The Urban Institute released a new report last week, aptly titled “Place the Blame Where It Belongs.” Two things make this report stand out: (1) the speed with which it gets to the point and (2) the systematic way in which it debunks myths about housing affordability in America. Its thesis is simple: Our housing crisis is a supply-driven crisis. So, when policymakers scapegoat developers, when they point the finger at institutional investors, when they propose policy “solutions” that don’t even try to address the supply-demand mismatch, they’re missing the point and wasting the public’s time. The only way to solve our housing affordability problem is by addressing its root cause: the shortage of homes in high-demand areas. – Urban Institute
