The 'Affordability Crisis' Conversation Can't Leave Out the Cost of Cars - Streetsblog USA

"For the last few months, a chorus of politicians and pundits have warned of a growing "affordability" crisis in America, and blamed their political opponents for failing to curb prices for everyday Americans. In November, New York City's incoming Mayor Zohran Mamdani and President Trump even formed a surprising bond over "the central themes of ... the cost of housing, cost of child care, the cost of groceries, the cost of utilities," as Mamdani told Meet the Press."

"Jared Bernstein, a former economic adviser to President Biden, echoed that sentiment in the New York Times earlier this week, when he declared "affordability" to be "the most important word in politics and economics right now"; he also called on politicians to focus on the same four pillars as Mamdani and Trump, with only the cost of healthcare swapped for the cost of groceries."

"Time and again, the conversation about affordability omits transportation cost burden, despite the fact that getting around is the second-largest expense for the average American household, gobbling up 17 percent of the average paycheck. And more accurately, the burden of car ownership is the elephant in the proverbial room for Americans struggling to afford to pay rent, considering that 92 percent of U.S. households have at least one car."

Affordability dominates early 2026 political discourse, with attention concentrated on housing, child care, groceries, and utilities or healthcare. High-profile figures from across the political spectrum emphasize these four cost pillars. Transportation and car dependence receive little attention despite getting around being the second-largest household expense, consuming about 17 percent of the average paycheck. Car ownership intensifies housing affordability pressures because 92 percent of U.S. households have at least one car. Decades of auto-centric planning have left most people without practical alternatives to driving. Policy measures that could make car ownership optional or reduce transportation burdens remain largely absent from current affordability agendas.

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