Housing Affordability: A pressing issue for community members

A problem my community faces is housing. Not everyone has a safe and stable place to live, and many people struggle daily to find a home they can afford. I believe everyone should have a fair chance to own a home. Housing should not be treated as something only for people with high incomes. It is a basic necessity, because people need a home to live, work, and raise their children in.

One of the biggest issues is that many households spend more than 30% of their income on housing. When families pay that much for rent or a mortgage, they have less money for food, transportation, school supplies, medical care, and emergencies. This creates a cycle where people are always struggling and never able to get ahead. For many low- and moderate-income households, the dream of owning a home feels impossible because prices are too high and wages are not keeping up. This is especially difficult for families with children or other responsibilities, because they cannot simply move to wherever housing is cheaper. They need stable homes in the communities where their lives already are.

The government should do more to help solve this problem. Housing is too important to leave entirely to the market, especially when the market does not work fairly for everyone. People in my neighborhood often have trouble finding homes because they do not earn enough or because large corporations are buying up all the homes and driving prices up. When this happens, regular families are pushed out. Homes that could support residents instead become part of an investment strategy. That makes it harder for first-time buyers and working families to compete.

Another factor affecting housing is mortgage rates. Mortgages are a major part of homeownership because most people cannot buy a house. In 2020 and 2021, interest rates were very low, but from 2021 to 2024, mortgage rates increased making it harder for regular people to buy homes.

Another serious issue is rising rent. Rent has become unaffordable for too many people, and many renters live in constant fear of losing their homes if prices rise again. Shelter is a basic human need, but for many people it feels out of reach. That is a national problem, not just a local one. People should not have to give up most of their paycheck to keep a roof over their heads. They should not be forced to choose between rent and everything else they need to survive.

The housing process also creates unnecessary barriers. Renters often have to pay fees to view a house or submit an application. For people who are already struggling, those fees can be a burden. They make it even harder to find housing, especially when a person has to apply to several places before finding one that accepts them. It should not cost so much to try to get a home. Housing access should be simpler, fairer, and less expensive.

A good solution for the community would be to keep housing prices fair for regular people. Not everyone has thousands of dollars saved, and prices continue rising every year. That is unfair to people who earn lower wages or live paycheck to paycheck. The government should also create stronger protections so companies cannot buy too many houses in the same area and drive up prices for families who actually want to live in them. Homes should first serve the people who need them, not just investors seeking profit.

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This story is part of Generocity’s 2026 Flourishing Series, supported by People’s Media Fund