American Consumer Institute Report Identifies Housing Costs as Primary Driver of Affordability Concerns
A new report from the American Consumer Institute for Citizen Research (ACI) indicates that rising housing costs are the main factor behind Americans' affordability worries, rather than a general decline in purchasing power or living standards. The report, titled 'The Role of Housing in the Affordability 'Crisis',' highlights that while inflation-adjusted incomes and purchasing power have generally improved over time, these gains are overshadowed by the increasing costs of essential household expenses, particularly housing. ACI's analysis of consumer spending from 1984 to 2024 revealed an 18% increase in inflation-adjusted average expenditures, with housing accounting for 50% of that growth and healthcare for another 25%. Housing also consumes a larger share of spending across all income groups in 2024 compared to four decades prior. The institute attributes the underlying problem to insufficient housing supply, citing restrictive zoning, density limits, and permitting requirements as factors that hinder c... 
