The word affordability got a lot of use by candidates in the lead-up to last week's U.S. elections.

Like New York City's 34-year-old mayor-elect, Zeran Mamdani, a Democratic Socialist, when he was campaigning, he focused relentlessly on how increasingly expensive New York has become.

Ultimately, what I think binds us together is that shared belief that this is a city that should be affordable.

And by building a tent around that affordability.

That was in July when Mamdani spoke with Morning Edition's Layla Faddle.

Since then, more and more politicians have been talking about the rising prices of seemingly everything. Virginia's

governor-elect Abigail Spanberger centered her campaign on the high cost of living. We have a lot of

challenges facing our communities, whether it's challenges of affordability and housing, health care, and

energy. Meanwhile, affordability seems to have become a trigger word for President Trump. He says many

prices have come down since he was reelected.

It's no good if we do a great job and you don't talk about it. And I don't think they talk

about it enough. You know, they have this new word called affordability and they don't

talk about it enough. The Democrats did. And the Democrats make it up because we took over a mess.

Consider this. Affordability has become a political promise and appears to be an effective campaign strategy.

And it also summarizes a deep inequality affecting American lives. What would it take to close that divide?

From NPR, I'm Sasha Flavor.

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