The housing affordability crisis isn't just crushing millennials—it's squeezing out buyers in their 50s and older too
- New research from the New York Fed and the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) shows that declining affordability is reducing homeownership for buyers in their 20s, 30s, 40s, and 50s alike.
- Home prices have grown far faster than incomes, making the price‑to‑income gap the central barrier to ownership across all age groups.
- Lower and middle‑income households are being pushed out, while higher‑income buyers capture a growing share of available homes.
- First‑time buyers increasingly come from higher‑income brackets, reflecting how the market is drifting away from broad accessibility.
- Experts argue that only major supply expansion, especially zoning reform to allow smaller, denser, more affordable homes, can restore homeownership access.
u/McFatty7 — 5 hours ago