Exclusive: most renters surveyed by Harris Poll say the areas they live in have become so unaffordable they are âbarely livableâ
The poll, conducted by the Harris Poll Thought Leadership and Future Practice, asked survey takers to identify themselves as renters or homeowners, along with other demographic information. Those polled were asked their opinion on home ownership in the United States. For many, especially renters, the outlook is bleak.
Though the vast majority of renters polled said they want to own a home in the future, 61% said they are worried they will never be able to. A similar percentage believe no matter how hard they work, theyâll never be able to afford a home.
âWhen you think about Maslowâs hierarchy of needs, and housing is right at that foundational level of security, the implications on consumer psyche when things feel so unaffordable is something that will impact everyone,â said Libby Rodney, chief strategy officer at Harris Poll. The American dream of owning a home âis looking more like a daydream for rentersâ.
Checking Zillow for my city, itâs $500k minimum for a 2br an hour and a half away by car. That would also put me in the middle of a Republican area as a queer immigrant.
The âbuy a house in the middle of nowhereâ mentality doesnât take into account the risks and depression associated with living somewhere red as a minority.
The âbuy a house in the middle of nowhereâ mentality doesnât take into account the risks and depression associated with living somewhere red as a minority.
This is genuinely one of the first counterpoint Iâve seen that I have to say is actually super valid.
I completely agree on this, itâs a big factor to consider.
However, I will note often you see a sort of split where you have 2-3 suburbs/towns near a big city, and one of them goes blue abd the other goes red, and you can see a bit of polarizing that happens as folks switch between the two to polarize away from each other.
In my area, one smaller town just switch all itâs bathrooms to gender neutral bathrooms in the public office, the other one banned rainbow flags from being flown.
So if itâs a condolence, at least that sometimes happens.
I expect it depends how left/right the province/state as a whole leans. I expect this phemonina stops happening in places like texas :(
As an example, in my area the âmagic sauceâ for why it was so much more affordable is the same fact itâs heavily populated by imfolks from India and Africa. Iâd say about half the people in this corner of the city or so, and I live in a much more right leaning province (Alberta, which is the florida of canada now)
So I expect a lot of⊠right leaning folks hate the idea of being neighbourâs with folks in this neighborhood.
Oh well, cheaper house for me, and I love my community.
I wonder to what extent some amount of âcanât afford homesâ culture is influenced by racists who donât count any homes that run the âriskâ of having to live next door to someone who isnât white.
I partially just assume people that âdont countâ affordable homes because âI donât wanna live thereâ are just racist at this point, or, minorities trying to avoid racists.
