User:9H48F/sandbox/Housing in the United States

Housing in the United States

Overview
Housing as shelter is one of the "basic needs" of humans, offering protection against the elements. It also provides a place of privacy away from the public eye where daily activities can take place. Residents often have personal attachment to a house, making it a home. A home's location, style and access to schools, parks, and other amenities can align a household to a greater community to reinforce cultural or religious bonds. These characteristics can also reinforce segregation and unequal access to amenities.

Housing is also important to developers, builders, lenders, realtors, investors, architects, and other specialized professions and trades. These groups view housing as a commodity for financial gain.

As the United States industrialized in the 20th century, demand for housing fueled job growth and consumer products to create economic growth. By the 1970s, manufacturing began to decline and the knowledge economy began to emerge the regional economies began to diverge and housing costs rose drastically in economic centers such as New York, San Francisco and Boston. By 2016, housing costs in two thirds of the United States had exceeded wage growth.

role in the economy

characteristics of home owners v renters

affordability

Key trends and patterns in the housing market
key features, highlighting tenure distributions, housing conditions and costs.

Housing as a right

National housing policy
Changes in housing assistance, housing finance and tax systems - government uses the tax code to subsidize homeowners and renters. Tax subsidies for homeownership benefitting affluent more than modest. Subsidies for low income housing - Low income housing tax credit. HOPE VI program. lower income subsities / demand-side subsidies called vouchers.