The New York Times, March 29, 2024, Why It’s So Expensive To Live In Phoenix
Arizona exemplifies the stress over housing. Over the past decade, the allure of suburban life under cloudless skies has swelled the population of greater Phoenix to five million from 4.2 million, according to census data. The influx pushed housing prices steadily higher.
At the same time, restrictions on development, public opposition to growth and severe disruptions to the supply chain for building materials limited the construction of new housing. This is especially so for lower-income households because their profit margins are limited and they depend on subsidies.
