PoliticsAugust 21, 2026
underbuilding
un-der-BILL-ding
Definition
The act or state of constructing fewer new housing units than are necessary to meet the population's demand and housing needs.
Etymology
The word is formed from the prefix 'under-' (meaning deficient or below a standard) and 'building' (the present participle of 'build'), stemming from the Old English 'byldan'.
In the news
The article cites decades of underbuilding as a fundamental cause of the current national housing shortage and the resulting affordability crisis.
America’s Housing Crisis Is a Structural Problem. Can Congress Fix It?
Read the full article ↗The Fulcrum