,810

185,434

53.4 %

42.0 %

Los Angeles, CA

333,862

446,105

112,243

84.2 %

39.6 %

Chicago, IL

87,433

191,542

104,109

29.9 %

28.4 %

Dallas, TX

47,622

153,027

105,405

37.9 %

26.0 %

Houston, TX

16,397

128,220

111,823

34.0 %

26.3 %

Washington, DC

133,971

192,375

58,404

38.2 %

22.9 %

Philadelphia, PA

64,789

127,443

62,654

33.4 %

25.8 %

Miami, FL

60,057

140,624

80,567

55.7 %

48.8 %

Atlanta, GA

63,467

133,929

70,462

39.0 %

29.3 %

Boston, MA

151,765

184,200

32,435

50.7 %

33.6 %

Phoenix, AZ

86,996

132,340

45,344

47.4 %

29.6 %

San Francisco, CA

161,581

204,028

42,447

74.0 %

29.2 %

Riverside, CA

72,354

106,054

33,700

59.5 %

39.2 %

Detroit, MI

35,159

73,183

38,024

28.5 %

23.5 %

Seattle, WA

108,858

142,787

33,929

56.5 %

25.4 %

Minneapolis, MN

76,595

101,083

24,488

34.4 %

21.8 %

San Diego, CA

94,494

120,535

26,041

76.1 %

38.7 %

Tampa, FL

28,087

73,710

45,623

46.8 %

38.0 %

Denver, CO

69,693

96,785

27,092

53.1 %

26.1 %

Baltimore, MD

34,127

67,401

33,274

32.4 %

22.4 %

St. Louis, MO

13,177

45,700

32,523

27.5 %

22.1 %

Orlando, FL

15,355

68,161

52,806

44.2 %

33.8 %

Charlotte, NC

17,805

48,308

30,503

40.8 %

28.6 %

San Antonio, TX

14,637

48,585

33,948

35.7 %

26.1 %

Portland, OR

76,717

95,749

19,032

54.0 %

25.7 %

Sacramento, CA

63,749

79,075

15,326

54.7 %

31.4 %

Pittsburgh, PA

17,094

44,585

27,491

24.9 %

24.9 %

Cincinnati, OH

31,032

48,834

17,802

30.2 %

24.0 %

Austin, TX

56,745

80,984

24,239

44.8 %

24.8 %

Las Vegas, NV

26,456

63,638

37,182

49.5 %

31.6 %

Kansas City, MO

26,360

46,999

20,639

31.9 %

21.6 %

Columbus, OH

33,399

51,940

18,541

33.9 %

24.0 %

Indianapolis, IN

14,207

38,417

24,210

30.9 %

24.6 %

Cleveland, OH

13,620

37,484

23,864

27.5 %

25.4 %

San Jose, CA

60,895

77,620

16,725

81.1 %

26.4 %

Nashville, TN

34,909

60,829

25,920

46.1 %

29.0 %

Virginia Beach, VA

17,589

40,936

23,347

37.5 %

26.7 %

Providence, RI

22,606

38,509

15,903

46.6 %

29.8 %

Jacksonville, FL

14,373

33,192

18,819

42.9 %

30.4 %

Milwaukee, WI

12,762

31,375

18,613

36.9 %

21.2 %

Oklahoma City, OK

11,669

33,848

22,179

29.5 %

24.6 %

Raleigh, NC

16,976

31,461

14,485

40.0 %

23.5 %

Memphis, TN

3,098

21,070

17,972

33.7 %

30.6 %

Richmond, VA

15,389

28,394

13,005

36.2 %

23.0 %

Louisville, KY

8,051

24,876

16,825

29.5 %

22.2 %

New Orleans, LA

3,012

21,152

18,140

32.0 %

31.3 %

Salt Lake City, UT

28,098

38,280

10,182

52.7 %

23.6 %

Hartford, CT

13,445

25,704

12,259

33.0 %

25.1 %

Buffalo, NY

13,341

24,838

11,497

32.3 %

24.1 %

Birmingham, AL

3,237

19,145

15,908

30.3 %

25.3 %

*

Ordered by market size

**

Mortgage and rent burdens show the share of a median household’s income needed for the typical monthly mortgage or rent payment in each metro area

Sources and Methodology
This study uses the American Community Survey to provide a simple count of the number of families living in other families’ housing units. The number of families that do not currently own a home is estimated from IPUMS USA by counting each family in each household using the FAMUNIT variable and the appropriate weights. There can be multiple families either living in rented households or living in owner-occupied homes. To estimate the housing unit deficit, we compare families that were living in another family’s home with the number of units for sale or for rent across the country in the same time period.

About Zillow Group
Zillow Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: Z and ZG) is reimagining real estate to make home a reality for more and more people. As the most visited real estate website in the United States, Zillow and its affiliates help people find and get the home they want by connecting them with digital solutions, great partners, and easier buying, selling, financing and renting experiences.

Zillow Group’s affiliates, subsidiaries and brands include Zillow®; Premier Agent®; Zillow Home Loans℠; Zillow Closing Services℠; Trulia®; Out East®; StreetEasy®; HotPads®; and ShowingTime+℠, which includes ShowingTime®, Bridge Interactive®, and dotloop®.

All marks herein are owned by MFTB Holdco, Inc., a Zillow affiliate. Zillow Home Loans, LLC is an Equal Housing Lender, NMLS #10287 (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org).  © 2023 MFTB Holdco, Inc., a Zillow affiliate.

1 Latest sample available of the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey

SOURCE Zillow

>>> Read full article>>>
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source : Zillow – https://zillow.mediaroom.com/2023-06-22-Affordability-crisis-United-States-needs-4-3-million-more-homes