Global survey: spiraling costs block households’ path to ownership

The post-pandemic surge in housing costs is not just a U.S. domestic problem. A new global research report from Habitat for Humanity International finds that housing costs are forcing people worldwide into difficult trade-offs that cut into their access to food, health care, savings and long-term financial planning. The report, titled “Home at What Cost?”, is based on nationally representative surveys of 30,000 people across 22 countries where Habitat for Humanity operates. Respondents came from low-, medium- and high-income countries like Argentina, Australia, Barbados, Brazil, Canada, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Indonesia, Ireland, Kenya, Mexico, Nepal, Nigeria, Poland, South Africa, South Korea, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States. The report found that the full cost of housing goes beyond rent or mortgage payments to include other essentials that people sacrifice in order to keep a roof over their heads. Notably, housing insecurity cut across income levels, affecting a high share of people in wealthy and lower-income countries alike. The strain is also evident in the United States, where 42% of non-homeowners say they never expec...