One of the most important decisions for many Americans is finding a place to live. House hunting is slowly turning into a crisis that is negatively impacting many communities. With rent increasing rapidly, finding affordable housing has become harder than ever, and many people are stuck living further away from their jobs. Housing costs are hurting our economy in ways that aren’t always so obvious.

When people are stuck living far from their work, they are more prone to missing important opportunities. A long work commute limits the time that could be spent with family and loved ones. Many people in the younger generations are more hesitant to buy a house and stay living with their parents, often delaying the process of starting a new family. The housing crisis is causing many people to miss out on important life milestones like starting a family.

The reality of the situation is pretty simple. We do not have enough housing. Scarcity is driving up the price of rent and houses. Everything in our economy has grown except housing the population, number of jobs and the number of people who rely on housing to work remotely are all rapidly increasing, but housing is not. Demand for housing has surpassed the supply of housing, and as a result, rent and housing prices have skyrocketed.

A housing shortage comes with many consequences. As more and more people are forced to live farther from work just to find affordable housing, our communities become less productive. Workers who are forced to commute an hour or more just to get to work lose time and energy. Which in turn hurts our economy.

The solution to the housing crisis is almost just as simple as the problem. We need to incorporate more mid-sized housing into our communities. Duplexes, small apartments, townhouses, etc., all provide more housing for a lower price than some apartment complexes. Many cities have already experienced more relief after trying it out. Although this method has its own drawbacks, such as zoning rules and other constraints, by advocating for change, we can begin to provide communities with more housing options.

At the end of the day, housing should be looked at as an opportunity, not just a building. Housing doesn’t just affect people personally; it affects the whole community, and the sooner we fix it, the better off our economy will be.