The new politics of affordable housing

For decades, advocates have debated how to better position affordable housing on the national agenda. Over the past few years, organizations such as the National Association of Realtors (NAR) have sponsored surveys and hosted conferences to better understand which issues resonate with the public. This article analyzes NAR survey data on affordability and addresses what the findings mean for those seeking to promote housing concerns. The data show that the public sees affordability as a major problem on a par with health care and unemployment, but there seems to be a disconnect between affordability and the current subprime lending/foreclosure crisis. Therefore, affordable housing might not register as a political issue once the crisis is over. Unlike other major political issues, housing is not seen as universally broken. This article addresses the disconnect between politicians and the public on affordable housing and suggests new strategies that could raise its media profile.