Alain Bertaud
Senior research scholar at NYU's Marron Institute of Urban Management, specializing in urban economics and housing policy. He is the author of "Order Without Design."
March 1, 2026·8 min read
The Housing Trap
Housing affordability has reached crisis levels in cities across the world. In San Francisco, New York, London, and Sydney, median home prices are 10-20 times median incomes. The causes are complex — a combination of zoning restrictions, underinvestment in social housing, and financialization of the housing market — but the consequences are clear: a generation locked out of homeownership and communities torn apart by displacement.
TOPICS
housingaffordabilityeconomicsurban policyinequality
