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Insufficiently Affordable: Public Opinion About Housing Affordability

Author

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  • Mendelberg, Tali

    (Princeton University)

  • Novoa, Gustavo

    (Princeton University)

  • Pietrzak, Adrian C.

Abstract

Americans want government to improve housing affordability. Yet proposals for affordable housing often encounter public resistance. We argue for a neglected explanation: concerns that these proposals are insufficiently affordable. Using four original surveys with novel, precise measures of affordability and randomized developer and landlord profiteering, we find wide support for affordable housing when it primarily benefits people of low means and does not favor developer or landlord profiteering. This support holds even when the hypothetical building is proposed in the respondent’s neighborhood, support entails tradeoffs and costly behavior in the survey, and the policy requires tax increases. The tax finding replicates in election outcomes of actual ballot measures. Pro-poor sentiments shape these preferences, above and beyond self-interest, and offset the negative impact of racial attitudes. Buildings and policies that satisfy these sentiments draw much higher public support. However, common policies fail to do so.

Suggested Citation

  • Mendelberg, Tali & Novoa, Gustavo & Pietrzak, Adrian C., 2026. "Insufficiently Affordable: Public Opinion About Housing Affordability," SocArXiv frehb_v1, Center for Open Science.
    • Handle: RePEc:osf:socarx:frehb_v1
    DOI: 10.31235/osf.io/frehb_v1
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Christopher S. Elmendorf & Clayton Nall & Stan Oklobdzija, 2024. "What State Housing Policies Do Voters Want? Evidence from a Platform-Choice Experiment," Journal of Political Institutions and Political Economy, now publishers, vol. 5(1), pages 117-152, September.
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