Next City | LM Clancy/Unsplash
2024 was another relentless year of the housing crisis. Homelessness spiked year over year, both because of rent hikes and because of an influx of asylum seekers, and anti-homeless politics took hold in most major cities. Rent growth slowed down in some areas while accelerating in others, and the federal government’s sharp interest rate hikes from the past few years continued to have unintended consequences. Tenants became more agitated and driven to organize, leading to key successes, and more cities upzoned to allow more dense housing. I’ve covered urban policy, including housing, homelessness and policing, since 2016. Here are some of the biggest housing market trends and problems I will be watching out for in 2025.