Report: Housing Construction Not Meeting Middle Class Needs

The construction industry is building less "attainable housing" than demanded by the market.

1 minute read

June 5, 2019, 7:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Single Family Residential Construction

stock_photo_world / Shutterstock

The Urban Land Institute’s (ULI) Terwilliger Center for Housing and real estate consulting firm RCLCO released a new report exploring the "shortage of housing affordable to moderate-income home buyers, including first-time buyers, and offers solutions to increase the supply," according to an article by Brenda Richardson.

The report defines "attainable housing" as "non-subsidized, for-sale housing that is affordable to households with incomes between 80 and 120 percent of the area median income." Given that definition, the report finds that "very little non-subsidized home-building activity is geared toward the middle-class price point."

Still, there are signs that the market is starting to respond to demand at the "attainable" price point. "Innovations are coming from publicly held home builders, developers of master-planned communities, neighborhood-based real estate investors and a new breed of entrepreneurs from other industries, the report states," according to Richardson.

The new report joins recent analysis from Brookings that examines housing stress in the middle class of the United States in providing new insights into the post-Recession housing market for earners historically primed to enter the home buying market.

Sunday, June 2, 2019 in Forbes

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

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

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.

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

White and purple sign for Slow Street in San Francisco, California with people crossing crosswalk.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths

Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

July 1, 2025 - KQED

"Altadena - Not For Sale" yard sign in front of burned down house after Eaton Fire in Altadena, California in January 2025.

Half of Post-Fire Altadena Home Sales Were to Corporations

Large investors are quietly buying up dozens of properties in Altadena, California, where a devastating wildfire destroyed more than 6,000 homes in January.

July 7 - Dwell

Dense multistory residential buildings in hilly San Francisco, California.

Opinion: What San Francisco’s Proposed ‘Family Zoning’ Could Really Mean

Mayor Lurie is using ‘family zoning’ to encourage denser development and upzoning — but could the concept actually foster community and more human-scale public spaces?

July 7 - The San Francisco Standard

Blue self-driving Ford Transit van shuttle in Jacksonville, Florida.

Jacksonville Launches First Autonomous Transit Shuttle in US

A fleet of 14 fully autonomous vehicles will serve a 3.5-mile downtown Jacksonville route with 12 stops.

July 7 - Smart Cities Dive

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.

Associate/Senior Planner

Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development

Senior Planner

Heyer Gruel & Associates PA