The Unprecedented Migrant Crisis Worsens Our Housing Shortage

The housing shortage looms large as our nation faces a critical presidential election. Just last week, the National Association of Realtors released new data revealing home prices in the United States reached a record high in June 2024. It’s no wonder, then, that housing costs are a top priority for young voters.

Unfortunately, some in Washington, D.C., continue to turn a blind eye to a key factor exacerbating this crisis: Mass illegal immigration.

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{snip} According to a Center for Immigration Studies report, the foreign-born population has increased by 6.6 million since 2021, with 58% of this increase coming from illegal immigration. This massive population influx has increased the demand for housing, worsening the existing shortage.

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While population growth does raise the housing supply over time by providing more labor, new construction cannot keep pace with the increased demand caused by mass immigration. Indeed, some estimates suggest immigration may increase overall housing demand by around 500,000 units per year. As a result, housing costs and rents have seen additional increases in areas most affected by mass immigration, such as Miami and Denver, which have struggled to deal with massive influxes of migrants since 2021.

The role that immigration plays in worsening the housing crisis is especially evident in the market for multifamily housing. Forty percent of those apprehended at the southern border arrived in family units, and these families are initially housed in migrant shelters, which are often gyms or hotels. In New York City last year, two-thirds of migrants in shelters were members of family units.

When these migrants are eventually forced to leave these shelters, they often seek out affordable apartments, competing with low-income American citizens at the bottom of the housing market {snip}

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