Why is housing so expensive?

Whether you're trying to buy your first home, rent an apartment, or just wondering why a basic house now costs half a million dollars in many cities — this episode is for you. Let’s get smarter. Let’s begin with the most obvious symptom: prices have exploded. In the U.S. alone, the median home price has more than doubled in the last two decades. In major cities like San Francisco, Vancouver, Sydney, and London, the numbers are even more shocking. What used to be affordable to middle-class families is now often out of reach — even for dual-income professionals. So what’s going on? Why is housing — a basic human need — now treated like a luxury product?