
More than just an affordability problem, the housing crisis is getting in the way of domestic migration and hampering economic growth, writes Curbed’s Patrick Sisson.
Spiraling housing costs, and the land-use restrictions that often accelerate unaffordability, don’t just push people out, but keep others out as well. Housing costs are keeping many Americans from moving to opportunity ... Migration has long been an engine of U.S. economic growth. But in recent years, inequality has grown across regions, making finding a job that offers a chance at socioeconomic mobility in an affordable city that much more difficult.
The transition from a manufacturing to service economy hinges on American workers’ ability to move to larger population centers, Sisson notes. However, strict development regulations in cities like Los Angeles, Calif., drive housing out of reach to many buyers. Workers who would otherwise head toward economic opportunity are left in place, sometimes in underperforming economic regions, Sisson reports.
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