Exclusive: most renters surveyed by Harris Poll say the areas they live in have become so unaffordable they are ‘barely livable’

The poll, conducted by the Harris Poll Thought Leadership and Future Practice, asked survey takers to identify themselves as renters or homeowners, along with other demographic information. Those polled were asked their opinion on home ownership in the United States. For many, especially renters, the outlook is bleak.

Though the vast majority of renters polled said they want to own a home in the future, 61% said they are worried they will never be able to. A similar percentage believe no matter how hard they work, they’ll never be able to afford a home.

“When you think about Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, and housing is right at that foundational level of security, the implications on consumer psyche when things feel so unaffordable is something that will impact everyone,” said Libby Rodney, chief strategy officer at Harris Poll. The American dream of owning a home “is looking more like a daydream for renters”.

  • givesomefucks@lemmy.world
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    8 months ago

    Veterans get their loans backed by the government, so no down payment.

    It allowed me to get a decent sized 3 bedroom house on almost an acre inside of a metro location… For $400 more than a 1 bedroom apartment down the street a decade ago. I got two friends as roommates at first, paid lower than my old rent and they saved up their own down payments and both moved out into homes they bought in just a few years because I charged really cheap rent.

    I just checked, my old apartment has went up $700 in that decade.

    The Down Payment is the hardest part of buying a home. You can’t save up 25k while paying what’s essentially a mortgage payment.

    Give first time homebuyers the same program, and loads of people who think they’ll never own a home would be able to do so and pay less than renting within just a few years.

    If we don’t do anything, those people are going to be lifelong renters.

    • BakerBagel@midwest.social
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      8 months ago

      If we don’t do anything, those people are going to be lifelong renters.

      Yeah, that’s the current idea. We’ll all own nothing and we will like it