Rethinking Housing Affordability with Dr. Emily Hamilton | Let People Prosper Show Ep. 151

​Why is housing so expensive in many cities—and is the government making it worse?

In this episode of the Let People Prosper Show, I interview Dr. Emily Hamilton, senior research fellow and director of the Urbanity Project at the Mercatus Center. We explore the big questions in housing policy: What drives rising costs? How do land-use regulations distort supply? And what reforms would make it easier for families to afford homes?

Dr. Hamilton is a leading voice on urban economics and has worked extensively to evaluate how government decisions, particularly at the local level, restrict housing development and make affordability harder to reach for many Americans. We break down the challenges of the modern housing market through a free-market lens, offering real solutions that expand opportunity, protect property rights, and let people prosper.

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(0:00) – Introduction to Housing Policy and Urban Economics
(8:41) – Understanding Land Use Regulations
(17:49) – The Role of Government in Housing
(26:49) – The Impact of Institutional Investors
(35:22) – Current Challenges in the Housing Market
(39:30) – Future Outlook for Housing