A recent survey by the MacArthur Foundation finds that the majority of Americans remain concerned – even pessimistic – about the future of housing affordability despite the best efforts of local, state and federal governments. While most believe that improvements have been made, 61 percent don’t think the housing crisis is over and a full 20 percent believe the worst is yet to come. Those in the age range of 50 to 64 are the most pessimistic with 69 percent believing that affordable housing is a very or fairly serious issue. 61 percent of African-Americans and Hispanics agree.
Most Americans – 75 percent – want the federal government to make housing affordability at least a moderately high priority, but only 43 percent believe it actually does. Moreover, 79 percent believe local and state governments should make housing affordability at least a moderately high priority, yet 54 percent think they actually do. Many admitted that they don’t have a clear idea of what the government could actually do to improve housing.
Finally, the survey also found that 50 percent of those questioned believe that buying a home is still an excellent long-term investment – up six percent from a year ago. 43 percent indicated that buying a home remains a high priority in their lives.
Leave a Reply