Childless Millennials

After the Second World War, the 20the Century saw an unprecedented shift of population away from urban centers within the United States. For a variety of reasons, thousands of people flocked out of cities and established new communities, creating a distinct suburban culture; however, the movement did not continue forever. Indeed, in recent years the trend has reversed itself - people, particularly from younger generations, are flooding into some of the United States' largest cities. Many of those immigrating to the cities are Millennials, many of whom are not satisfied living in the smaller communities of their childhoods. While such growth is, of course, beneficial to cities, it brings with it new problems, which desperately need to be addressed. As Mike Maciag writes for 'Governing' magazine, both the prices of renting and buying housing have sky rocketed ever since the 2008 financial crisis. As a result, low income and middle class families living within large cities cannot afford to buy or rent suitable housing. Much of the more affordable options are being occupied by childless Millennials, leaving low and middle income families with few options. They are faced with the choice of abandoning the neighborhood in which they have put down roots, or, instead, continue to spend a disproportionately large percentage of their income maintaining their …show more content…
One affordable housing initiative alone will never be sufficient to solve it. However, both city governments and private enterprises must do everything in their power to help mitigate the effects of the crisis. Whether it be the initiative outlined above, or with another one, something must be done. To many, America's urban centers represent hope and progress, and, if no action is taken to address the affordable housing crisis, that image will fade away into memory, and that cannot be allowed to