Eight in 10 Americans believe we are still in the middle of the housing crisis — or that the worst is yet to come — according to a national survey conducted by Hart Research Associates and commissioned by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.
Two-thirds of adults, 65% to be exact, now believe the focus of national housing policy should be split fairly equally between rental and ownership, as opposed to emphasizing one specifically.
While 70% of renters aspire to own a home one day, 57% of those surveyed believe that buying a home has become less appealing.
After decades of linking homeownership with the American Dream, 3 in 5 adults believe that after the housing crisis, renters can be just as successful as homeowners at achieving the American Dream.
“America is going through a transformational period in which the old forms and systems are changing, and the unconventional is becoming more conventional and even fashionable,” said Peter D. Hart of Hart Research Associates.
“While the desire to own a home remains a bedrock principle in American life, this survey demonstrates that the American public’s views about housing are changing, in part due to the hangover from the housing crisis, but importantly, also because of changes in our lifestyles. The dynamic is no longer simply ‘renting versus owning’ – perspectives are more complex, and people are viewing housing in a more holistic way,” Hart added.
