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The Housing Market

Published by USC Bedrosian Center on

In today’s episode of The Policy Paycheck, host Serena Allen discusses when young adults should buy over rent and the impact of home ownership with expert Dr. Richard Green.

How much money does the government spend on housing assistance? What is the impact of population density on the real estate market? What is the relationship between home ownership and equity?

Richard Green, Professor Director and Chair of the USC Lusk Center for Real Estate Chair, Department of Real Estate Development

Some of things we talked about ...

H&T Affordability Index


By taking into account the cost of housing as well as the cost of transportation, H+T provides a more comprehensive understanding of the affordability of place.

Dividing these costs by the representative income illustrates the cost burden of housing and transportation expenses placed on a typical household.

While housing alone is traditionally deemed affordable when consuming no more than 30% of income, the H+T Index incorporates transportation costs—usually a household’s second-largest expense—to show that location-efficient places can be more livable and affordable.
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The Policy Paycheck logo is designed by USC student Jordan Williams.

Produced by Serena Allen & Aubrey Hicks. Sound editing by the Brothers Hedden.

Bedrosian Center