Sharon Haar, Emil Lorch professor of architecture, is an expert in the field of affordable housing. A co-founder of Taubman College’s Collective for Equitable Housing, Haar’s work looks at the development of affordable housing, the intersection of higher education and urban space, and architectural practices devoted to social activism.

This month, Haar contributed her expertise to an article by This Old House, a home improvement website affiliated with the show of the same name. Haar explained the causes for the American housing affordability crisis, breaking down how zoning and a lack of new construction lead to higher costs.
“There has been a decline in housing production relative to household formation over the last several decades,” Haar said. “In recent years, the increased cost of material and land, combined with the lack of skilled construction labor, has exacerbated an already existing trend.”