Socialism and New York City's Housing Crisis: Homes will never be affordable through policies that create even more scarcity.

Housing in New York City has become painfully unaffordable. In June 2026, renters paid an average of $5,408 for a one-bedroom apartment in Manhattan, while even the average studio reached $4,014. It isn't difficult to understand why young New Yorkers are frustrated, or why socialism is starting to sound appealing. Underneath that anger is a very real problem. Young New Yorkers aren't wrong for being frustrated. Housing has become unaffordable, and they are right to demand better solutions. But is socialism the answer? The Marxist Lens: Tenant vs. Landlord Before asking whether socialism can solve New York’s housing crisis, we...