In the media

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Our research is regularly cited in national and local news outlets; below is some of our recent press coverage.

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Bloomberg

Do-It-Yourself Jobs Fuel $419 Billion Home-Renovation Boom

Total spending on home improvement and repairs climbed an estimated 3% last year to $419 billion, despite a slowdown in the broader U.S. economy, researchers from Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies said in a study released Thursday.

Yahoo

How the Coronavirus Pandemic Is Affecting Renters vs. Homeowners

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, over 37 million households were cost burdened in 2019, putting over 30% toward rent or mortgage payments, including 17.6 million spending over 50% of their income on housing, according to the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies 2020 State of the Nation’s Housing report.

Reuters

What would a $15 minimum wage in U.S. mean in retirement? Plenty

Wage inequality and flat wage growth are primary culprits in the uneven retirement landscape we now face - and the racial gap in retirement wealth is especially stark. In 2019, the median net wealth - including home equity - of white households over age 65 was $326,170, compared with just $75,190 for Black households, and $63,560 for Latinos, according to analysis of Federal Reserve data by the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University.

The Wall Street Journal

These Retirees Are Aging in Place—a Very Modern, Contemporary Place

Architects across the country have noticed older clients are increasingly taking on new construction and major renovation projects. It is partly because there are more households led by people 65 or older, with a million added nationwide every year between 2014 to 2019, according to the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies.

The Boston Globe

Why availability is the new affordability when it comes to home buying

Current mortgage affordability brought by low interest rates, however welcome, comes with a caveat, Alex Hermann of JCHS said. “Higher home prices are often going to require a larger down payment, which is often the biggest barrier to accessing homeownership, especially for first-time buyers with low or moderate incomes."

Marketplace

Small landlords face a different kind of eviction crisis

About a fifth of renters in single-family homes and small apartment buildings are behind on their rent, and those kinds of buildings tend to be owned by mom and pop landlords, said Alexander Hermann, a research analyst at Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies.