The housing shortage era may be over — and not in the way you’d expect
Household growth fell to 1.1 million in 2025, down from 2 million in 2021, according to research from Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies. That’s a third straight year of decline, as more young adults are choosing to double up with roommates or remain in family homes rather than strike out on their own.
The pattern is already shaping who is actually buying. Gen Z buyers claimed a record one-in-five share of all purchase mortgage rate locks in the second quarter of 2026, a sign the generational handoff in the purchase market is underway.
However, each generation aging into homebuying will be smaller in absolute numbers, absent a meaningful reversal in immigration policy.
Kimber White, President of the National Association of Mortgage Brokers (NAMB), underscores how recent reforms are expanding affordability and opening new opportunities for mortgage brokers and aspiring homeowners.https://t.co/b1nTOZRyt7
— Mortgage Professional America Magazine (@MPAMagazineUS) June 30, 2026
The paper also addresses the so-called “silver tsunami” — the anticipated wave of homes entering the market as Baby Boomers downsize or pass on their properties.
MBA researchers conclude that “the expected gradual release of homes from aging Baby Boomers will add to supply over time, but not in a sudden wave,” tempering both alarm and opportunism on that front.
