The Next Shortage Facing Young Homebuyers: Good Schools
BySince the recession, funding for construction has cratered.
One effect of the U.S. housing market crash was to cripple homebuilders and their lenders, forcing construction workers to find jobs in other fields. Today, homebuyers have returned to the market in full force, but the lack of new construction over the last decade has contributed to an inventory shortage that’s pushed home prices out of reach for many.
Now, the same young homebuyers who must cope with bidding wars to buy a first home may face a shortage in another key resource: schools for their kids.
State and local governments spent $12.6 billion on elementary school construction in 2016, according to Census Bureau data—the highest amount in six years, but a 31 percent decrease compared with 2008, even before adjusting for inflation. Meanwhile, while construction spending has plummeted, enrollment has increased by four percent…
The Next Shortage Facing Young Homebuyers: Good Schools
