Editorial selection · Lives & Places
Housing Finance at a Glance: A Monthly Chartbook, October 2026
Selected by Dylan Ratigan.
Article summary
The Urban Institute's monthly chartbook assembles more than 80 measures of housing credit, affordability, construction, and household balance sheets. Household equity reached $35.8 trillion, but mortgage rates rose from 5.98% in February to 7.24% in October and refinancing opportunities collapsed.
The figures show a divided housing system: existing owners hold immense equity while would-be buyers face high financing costs and limited supply. Housing starts are projected at only 1.25 to 1.30 million in 2027.