MBA RIHA Study: Affordability Growing Challenge for Low-, Moderate-Income Renters in Majority of Top 50 Metro Areas

Home prices and rent appreciation have exceeded income growth since the turn of the 21st century. This has created economic obstacles for many American households, especially for low- and moderate-income renters living in cities with recent employment growth but significant housing supply constraints, according to a new report from the MBA Research Institute for Housing America.

Solving Affordability with More Density

Most of us love the idea of having a single-family home on a two-acre lot, big enough to support livestock. But when it comes to housing affordability, says Zillow, Seattle, most of us also say they see a path through adding density.

MBA Advocacy Update

Last Friday, MBA President and CEO Bob Broeksmit, CMB, attended a White House meeting chaired by HUD Secretary Ben Carson and attended by other senior administration officials and key industry stakeholders to discuss housing affordability. And on Monday, the Federal Housing Finance Agency announced it is seeking comment on pooling practices for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in the Uniform Mortgage-Backed Securities market.

MBA Chart of the Week: CPI Inflation–Shelter Costs

Housing affordability challenges–for both buying and renting–continue to be a topic of discussion. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, shelter costs continue to outpace the price growth of overall goods and services, as measured by the Consumer Price Index.