In Part I, we named the problem: Housing is the missing layer of employee engagement. In Part II, we clarified roles: Employers can support progress, but local governments must rebuild the housing ladder. The remaining question is the most important one: How do communities actually do this—without creating new programs, new silos, or new bureaucracy? The answer isn’t a single policy or project. It’s an operating shift. Stop Treating Housing as a Sector Start Treating It as In

When mortgage rates jumped, many people expected home prices to fall. That didn’t happen in most markets, and now we have one more strong explanation for why: mortgage rate lock. A new Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies article highlights how homeowners with ultra-low fixed mortgage rates had a powerful incentive not to sell when rates rose. That kept existing home inventory tight and helped support prices, even while borrowing costs increased. In other words: higher r

In Part I, we explored why housing is the missing layer of employee engagement and how housing stability quietly shapes retention, productivity, and long-term workforce health. But there’s a critical truth that deserves equal attention: Employers can support housing progress, but they cannot rebuild the housing ladder. That responsibility sits squarely with local government. And until we acknowledge that distinction, well-intentioned efforts on all sides will continue to fal

The national housing conversation is heating up again. Following the recent State of the Union, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) issued a response reinforcing what most of us in housing already know: America still believes deeply in homeownership, and leaders across sectors are calling for more supply, fewer barriers, and expanded access. On the surface, that alignment is encouraging. But if we look more closely, a familiar pattern is emerging - one that communities