Homeownership Takes on New Meaning

Homeownership is declining in the United States, so what does the new homeowner of the post-recession era look like?

1 minute read

October 12, 2017, 7:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Lawns and Suburban Homes

Johnny Habell / Shutterstock

As the country has emerged from the Great Recession and the Millennial generation has come of age in a new kind of housing crisis, homeownership has declined and the whole idea of homeownership has taken on a new character.

Jenny Schuetz details the contemporary "face" of homeownership in the United States—i.e., "the demographic and economic characteristics of prospective homeowners."

Schuetz calls on household-level data from the most recent American Housing Survey (AHS 2015), using new homeowners as a proxy to compare to renters and long-time homeowners, as well as new homeowners in 2001 and 2015.

Click through to the article to see data on new homeowners as broken down by age, household size, race, wealth, education, and more, as well as the characteristics of the building stock new homeowners move into in 2015. Schuetz also packages all of the findings of this analysis in three policy implications that planners will want to note.

Monday, October 9, 2017 in Brookings

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Close-up of "Apartment for rent" sign in red text on black background in front of blurred building

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program

Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

April 21, 2025 - Housing Wire

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 30, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Close-up on Canadian flag with Canada Parliament building blurred in background.

Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?

As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?

April 28, 2025 - Benjamin Schneider

Washington

Washington State’s Parking Reform Law Could Unlock ‘Countless’ Acres for New Housing

A law that limits how much parking cities can require for residential amd commercial developments could lead to a construction boom.

May 1 - Streetsblog USA

Bluebird sitting on branch of green bush.

Wildlife Rebounds After the Eaton Fire

Following the devastation of the Eaton Fire, the return of wildlife and the regrowth of native plants are offering powerful signs of resilience and renewal.

May 1 - AP News

1984 Olympics

LA to Replace Inglewood Light Rail Project With Bus Shuttles

LA Metro says the change is in response to community engagement and that the new design will be ready before the 2028 Olympic Games.

May 1 - Newsweek

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.