Why 15 million vacant homes won’t solve the housing crisis

In places like Baltimore, addressing abandoned homes is essential for the cities’ futures. | Jed Kirschbaum/Baltimore Sun/Tribune News Service via Getty Images The United States is wrestling with a massive housing shortage — with more than 4 million housing units needed to meet demand. The lack of affordable housing has caused record-high rent burdens and soaring homelessness. More than 770,000 people were officially counted as homeless last year, the highest in modern history. President Donald Trump is even musing about whether to declare a national emergency to address it. At the sa