Why is there a lack of affordable housing in the USA despite a surplus of empty homes?
Last Updated: 03.07.2025 03:16
“Empty” doesn’t mean “unowned” or “up for grabs.”
Sometimes, local governments auction the buildings they’ve acquired, or sell them for very cheap, with the goal of increasing their tax base and reducing blight. Solving the housing crisis isn’t really on their radar when they do those sales. Improving the city’s financial situation is the main goal.
Detroit is well known for selling abandoned buildings for dirt cheap. You can check out their offerings yourself:
But, again, the goal there isn’t to create affordable housing; it’s to get more taxpayers into a city that has lost 65% of its population since 1950. They have plenty of abandoned homes, and not nearly enough taxpayers.
Every house is owned by someone, or a bank, or a local government. Two of those, people and banks, aren’t in the business of fixing the housing crisis. They’re in the business of taking care of themselves, or making a profit for their shareholders.