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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AP News

Housing on the ballot: Harris, Trump push different plans for tackling housing affordability crisis

Chris Herbert, managing director of Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies, said in a statement that rising interest rates and the pandemic-era spike in housing demand are to blame for rising costs — not immigrants. “While immigrants do add to overall housing demand, they cannot be blamed for the recent surge in home prices and rents that took off in 2020 and 2021, as immigration reached its lowest levels in decades due to the pandemic,” Herbert said.

The Wall Street Journal

Remodeling Spending Forecast to Rebound Next Year

Spending slipped into contraction this year for the first time since the aftermath of the 2008 mortgage meltdown, according to Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies. The latest reading of the center’s Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity forecasts a return to growth that will push annual spending to $477 billion by this time next year.

NPR (Morning Edition)

Over 60? Climate change could be coming for your nest egg

As the Earth heats up, severe weather — like the floods that damaged the Saladins’ home — is getting more common. Meanwhile, the cost of home insurance is also rising. So are utility bills during intense heat waves. That’s taking a profound financial toll on retirees who live on fixed incomes, many of whom also have looming medical and housing costs associated with aging. “These are all significant financial burdens to older adults,” says Jennifer Molinsky, who directs the Housing an Aging Society program at the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies.

NBC News

Middle-class homeowners are increasingly squeezed by housing costs

Daniel McCue, a senior research associate at Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies, said record home price growth was one driver of cost burdens, but also rising property taxes and insurance premiums. These have combined with high interest rates to create punishing pressure, even as many Americans are earning more money.

WGBH

Solutions for more housing? Let apartment buildings have just one stairwell.

It’s a longstanding building code for most buildings with over nine units to have two stairwells, and one with roots in fire safety. But authors of a new report from the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University and the design firm Utile say getting rid of the requirement would cut down on construction costs and let developers build on more of the small, unused lots in the Boston area.

Politico

JD Vance says ‘illegal immigrants’ are keeping you from owning your own home

“While immigrants do add to overall housing demand, they cannot be blamed for the recent surge in home prices and rents that took off in 2020 and 2021, as immigration reached its lowest levels in decades due to the pandemic,” said Chris Herbert, managing director of Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies.

NBC News

What economists say about JD Vance's claim that immigrants drive up housing costs

In general, economists are skeptical that immigrants are the main driver of the current predicament. Chris Herbert, managing director of Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies, said that while immigrants do add to overall housing demand, “they cannot be blamed for the recent surge in home prices and rents that took off in 2020 and 2021.” That was when immigration reached its lowest levels in decades because of the pandemic.

Boston.com

If looks could thrill: The best home improvements for your dollar

Experts note government or nonprofit programs for home repairs often zero in on energy efficiency or getting a home to basic habitability instead of more cosmetic touches like a kitchen upgrade or curb appeal. This aligns with data that show lower-income households are much more likely to pursue replacement projects than discretionary improvements, said Sophia Wedeen, a senior research analyst at Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies.

CBS News

JD Vance says immigration is to blame for high housing costs. Here's what the experts say.

What is evident, however, is that home prices have surged 53% since January 2020, just prior to the pandemic, pushing many would-be homebuyers out of the market. And with rents soaring 25% over the same time period, half of all renters are now defined as "cost burdened." That means a record share of renters now spend more than 30% of their income on housing, according to the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies.