The Housing Crisis Facing America

A $95 billion aid package to Ukraine and Israel is currently being debated in Congress. Yet with over $34 trillion in national debt, veterans living on the streets, unaffordable healthcare, crushing student loans, crumbling infrastructure, and skyrocketing home prices, many are questioning these priorities. Rather than financing wars abroad, perhaps we should focus on domestic crises, especially housing affordability. The typical solutions proposed, like building more market-rate homes, have failed to make housing affordable for most Americans. We need innovative solutions.For example, redirecting even a fraction of the proposed $95 billion to the Army Corps of Engineers could allow building affordable smart housing on a large scale. Their expertise in quickly and efficiently constructing infrastructure could be leveraged to build affordable housing across the country.The scale of the housing crisis is immense. The US population has doubled since 1959, yet new home construction is at 1959 levels. Housing inventory has plummeted, with only 500,000 homes listed compared to a typical inventory of 2.6 million. Making matters worse, mortgage delinquencies are approaching 2008 crisis levels, indicating more foreclosures and distressed sales are coming.The housing crisis touches every American. Unaffordable housing destabilizes families and communities. We must urge our representatives to make this crisis a top priority and explore creative solutions, even if they disrupt the status quo. The very fabric of our nation depends on it.The time for action is now. What specific steps will you take today to move us toward a more affordable, just housing system? Our collective efforts can make a difference.