Tag Archives: Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies

A new study measuring the growth of the U.S. housing market since the 1980s shows houses are built to last. But younger people can't buy their way into them.

A new report from Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies and AARP posits that the population of adults age 50 and above will reach 132 million by 2030, a jump of more than 70 percent since the year 2000. But while their numbers are rapidly increasing, the amount of housing that is affordable, physically accessible, and located well is not, the report said.

In an annual report, Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard suggests Millennial participation is the key to a robust housing recovery. The number of households in their 30s should increase by 2.7 million over the coming decade, which should boost demand for new housing, the report predicts. For now, tight credit, elevated unemployment, and mounting student loan debt among young Americans are curbing growth.