The American dream of owning a home — or even renting one — is turning into a nightmare. Home prices have jumped 47% since 2020 and half of all renters nationwide are cost-burdened — meaning they spend more than 30% of their income on rent, according to a 2024 Harvard University housing study. A recent report from the University of Michigan found the cost of housing is on voters’ minds.
About 50% of Detroit households prioritize some element of housing costs as an issue they want the government to address, said Mara Ostfeld, faculty lead of U-M’s Detroit Metro Area Communities Study.
Affordable housing is one of the top concerns for young people.
“We really saw this pop out among younger Detroiters, and this is consistent with national polls that younger Detroiters and younger Americans are far more concerned about the cost of housing,” Ostfeld said. “Especially as they’re entering into that phase of their life where they’re starting to pay their own rent or starting to put down payments on their own homes.”
University of Michigan Associate Professor Roshanak Mehdipanah, the Director of Housing Solutions for Health Equity, said multiple factors make it difficult for younger people to buy their first homes, including rising housing costs, having enough money for a downpayment and higher interest rates.
Voters are looking for candidates that have a plan to address their concerns, Ostfeld said.
“If we want to see more young voters participate in the electoral process … we need to pay more attention to the issues that they’re saying are their top concerns, and housing is clearly high ranked among them,” she said.
PBS News Hour Student Reporting Labs Gwen Ifill Legacy Fellow Maria Witcher talks with Ostfeld and Mehdipanah about housing concerns and how they could drive young voters to the polls.
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