Rent or own, not rent vs. own

Last week, a number of news stories examined the future of homeownership - stories fueled by last week's conference on the future of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. NPR's One Couple's New American Dream: Rent, Don't Buy, is one such story. It chronicles a couple's recent homeowner to renter experience. I listened to this story with mixed feelings. Rental housing is often viewed as a second-class form of housing. Something you do when you can't own a home. Having stories in the news that highlight the benefits of renting, including flexibility, convenience and controlled housing costs, is a good thing.  Yet, with all of the bad news about foreclosures, it is easy to forget that when done the right way, homeownership is still a good option for many families.

As we continue to learn the lessons from this housing crisis, my hope is that policies will be realigned to support a continuum of affordable housing choices that includes both rental housing and homeownership.

Current news stories and reports on this topic:

Post-Mortgage Meltdown, Where Do We Go Now? from NPR

Homeownership Done Right from the Center for American Progress