We live in a nation where grown-up children systematically are, in a way, turned into economic refugees fleeing the high-cost areas where they were born and their parents live. There are lots of people that care deeply about promoting housing abundance, more than enough to be a political force.
The real problem is-- this is a problem of a diffuse absence. There is, generally, no simple focused location to complain about, and the problem does not lend itself to a roll-up-our-sleeves-and-spend-some-money solution. Those are called "housing projects" and they are a tool of last resort.
In addition, this is a failed policy built on the shoulders of a failed transportation policy. Government is stuck on the developmental cul-de-sac of rubber tires and individual vehicles, and the housing crisis is intrinsically linked to this. The modern generation has demonstrated no profoundly increased enthusiasm for investment in mass transit, and instead prefer unproven technology fixes always just beyond the horizon.
My son has been trying to meet people his own age around Ithaca and struggling but has been overcoming from his own effort with some help from his friends like me and my fox [1]
Of course the early 20s demo is dominated by college students which has some positive but also negative effects. He found it was easy to meet boomers at rock concerts and poker tournaments but once he cracked the code of meeting people his own age he was told by townies that townies leave because they can’t afford the rent. It is one thing to move on to seek fame and fortune but if you’re going to be one of the people who construct and maintain housing (can’t outsource that work to India, won’t be replaced by LLMs) it is a step down to move to a blighted area where you can afford to live.
[1] shapeshifting lessons taught him how to be an ambivert like myself
The real problem is-- this is a problem of a diffuse absence. There is, generally, no simple focused location to complain about, and the problem does not lend itself to a roll-up-our-sleeves-and-spend-some-money solution. Those are called "housing projects" and they are a tool of last resort.
In addition, this is a failed policy built on the shoulders of a failed transportation policy. Government is stuck on the developmental cul-de-sac of rubber tires and individual vehicles, and the housing crisis is intrinsically linked to this. The modern generation has demonstrated no profoundly increased enthusiasm for investment in mass transit, and instead prefer unproven technology fixes always just beyond the horizon.