"The problem is that we think of real estate as an investment, when housing is actually a fundamental need" This is a very important fact that is so often over

"The problem is that we think of real estate as an investment, when housing is actually a fundamental need" This is a very important fact that is so often overlooked. Rent escalates in cities because people own multiple homes / units and are looking to make a profit so the price goes up. In the mean time housing is becoming an increasingly larger portion of the non wealthy's expenses. Further complicating this is that the less wealthy are forced to move to poorer areas and in many states, schools are funded largely through property taxes. This means the less wealthy are forced to send their children to lower quality schools perpetuating the wealth gap.