Why It Matters
The "gap" between the rich and the poor.
The wealth gap
These local regulations often restrict the types of housing that can be built.
Zoning laws
This term describes the difference between the number of homes needed and the number actually built.
The housing supply gap
This WWII law helped veterans buy homes with low-cost loans.
The G.I. Bill
The percentage of residential land restricted to single-family homes.
75%
These generations are put in the rental market.
Millennials and Gen-Z.
This is the current median age of first-time homebuyers.
40
The housing supply gap reached this many millions of homes.
4.3 million
High rents mean families have less of this type of extra income to spend at local businesses.
Disposable income
Homebuilding significantly slowed down after this year.
2008
The basic physical structures like roads and power.
Infrastructure.
High mortgage rates discourage homeowners from selling because they want to keep ____ _____.
Low rates.
This 2008 event led to underbuilding.
The financial crisis.
Every $100 spent on housing generates this much for the community.
$90
As of 2025, this fraction of all single-family homes were bought by institutional investors.
1/3
The housing crisis makes it harder for workers to move for jobs, which is called this type of mobility.
Workforce mobility.
Rising construction and labor costs make building new homes less ______ for developers.
Profitable.
This is the year by which the housing supply gap reached 4.3 million.
2025
These hidden fees from corporate landlords can raise total housing costs by this percentage range.
10-15%
In this Texas city, corporate investors account for 11-14% of home sales.
Dallas
When families pay too much for housing, they have much less to spend at local shops, slowing down this "national growth."
GDP.
Single-family homes.
These two rising costs for developers are making it more difficult to build new homes.
Material and labor costs.
Frequently moving homes can lead to these negative effects.
Health, poor grades, and social connections
Because investors often pay with this, individual families are frequently outbid.
Cash