Executive Summary

We want afordable, good-quality, available housing. (Click on the subtitle for greater detail.)

The Problem

Housing Affordability

Indicator	United States
Median Home Price (2024)	~$420,000
Median Household Income	~$75,000
Price-to-Income Ratio	~5.6
Rent-Burdened Households	~50% of renters
Severely Rent-Burdened	~25% of renters

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, National Association of
Relators, Harvard Joing Center for Housing Studies.

Housing Supply Shortage

Indicator	United States
Housing Shortage	~3-4 million homes
New Homes Built (per year)	~1.4 million
Needed to Stabilize Prices	~2+ million per year

Sources: Freddie Mac and housing policy research groups.

Homelessness

Indicator	United States
Homeless population	~650,000
Unsheltered homeless	~40%
Increase since 2019	~10-12%

Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

International Comparison

Many developed countries achieve better housing affordability and stability despite comparable or lower income levels.

Country	Price-to-Income Ratio	Home Ownership	Rent Burden	Housing Model
United States	~5.6	66%	High	Market-driven
Germany	~4.0	49%	Moderate	Strong renter protections
Japan	~4.3	61%	Moderate	Flexible zoning, high supply
Austria	~4.2	55%	Low	Large social housing sector
Netherlands	~4.5	70%	Moderate	Cooperative housing system
Singapore	~4.7	90%	Low	Government-built housing

Countries such as Germany, Japan, and Austria demonstrate that stable housing markets can coexist with affordability when supply, zoning, and public housing are coordinated.

What High-Performing Countries Do Differently

Policy Tool	Example Country
National housing strategy	Austria
Flexible zoning laws	Japan
Large social housing sector	Netherlands
Government-built homes	Singapore
Strong renter protections	Germany

These systems treat housing as critical national infrastructure, not purely a private market commodity.

The Solution

Key Metrics

Metric	Target
Price-to-Income Ratio	≤ 3.5
Housing Shortage	0 units
Rent-Burdened Households	< 20%
Homeless Population	Declining Annually
New Housing Units Built	≥ 2 million/year
Affordable Housing Share	≥ 20%

What You Can Do

Next: The Problem
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