Affordability will be an issue for 20 years unless tackled now

The barriers to affordable homes in California will be an issue for the next 15 to 20 years unless measures are taken now

Affordability will be an issue for 20 years unless tackled now
The barriers to affordable homes in California will be an issue for the next 15 to 20 years unless measures are taken now.

A new report from the Center for California Real Estate, an institute of the California Association of Realtors, says that the state will lose generations of potential homeowners without changes.

"These are not just 'today' issues. If we don't address the problems we have right now, the lack of affordable, available housing will be a 15-20-year problem that will sentence our children and grandchildren to a life without the ability to own their own home," said Geoff McIntosh, President of the CAR.

Among the issues highlighted in a compilation of articles from the Center, is the homeownership rate which has lagged the rest of the US by around 10% for decades; income stagnation and wealth gaps; and education of potential and existing homeowners, to ensure they make smart choices when buying.

The journal of articles also investigates the benefits of the Maryland Smart Buy Program which helps buyers with student loans to secure a mortgage by allowing student loan repayments as a reduction.