Navigating the Tension Between Homeownership and Mobility

This week, Nick and Goldy are joined by journalist and historian Yoni Appelbaum to discuss his forthcoming book, Stuck: How the Privileged and the Propertied Broke the Engine of American Opportunity. They explore how decades of failed economic policies and zoning regulations have restricted mobility, stifled economic growth, and worsened inequality—revealing the historical roots of our current housing and economic inequality crises. Appelbaum argues that the decline in housing affordability isn't just a housing problem but a mobility problem, as many Americans are increasingly unable to afford to move to areas of the country where they can pursue better opportunities for themselves or their children.

Yoni Appelbaum is a deputy executive editor of The Atlantic and a social and cultural historian of the United States. Before joining The Atlantic, he was a lecturer on history and literature at Harvard University.

Social Media:

Bluesky @yappelbaum.bsky.social

Twitter @YAppelbaum

Further reading:

Stuck: How the Privileged and the Propertied Broke the Engine of American Opportunity.

Website: http://pitchforkeconomics.com

Instagram: @pitchforkeconomics

Threads: pitchforkeconomics

Bluesky: @pitchforkeconomics.bsky.social

Twitter: @PitchforkEcon, @NickHanauer, @civicaction

YouTube: @pitchforkeconomics

LinkedIn: Pitchfork Economics

Substack: The Pitch