This chapter examines the escalating economic challenges Americans face, particularly in the housing market, as the US election nears. It highlights the growing unattainability of home ownership and the broader implications for the American dream.
As prices for homes and rents continue to rise in many towns and cities, it's one of the key issues for voters.
In 2023 the average price of a home in the United States was $495,100, six per cent higher than a year earlier, though the signs are prices may now be starting to fall.
That’s partly because mortgage rates have spiralled as high as 7% for many new buyers – making repayments prohibitive.
We ask business owners working in housing to tell us why, and what’s the fix?
Presenter: Ed Butler
Producer: David Cann
(Image: A "Now Leasing" sign outside the Willows at Valley Run, an affordable housing development, in Coatesville, Pennsylvania. Credit: Getty Images)