For many years, there has been a housing crisis in America and it is only worsening as this country’s priorities continue to be set on earning a profit rather than ensuring the wellbeing of all of its citizens.
Modern houses and appliances are built with only cost efficiency in mind. Planned obsolescence is extremely prevalent in America today. Houses and apartments are no longer built to last because if they are, the materials would be costly and people would spend less money on repairs. Today, making a profit off of the citizens of America is more important than making sure people get their money’s worth and are able to live comfortably.
Not only is new American architecture flimsy and cheaply constructed, it is also unpleasant to look at. Buildings were once crafted using beautiful brick, full of color and personality; now grey and beige buildings are the norm. Young people in search of homes to rent or buy must choose from these low quality, unaffordable, and depressing apartments and houses.
Mainly the wealthy have access to vintage homes with interesting architecture and colorful accents, but many show they are undeserving of such homes. On the popular social media app, TikTok, creators sometimes share videos of their process of renovating vintage and retro homes. The comments under such videos are often filled with people saying the creator ruined the house and sucked all of the personality out of it.
It is true, the wealthy people who can afford historic homes often modernize them in a way that is completely unnecessary considering there is no shortage of modern houses with basic colors being built today. For example, someone will post a before and after video of the kitchen in a house they just bought and lining the walls will be a beautiful tile with intricate, colorful, floral designs, then the after picture will reveal that the tile was replaced with a white and grey marble. Many Gen-Z home buyers and renters find this issue, which is often called millennial grey culture, infuriating.
As Gen-Z begins to take on adult responsibilities, it is looking like continuing to live with their parents is the best reality because it is now so difficult to survive on their own. In California specifically, earning minimum wage still is not enough to be able to live comfortably with the steep price of food and rent.
According to Matthew Adkins’ Homelessness in America article on security.org, in the year 2023, it was reported that well over 650,000 citizens of the US were experiencing homelessness. This number was 12 percent lower in 2022, meaning the issue of homelessness is rapidly increasing. The US is among the countries holding the highest percentages of homelessness, which is completely unacceptable considering this country’s wealth.
The wealth gap in America is terrifying and as inflation continues it becomes harder for the working class to survive and live an enjoyable, comfortable life. Will there be any beautiful and reliable homes left for the younger generations?
