As apartment rents climb and home prices soar, more Americans struggle to find stable, affordable housing. While many factors contribute to this growing affordability crisis one often overlooked but considerable, housing cost is property taxation. After World War II, the American dream was built on the foundation of homeownership. With the GI Bill’s help, returning veterans could purchase homes. Homeownership became a significant source of savings and wealth, enabling families to build equity over time as property values generally appreciated. In effect, homeownership became a form of “forced” savings that …
