## U.S. Households Facing Higher Cost Burdens Than a Decade Ago
Housing affordability remains a significant challenge across the United States. The Urban Land Institute (ULI), in collaboration with research partner RCLCO, recently released the **2025 Terwilliger Center for Housing’s Home Attainability Index**, illustrating the increasing difficulties in securing affordable housing.
### Persistent Housing Challenges
According to **Urban Land Magazine**, the report underscores the ongoing struggle to meet America’s housing needs. Rosemarie Hepner, Vice President of ULI’s Terwilliger Center for Housing, emphasized in the article that when housing supply fails to keep pace with population growth, the resulting economic challenges limit job opportunities and industry expansion in many regions.
### Key Takeaways from the Report
#### **Increasing Cost Burdens**
Households earning less than $50,000 in nearly every major U.S. market are significantly more cost-burdened than they were a decade ago. The affordability crisis continues to worsen, necessitating concentrated efforts at all levels of government to expand housing stock and reverse this trend.
#### **Variance in Housing Attainability**
Home prices and rent increases vary across different regions. While prices are rising dramatically in some markets, they are stabilizing in others. The report highlights that in Rust Belt cities, households earning 120% of the Area Median Income (AMI) have relatively easier home purchasing options. In contrast, affordable options remain scarce in many western markets.
#### **Suburban Expansion of Housing Development**
With many established urban areas built out, new housing developments are increasingly moving away from downtown cores into first-ring suburbs. Builders are seeking more affordable land and housing types to lower overall production costs.
#### **Longer Commute Times**
Markets that once benefited from relatively short commutes are now experiencing increased traffic congestion, resulting in longer travel times. In response, many cities are exploring solutions such as congestion pricing, expanded bike lanes, curb extensions, and subsidized public transit packages to alleviate traffic issues.
As affordability challenges persist, policymakers, developers, and industry leaders must continue working on strategic solutions to expand housing options and improve attainability for households nationwide.
