With mass deportations who will build the houses in the country during Trump’s term?

• Immigrants Drive Housing Demand, How Will Mass Deportation Affect?
• Labor Critical for Construction
• Deportations May Worsen Crisis

President-elect Donald Trump has pointed to undocumented immigrants as contributors to the housing affordability crisis in the United States.

In a recent speech, Trump described the issue as a «once-in-a-generation challenge.»

His plans for mass deportations have sparked controversy, with experts warning of potential negative impacts on the housing sector.

Riordan Frost, a principal analyst at Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies, emphasizes the complex relationship between immigration and housing.

Impact of Mass Deportations on Housing Construction

Frost explained that the influx of immigrants, documented or not, increases housing demand, creating more competition in certain markets.

However, he highlighted that immigrants play a crucial role in the construction sector, directly contributing to increasing the housing supply.

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“It’s important to recognize that immigrants play a role in household growth, often a substantial one,” Frost told CNN.

“But what has truly defined the affordability crisis we’ve faced since the late 2010s and the pandemic has been the growth of native-born households.”

According to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), meeting the growing demand requires constructing at least 1.5 million additional homes.

A lack of skilled labor is another significant challenge for the sector.

In September, there were 282,000 unfilled construction jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Jim Tobin, the NAHB’s chief executive, noted that immigrant workers have been vital in filling these labor gaps.

The Role of Immigrant Labor in the US

obin warned that a sharp reduction in the immigrant workforce could worsen the housing crisis by slowing the pace of new construction.

“Immigrant labor is critically important to our ability to continue building affordable housing,” Tobin said.

“Anything that impacts the labor supply, and in this case the immigrant labor supply, raises concerns about our ability to meet the country’s housing needs.”

The impact would be most severe in areas where housing supply already falls short of demand.

Meanwhile, housing prices continue to rise, making homeownership increasingly unattainable for millions of Americans.

Frost warned that Trump’s proposed mass deportations could further destabilize an already strained housing market.

Rising housing costs affect not only buyers but also renters, who face relentless increases in rent prices.

Pro-immigrant organizations have criticized Trump’s claims as simplistic and harmful.

The Connection to the Housing Crisis

Jennie Murray, executive director of the National Immigration Forum, described mass deportation policies as “short-sighted.”

“Voters cared about the economy and immigration, but those two are inherently linked,” Murray said.

“If you deport a million workers, construction will slow, and housing prices will rise. We’re helping to keep the economy balanced,” she added.

“That’s why we get up every morning and work hard. That’s the American dream. If the country thrives, we thrive.”

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