Harvard Thinking
April 7, 2026
HKS Authors
See citation below for complete author information.
Frank and Denie Weil Director of the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government
Aetna Professor of the Practice of Economic Policy
Abstract
Owning a home feels increasingly unattainable for many middle-class Americans. Last year, home prices surged to nearly five times the median income. Yet the pace of building new housing, which could create more affordability, remains slow. In this episode, host Samantha Laine Perfas talks with urban economist Ed Glaeser, former CEA chair Jason Furman, and innovative housing expert Amy Tomasso about how those hoping to buy can make sense of the current housing crisis.
Citation
Furman, Jason. "Priced out of the American dream." Harvard Thinking, April 7, 2026.