Summary

In today's highly competitive housing market, millions of Americans are priced out of buying a home, often competing with all-cash offers well above asking prices. Rents are skyrocketing, too, causing overall housing affordability to collapse at its fastest rate on record. Roben Farzad, host of public radio's Full Disclosure, joins John Yang to discuss. For a transcript of the story, click here . Vocabulary: An all-cash offer refers to up-front payment for a property in full without a mortgage (loan from the bank for some portion of the home cost). Property sellers often prefer all-cash offers if available because they are simpler and faster than waiting for a buyer's mortgage approval.

Five Facts

• What are the factors driving the increase in home prices and rents?


• Who are the people benefitting from the housing crisis?


• Where in the United States are markets being most affected?


• Why did the 2008 great financial crisis hurt the availability of affordable housing?


• How has the pandemic affected the housing crisis?

Focus Questions

In the interview, Farzad mentions that we need “policy solutions” to address the housing crisis and provides an example, stating how unused commercial property should be converted into affordable housing. What other kinds of policy solutions can you think of to solve this issue? Media literacy: Who else do you think should have been interviewed in the story about the housing crisis?

For More

Inflation rises faster than expected, pinching pocketbooks and spooking the markets

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Evelyn Chi, a rising sophomore at Amherst College, wrote today’s Daily News Lesson with editing by Luke Gerwe. Fill out this form to share your thoughts on Classroom’s resources. Sign up for NewsHour Classroom’s ready-to-go Daily News Lessons delivered to your inbox each morning.