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Video game Dot's Home brings a story of housing injustice to life

The interactive game lets players follow one family's account of disadvantage and discrimination through the generations.
"We wanted to tell a multigenerational story, because when you think about housing disadvantage, it is cumulative," says Christina Rosales, above, co-creator of Dot's Home.
David Brancaccio/Marketplace

Mortgage payment on a typical home nearly doubled in last 4 years, report finds

Mar 1, 2024
According to real estate firm Zillow, the typical buyer pays $2,188 monthly — well above the 30% of median income guideline used to calculate housing affordability.
Homeownership now costs well over the 30% of median income that was once thought to equate to “affordable” housing in the U.S.
Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images

What does it take to convert office buildings into housing?

Feb 28, 2024
New York, like many cities, wants to provide more housing and soak up empty office space. But the transition can be complex and costly.
The former office building at 160 Water St. in New York City will be home to residential tenants who can afford Financial District rents.
Samantha Fields/Marketplace

Are we finished with starter homes?

Feb 27, 2024
A staple of the American housing market, starter homes still exist. But these lower-priced residences look different and cost more now.
Starter homes are characterized by their lower cost, smaller scale and fun-size trappings, like a dining alcove instead of a dining room.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Canada extends its ban on foreigners buying homes for two more years

Feb 6, 2024
The ban was supposed to make housing more affordable.
After foreign investors began buying up properties in places like Vancouver, "residents were being priced out of their own real estate market," said McGill University's David Wachsmuth.
Andrew Chin/Getty Images

Furniture sellers hoped for a better 2023

Jan 17, 2024
The furniture and home furnishings sector saw a 5.4% sales decline last year.
Furniture sales dipped 4.7% for the year, according to the Commerce Department.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Affordable housing hammered by rising insurance rates

Dec 15, 2023
Insurance premiums for affordable housing operators are already pricier. The pandemic and climate change has pushed the costs even more.
“Underwriters tend to charge about 10% to 15% more than the standard market rate for affordable housing," said Maria Lobo of the global insurance brokerage Gallagher.
George Rose/Getty Images

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Could 3D-printed homes help solve the affordable-housing crisis?

Dec 4, 2023
Upstart companies hope 3D printing can disrupt the sector by creating structures in a fraction of the time traditional methods require.
A finished Alquist 3D printed home. The technology only prints concrete walls, while elements like roofs, trusses and porches are still completed using traditional techniques.
Courtesy Alquist 3D

Supply of low-cost apartments dwindled over last decade, study says

Jul 7, 2023
Ultra-cheap rentals declined in every state, especially in Texas and North Carolina, where renters from more expensive markets are moving.
States like Texas, above, and North Carolina had a particularly sharp drop in low-cost apartments.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images

New house construction is booming. Here's why most of it isn't affordable.

Jun 20, 2023
There may be more supply, but it tends to cater to demand at the higher end of the income spectrum.
Over the past decade or so, new home construction slowed and still hasn’t caught up with demand.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images