美国国家公共电台 NPR--How to solve the nation's housing shortage

How to solve the nation's housing shortage

Transcript¹

Hundreds of towns and cities are short of housing. It's the biggest reason rents and home prices are so high. A new study out today looks at how to fix the problem.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Home prices are up more than 30% over the past couple of years, which feels great if you own a home. But if you're trying to break into the housing market, it's not good at all. Supply and demand seem to drive this because not many houses are available. So what can cities and states do that would really address the problem? NPR's Chris Arnold reports on a study of what's going wrong.

CHRIS ARNOLD, BYLINE²: Danielle and Colin Lloyd spent the past year trying to buy a house in Atlanta, which went about like you'd expect these days.

DANIELLE LLOYD: There's just nothing in this whole area - just nothing.

ARNOLD: They wanted a place with a yard and space for their three young kids.

COLIN LLOYD: The prices were just ridiculous. People were just bidding much higher than what the house was listed for.

D LLOYD: I only cried twice.

C LLOYD: (Laughter) She cried twice, but we only bid twice.

(LAUGHTER)

ARNOLD: Meanwhile, their landlord was about to raise their rent by $450 a month, which is also due to the same problem - not enough homes to rent or to buy.

MIKE KINGSELLA: We're seeing a shortage of housing under production in all corners of the U.S.

ARNOLD: Mike Kingsella has just come out with a new study about this. He's the head of a nonprofit called Up For Growth. It's a research group made up of affordable³ housing and industry groups.

KINGSELLA: America's fallen 3.8 million homes short of meeting housing needs, and that's both rental⁴ housing and ownership.

ARNOLD: There is some debate among economists⁵ over the exact numbers, but pretty much everybody agrees that we need a lot more housing. Part of the problem goes back to the last housing crash. After that, a lot of home builders went out of business, and we just didn't build enough for, like, a decade. So the study took a look at what's happening in 800 different cities and towns.

KINGSELLA: In Los Angeles, for instance, which is the most under-produced metro⁶ in the country, it's lacking 8.4%, nearly 400,000 homes missing across the region.

ARNOLD: That is, given the population and demand, there should be that many more units. It's not just LA, but in hundreds of big cities and small towns, there's a housing shortage. But Kingsella says this is a solvable problem.

KINGSELLA: It doesn't have to be this way is a key message coming out of this report.

ARNOLD: Maybe the biggest thing, he says, is states and towns desperately⁷ need to change their zoning rules. Back in Atlanta, Ernest Brown heads up the local chapter of a nonprofit called YIMBY Action.

ERNEST BROWN: The YIMBY movement, which stands for yes in my backyard, is kind of poking⁸ fun at the idea of a NIMBY, not in my backyard, which is, like, a sociological concept.

ARNOLD: Brown says in many places, we still have outdated⁹ zoning rules that allow for some big apartment buildings downtown, surrounded by single-family homes on big lots but nothing in between, like townhouses or smaller starter homes closer together that are more affordable. Brown hears people complaining all the time about not being able to afford a house. He tries to get them to go to zoning meetings and call their representatives.

BROWN: They actually want to hear from you, particularly at the local level. I mean, the thing that's so fun about this issue is, like, rather than yelling at sort of, like, essentially¹⁰ anonymous¹¹, you know, federal politicians, I, like, have the phone number and, like, regularly chat with my councilperson.

ARNOLD: As for Danielle and Collin Lloyd, they did what many Americans have done over the years - look much farther away to find a place that they can afford to buy. It's called drive 'til you qualify. And they just bought a place in Walnut¹² Grove¹³, Ga.

D LLOYD: I told somebody at church and she was like, oh, my goodness, you all moved to Egypt. Like, we're so far out.

ARNOLD: It's about an hour from where they used to live and work in Atlanta. They just moved in a couple of weeks ago. And they are feeling a little apprehensive¹⁴ about being an African American family, moving from the city into a tiny rural town that's nearly 90% white. There's a bit of a culture clash, too.

D LLOYD: Moving to country Georgia, where, like, there's an ammo shop down the street, that's like - it's, like, a constant in your face.

C LLOYD: Reminder¹⁵.

ARNOLD: But they say the neighbors seem friendly, and there are other families with kids.

D LLOYD: I love the idea of, like, when the kids are a little older, saying, yeah, go play at your friend's house. I can see them, like, at the corner, you know? I'll watch you right over there. And then - I just - I love that.

ARNOLD: Chris Arnold, NPR News.

INSKEEP: How bad is the housing shortage where you live? Look it up at npr.org.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

3 affordable   

adj.支付得起的，不太昂贵的

参考例句：

• The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
• There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。

4 rental   

n.租赁，出租，出租业

参考例句：

• The yearly rental of her house is 2400 yuan.她这房子年租金是2400元。
• We can organise car rental from Chicago O'Hare Airport.我们可以安排提供从芝加哥奥黑尔机场出发的租车服务。

5 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 metro   

n.地铁；adj.大都市的；(METRO)麦德隆(财富500强公司之一总部所在地德国，主要经营零售)

参考例句：

• Can you reach the park by metro?你可以乘地铁到达那个公园吗？
• The metro flood gate system is a disaster prevention equipment.地铁防淹门系统是一种防灾设备。

7 desperately   

adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地

参考例句：

• He was desperately seeking a way to see her again.他正拼命想办法再见她一面。
• He longed desperately to be back at home.他非常渴望回家。

8 poking   

n. 刺，戳，袋 vt. 拨开，刺，戳 vi. 戳，刺，捅，搜索，伸出，行动散慢

参考例句：

• He was poking at the rubbish with his stick. 他正用手杖拨动垃圾。
• He spent his weekends poking around dusty old bookshops. 他周末都泡在布满尘埃的旧书店里。

9 outdated   

adj.旧式的，落伍的，过时的；v.使过时

参考例句：

• That list of addresses is outdated,many have changed.那个通讯录已经没用了，许多地址已经改了。
• Many of us conform to the outdated customs laid down by our forebears.我们许多人都遵循祖先立下的过时习俗。

10 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

11 anonymous   

adj.无名的；匿名的；无特色的

参考例句：

• Sending anonymous letters is a cowardly act.寄匿名信是懦夫的行为。
• The author wishes to remain anonymous.作者希望姓名不公开。

12 walnut   

n.胡桃，胡桃木，胡桃色，茶色

参考例句：

• Walnut is a local specialty here.核桃是此地的土特产。
• The stool comes in several sizes in walnut or mahogany.凳子有几种尺寸，材质分胡桃木和红木两种。

13 grove   

n.林子，小树林，园林

参考例句：

• On top of the hill was a grove of tall trees.山顶上一片高大的树林。
• The scent of lemons filled the grove.柠檬香味充满了小树林。

14 apprehensive   

adj.担心的，恐惧的，善于领会的

参考例句：

• She was deeply apprehensive about her future.她对未来感到非常担心。
• He was rather apprehensive of failure.他相当害怕失败。

15 reminder   

n.提醒物，纪念品；暗示，提示

参考例句：

• I have had another reminder from the library.我又收到图书馆的催还单。
• It always took a final reminder to get her to pay her share of the rent.总是得发给她一份最后催缴通知，她才付应该交的房租。