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Staff for the Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust in Florida tally the number of people living unsheltered in downtown Miami, late on Jan. 26, 2024. The annual point-in-time count is a nationwide census mandated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Staff for the Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust in Florida tally the number of people living unsheltered in downtown Miami, late on Jan. 26, 2024. The annual point-in-time count is a nationwide census mandated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Rebecca Blackwell/AP hide caption

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Rebecca Blackwell/AP

National

U.S. homelessness jumps to another record high, amid affordable housing shortage

The annual federal count finds more than 770,000 people living in shelters or outside. It cites rising rents and the recent surge in migrants as key factors behind the increase.

Kim Hilton inside his new apartment at an assisted living facility in Columbia Falls. Hilton can't afford the unit on his own, but after a long search was able to get one of the limited slots in a Medicaid program that helps pay for assisted living.

Kim Hilton inside his new apartment at an assisted living facility in Columbia Falls, Mont. Hilton can't afford the unit on his own, but after a long search was able to get one of the limited slots in a Medicaid program that helps pay for assisted living.
Aaron Bolton/Montana Public Radio hide caption

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Aaron Bolton/Montana Public Radio

Shots - Health News

For homeless seniors, finding stable housing takes a village — and a lot of luck

Montana Public Radio

The number of unhoused seniors is expected to triple by 2030. As rents rise, it becomes tougher to find affordable housing that's accessible for those with medical conditions and disabilities.

Trump's plans for the housing market
Mario Tama/Getty Images

The Indicator from Planet Money

Trump's plans for the housing market

Across the U.S., millions of people are feeling the burden of high housing costs. During his campaign, president-elect Donald Trump promised to do something about that. But what exactly is that something? Today on the show, NPR's business correspondent, Laurel Wamsley, explains Trump's ideas for the housing market. For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.

Trump's plans for the housing market

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How big is the US housing shortage?
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

The Indicator from Planet Money

How big is the US housing shortage?

Housing affordability is a top concern for Americans and a hot political topic. Estimates for the number of needed homes stretch into the millions, but how is this actually counted? Today on the show, we explain the tricky business of quantifying the US housing shortage.

How big is the US housing shortage?

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Chelsea Andrews (white hat), president and executive director of Montgomery County's Housing Opportunities Commission, adjusts Maryland State Delegate Lorig Charkoudian's hardhat during a groundbreaking ceremony for the Hillandale Gateway housing development in Silver Spring, Md. The HOC says it owns more than 9,400 apartment, townhome and single-family home rental properties and provides subsidized housing for more than 9,300 households.

Chelsea Andrews (white hat), president and executive director of Montgomery County's Housing Opportunities Commission, adjusts Maryland State Delegate Lorig Charkoudian's hardhat during a groundbreaking ceremony for the Hillandale Gateway housing development in Silver Spring, Md. The HOC says it owns more than 9,400 apartment, townhome and single-family home rental properties and provides subsidized housing for more than 9,300 households. Alyssa Schukar/for NPR hide caption

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Alyssa Schukar/for NPR

National

One possible housing crisis solution? A new kind of public housing for all income levels

Maryland's Montgomery County is building mixed-income apartments in which people who can afford to pay market rate allow other renters to pay less. Cities and states nationwide are taking up the idea.

Mixed-income public housing

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A closeup of a person's hands thumbing through a stack of cash. The Department of Housing and Urban Development issued a formal request this summer for more research on the impact of paying renters directly.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development issued a formal request this summer for more research on the impact of paying renters directly. Elise Amendola/AP hide caption

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Elise Amendola/AP

National

In a major shift, the U.S. government explores giving renters cash, not vouchers

Federal housing vouchers are the largest rental aid program, but many landlords reject them. Experiments will test whether cash helps more people sign a lease.

HUD Cash vs. Vouchers

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Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Harris arrives to speak at a campaign rally on Aug. 10, 2024, in Las Vegas.

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Harris arrives to speak at a campaign rally on Aug. 10, 2024, in Las Vegas. Julia Nikhinson/AP hide caption

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Julia Nikhinson/AP

Politics

What we know — and don’t know — about the Harris policy agenda

Vice President Harris is only just beginning to lay out her policy platform for her compressed election race. Here’s what we know so far.

8-22 The Harris agenda

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Vice President Harris holds the baby of Durham County Board of Commissioners chair Nida Allam upon arrival at Raleigh-Durham International Airport in North Carolina on Aug. 16, 2024.

Vice President Harris holds the baby of Durham County Board of Commissioners chair Nida Allam upon arrival at Raleigh-Durham International Airport in North Carolina on Aug. 16, 2024. Allison Joyce/AFP hide caption

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Allison Joyce/AFP

Politics

Harris wants to give families a big tax break for a new baby

The Harris campaign says she'd give families $6,000 when they have a new baby, and would restore the pandemic-era child tax credit, too. It's part of an economic plan focused on the cost of living.

Turning unused office space into housing could solve 2 problems, but it's tricky

1313 L St. in Washington, D.C., was formerly an office building. By the end of this year, it will be home to newly finished apartments. Richard Morrison, Erin Kenney/NPR hide caption

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Richard Morrison, Erin Kenney/NPR

Business

Turning unused office space into housing could solve 2 problems, but it's tricky

Turning barely used office space into desperately needed urban housing seems like a win-win in the work-from-home era. But even in cities eager to do this, plenty of obstacles remain.

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