Price Shock Fuels Housing Populism

Updated: 2025.12.02 3D ago 1 sources
Rising economic pessimism and high perceived prices are quickly translating into strong, cross‑partisan public support for direct housing interventions: majorities now back rent control (58%) and low‑interest mortgages for first‑time buyers (70%). These preferences are visible in the Economist/YouGov national sample and are strongest among Democrats but remain substantial among Republicans and Independents. — If price pain continues, housing policy will shift from technical supply measures toward popular demand for redistributionary, politically salient interventions that reshape local and federal policymaking ahead of 2026.

Sources

Belief that the economy is bad is rising but remains below Joe Biden-era levels
2025.12.02 100% relevant
Economist/YouGov poll (Nov 28–Dec 1, 2025): 58% favor rent control; 70% support government low‑interest mortgages for first‑time buyers; 41% say the economy is poor and 41% say they are worse off than a year ago.
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