Is There an Affordability Crisis?

In a recent article, The Economist Magazine noted that “talk about affordability mixes phantom concerns with real ones.” In this episode of EconoFact Chats, Jason Furman argues that “affordability,” which is not well defined,

An episode of the EconoFact Chats podcast, hosted by EconoFact, titled "Is There an Affordability Crisis?" was published on February 1, 2026 and runs 23 minutes.

February 1, 2026 ·23m · EconoFact Chats

Summary

In a recent article, The Economist Magazine noted that “talk about affordability mixes phantom concerns with real ones.” In this episode of EconoFact Chats, Jason Furman argues that “affordability,” which is not well defined, is not necessarily worse now than a year or two ago, or even decades ago. But he notes that there are real concerns as well -- especially with the costs of housing, childcare, and medical care. Jason discusses whether recent policies can address these concerns, and also highlights the scope for government actions to address the rising cost of living. Jason is the Aetna Professor of the Practice of Economic Policy at Harvard. He was previously the Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers.

Episode Description