Housing For All - National Association of Home Builders

Research:

Safe, decent, affordable housing provides fundamental benefits that are essential to the well-being of families, communities and the nation.
Yet owning or renting a suitable home is increasingly out of financial reach for many households. In fact, almost a third of the nation’s households are cost burdened and pay more than 30 percent of their income for housing.

Results:

In today’s market, a limited supply of land, a shortage of skilled labor, and rising fees are all contributing to higher prices. NAHB analysis shows that regulatory requirements alone account for 25 percent of the cost of constructing a single-family home, and 30 percent of the cost of a multifamily unit. These factors make it difficult to increase the supply of affordable housing.

Link

“Housing for All.” NAHB, National Association of Home Builders

Benefits of Family Fun - American College of Pediatricians

Research:

Apending meaningful and fun time together as a family has a variety of benefits.

Results:

While you’re having family fun, you’ll also help your kids behave better, cope with stress, and improve family relationships.
Kids need strong, loving relationships with family members in order to develop well. A lot of children who act out in teenage years don’t have adequate family support. On the other hand, research shows that when teens spend more time with their parents, they are less likely to skip school or get in trouble with the law. Spending that quality time together as a family may be key

Link

Veritas, Dr. “3 Benefits of Family Fun.” American College of Pediatricians, American College of Pediatricians, 29 Dec. 2017, www.acpeds.org/3-benefits-of-family-fun.

Sustainability - National Association of Home Builders

Research:

Sustainability and high performance building incorporates construction and development techniques, materials and designs intended to minimize a home’s impact on the environment and conserve natural resources. It is a practical response to a wide range of issues affecting all consumers: rising energy costs, the need to improve air quality, ensure clean water and minimize water usage.  

Results:

Most home builders already incorporate green building elements into their practices. Sustainability and high performance building are important to the home building industry, consumers and the nation because it promotes lower total ownership costs through utility savings and increased durability as well as an improved indoor living environment. It also encourages environmental awareness and stewardship and more efficient use of increasingly scarce resources and helps to conserve them for future generations.

Link

“Sustainability.” NAHB, National Association of Home Builders

American Debt: Mortgage Debt Reaches $8.94 Trillion - Investopedia

Research:

Mortgage debt is the largest component of total household debt, which rose $63 billion to reach an all-time high of $13.21 trillion after increasing for 15 consecutive quarters. Mortgage balances make up 71% of total household debt. Is this high and increasing amount of mortgage debt a good thing, or does it mean that people are overextending themselves again and another housing crash is imminent?

Results:

Mellman expects housing demand to remain strong but believes that home buyers will have difficulty with the tight supply of entry-level housing, thanks to rising interest rates and the high cost of moving up to a nicer home. One reason entry-level housing is tight is that many existing homeowners have low-interest mortgages that they don’t want to leave, and, on top of that, they may not be able to afford today’s pricier homes. As the year progresses it will be interesting to see how tight inventory, rising interest rates and the tax bill affect the housing market and mortgage borrowers.

Link

Fontinelle, Amy. “American Debt: Mortgage Debt Reaches $8.94 Trillion.” Investopedia, Dotdash Publishing, 6 July 2019, www.investopedia.com/personal-finance/american-debt-mortgage-debt/.

In Search of Family Time - Institute for Family Studies

Research:

Does more family time have a deeper impact on the health and relationships with the family? Being closer together in terms of distance has an affect on how people interact with each other and how their health becomes a positive trend.

Results:

Children who grow up with solid family rituals—from the daily ritual of a shared meal to seasonal family rituals—typically demonstrate greater resiliency and mental health. Family rituals also contribute to family cohesion. As anthropologists have observed, ‘When groups act in rhythm—when they do the same things according to the same repeated time pattern—they tend to become more tightly knit.' Developing and sustaining these rituals requires time and a degree of control over time that proves challenging to parents who face long work hours, irregular or night shifts or a lengthy commute. The more time spent further appart, the harder it is to keep a family relationship intact.

Link to Study

Lapp, Amber. “In Search of Family Time.” Institute for Family Studies, Institute for Family Studies, ifstudies.org/blog/in-search-of-family-time.

Key Figures Behind America’s Consumer Debt - Debt.Org

Research:

Consumer debt was approaching $14-trillion in the third quarter of 2018, according to the New York Federal Reserve. It was the 17th consecutive quarter for an increase. There has been consistent growth in four main areas of debt — home, auto, student loans and credit cards. Although economists (mostly) believe the U.S. economy is in recovery, many Americans are still struggling to climb out of debt. Too many of us have grown weary of the fight.

Results:

When the Bankruptcy Protection Act of 2005 was passed, making it more difficult for people to file for bankruptcy, there was a turn toward credit cards in a desperate attempt to pay bills. While the statisticians can supply us with a plethora of facts and on how much debt Americans are in, the human costs of America’s debt problem — though real and serious — are harder to calculate. As Americans continue to make slow headway against the financial doldrums that have kept our country in a prolonged recovery, debt repayment will be an important part of rebuilding our lives.

Link to Study

Fay, Bill. “The U.S. Consumer Debt Crisis.” Debt.org, Jump Start: Financial Smarts, www.debt.org/faqs/americans-in-debt/.