Article • Dean Baker’s Beat the Press
House prices are falling despite restrictive zoning, but soaring homeowners insurance costs driven by climate change continue to undermine housing affordability.
Article • Data Bytes
The cost of homeowners insurance has been rising dramatically — and it is not adequately captured in the official inflation measures.
Article • Dean Baker’s Beat the Press
A land value tax avoids distorting incentives but can be regressive, making a combined approach with progressive property taxes a more balanced solution.
Article • Dean Baker’s Beat the Press
March data show a weakening housing market even before rising rates, though slower price growth and higher wages are beginning to ease affordability pressures.
Article
The public recognizes there is a housing affordability crisis — and supports government spending to address it.
Article • Dean Baker’s Beat the Press
The real driver of today’s housing shortage is the lasting fallout from the 2008 housing bubble, not zoning rules or overregulation.
Article • Dean Baker’s Beat the Press
The Trump administration’s new housing idea — the 50-year mortgage — would create substantial new risks for homeowners.
Article • Data Bytes
The failure to pass meaningful affordable housing policies means that an increasing number of renters are cost-burdened.
Article • Expose the Heist: Power and Policy in Unprecedented Times
Far from solving the housing crisis, the spending bill risks making it worse, cementing a system where the security of investors is prioritized over the stability of tenants.
Article • Dean Baker’s Beat the Press
Donald Trump’s plan to privatize Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac would raise mortgage costs, benefit Wall Street, and increase the risk of future financial crises.
