Sandra Ringelstein: The current housing situation is forefront in this election cycle

To The Daily Sun,

The current housing situation is forefront in this election cycle. Prices are way up. It’s more difficult for younger than baby boomers and millennials to afford a home either by purchasing or renting. We know there is a shortage of affordable homes and we know that some of it is due to the law of supply and demand.

Since the COVID pandemic, there has been a lag in supply that has increased the cost of building. Supplies were short thus prices were up. Mortgage interest rates have been up.

We all, including those who own multi-unit dwellings, had to pay higher fuel costs and some regulations can tie the hands of those who had hoped to maintain level rents.

How we manage short-term rental properties adds to the mix. Greed plays a role. Volatility doesn’t help.

So, what do we do? How do we, in the short term, provide affordable housing for a next generation and for young adults and families and those on the margins? This writer contends that this election cycle will matter greatly to quell the volatility that pushed us here. Four years ago, the first administration that oversaw the pandemic threw us into an exaggerated period of economic uncertainty that we are now pulling out of. Inflation is easing even though it’ll take a bit longer for us to feel the effects. While we can’t quell greed, we might be able to find a level of economic recovery that will bring costs down.

At the state level, a new majority just might usher in a more thoughtful and balanced approach that understands both business risk and the benefits of creative solutions to solve this real housing challenge in front of us. Every vote matters.

Sandra Ringelstein

Moultonborough