We have a country which is really in an affordable housing crisis right now.

With lower mortgage rates and that low supply, we're going to continue to see these prices move higher yet again.

We have underbuilt for the last decade since the end of the recession to the tunes of millions of homes.

Today we begin a bold new initiative to bring down the cost of housing for American families. It's not for the federal

government to come here to Greenville and say build this or build that. It's for the federal government

to come in and say what's your plan and how can we be a good partner in that? Millions of Americans are

in crisis. I believe in the United States of America, every American should have access to safe,

affordable housing.

The single family home with or without picket fence is not just the culmination of the American dream at all but mandated by law.

On 75% of the residential property in the United States, it's illegal to build anything else.

That's been increasingly true for almost 100 years,

reinforced by federal programs and the homeowner's tax deduction.

But now, even as the rate of home ownership is on the rise,

a radical shift is underway.

In Minnesota, in Oregon, even in California, there's a move toward increased

density in residential neighborhoods. The crisis in affordable housing and climate change have

combined to make the issue part of next year's presidential campaign. Emily Badger cover cities

and urban policy for the upshot at the New York Times. Emily, great to have

you. Thanks for having me. Before we get to President Trump and the Democrats, you've got some

very interesting history about the concept of single-family housing, started out with the idea that

a house is not a home unless you can drive a yoke of oxen around it. Where did that phrase come from?

So this is a very, very old concept, you know, going back to the beginning of the 20th century

...