The American affordability crisis: Competing diagnoses, divergent remedies
Finding workable solutions will require moving beyond ideological commitments to evidence-based evaluation
A REGISTERED nurse in Phoenix pays US$1,800 monthly for a one-bedroom apartment, nearly half her take-home income. Her health insurance premiums have doubled in five years, and she’s still paying off undergraduate loans a decade after graduation.
Her situation is not exceptional.
Across the United States, the cost of housing, healthcare and education has outpaced wage growth for decades, transforming what were once achievable milestones into formidable obstacles. The affordability debate cuts across these sectors, yet disagreement persists not only about solutions but on root causes themselves.
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