Video: The Housing Market as a Game of 'Cruel Musical Chairs'

The Sightline Institute has created an explainer video to make a supply-side argument in favor of new housing developments—even new market rate housing developments.

1 minute read

November 17, 2017, 7:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


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Dan Bertolet makes the case for new housing of all shapes and sizes as a solution to the housing crisis, and supplements the appeal with a video.

According to the analogy employed by the video, the housing market is like a game of "cruel musical chairs":

If there aren’t enough chairs when the music stops, someone is left out. When there aren’t enough homes for people who live and work in a city, everybody has to compete for what’s available, and rents go up until people get priced out. In the housing market, instead of being fast, you just need to be rich to stay in the game.

According to Bertolet, creating a wide variety of new housing supply isn't the only solution to keeping rent and home prices down, but it’s an essential foundation for affordability. Here's the video, so illustrate these points.

Thursday, November 16, 2017 in Sightline Institute

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