Episode Details

What exactly is "affordable housing"? In this episode of pplpod, we break down the complex global housing crisis, moving beyond the standard definition of the "30% rule" to understand why so many are cost-burdened today. We explore the economics driving the shortage, from the supply-and-demand mismatch to the hidden costs of zoning regulations and parking minimums that can add up to $75,000 per unit.

Join us as we discuss:

• The Metrics: Why measuring affordability by income alone fails to account for transportation costs and the "drive 'til you qualify" phenomenon.
• The Impacts: The connection between high rents, homelessness, and the "urban slum" crisis affecting 1.6 billion people globally.
• The Solutions: From YIMBY supply-side policies and "Missing Middle" housing to the "Vienna Model" of social housing and the rise of Community Land Trusts.
• Innovation: How adaptive reuse and container homes are reshaping the future of construction.

Whether you are a renter, a homeowner, or a policy nerd, this episode unpacks the tangled web of inequality, economics, and design that determines who gets to live where.