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The Role of Housing in the
Economic Recovery

Jason Furman, Chairman, Council of Economic Advisers
April 29, 2014

Residential Investment Plunged to Historic Lows
Following the Great Recession
Figure 1. Residential Investment
Percent of GDP
8

2013:Q4

7
6

5
4

1929-2000
average

3
2
1

0
1950
Note: Shading denotes recession.
Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis.

1960

1970

1980

1990

2000

2010
1

The Housing Recovery in the Great Recession Differed from Previous
Recoveries Not Just in its Severity but in its Dynamics

Figure 2. Real Residential Investment During Recoveries
NBER-Defined Cycle Trough = 100
260
240
220
200
180
160
1991
140
120
100
80
Average 8 Postwar
Recessions
60
40
20
0
-20

Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis.

-16

-12

-8

-4
Trough
4
Quarters from Trough

1982

1975

2001
Current
(2009:Q2 Trough)

8

12

16

20
2

As Fiscal Policy Began to Act as a Headwind to Growth, Residential
Investment Turned a Corner

Figure 3. Contributions of Federal Government &
Residential Investment to GDP Growth (Q4/Q4 basis)
Percentage points (p.p.)
0.8
Federal Sector
0.6
0.4
0.2
0.0
-0.2
-0.4
Residential
-0.6
Investment
-0.8
-1.0
-1.2
-1.4
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis.

3

House Prices Only Started to Recover in 2012
But Have Since Grown at a Robust Pace

Figure 4. National House Price Indices
Index, Jan. 2012 = 100
160
150
S&P/Case-Shiller
(Feb. 14)

140
130

CoreLogic
(Feb. 14)

120
Zillow
(Mar. 14)

FHFA
(Feb. 14)

110
100

90
80
2000

2002

Note: Shading denotes recession.
Source: Zillow; CoreLogic; FHFA; S&P/Case-Shiller.

2004

2006

2008

2010

2012

2014
4

Credit Availability for Borrowers With Lower FICO Scores Remains Tight

Percent
100%

Figure 5. Mortgage Originations by FICO Score,
First Lien Only

90%
80%
780+

70%

700 to 779

60%

640 to 699

50%

620 to 639
Up to 619

40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Note: Figure for 2014 only includes data for January and February.
Source: CoreLogic.

5

Mortgage Rates Rose in the Second Half of 2013 But Remain Low by
Historical Standards

Figure 6a. Contract Rates on 30-Year Fixed Mortgages
Percent
20

Figure 6b. Contract Rates on 30-Year Fixed Mortgages
Percent
6.0

18
5.5

16

14

5.0

12

Week ending
4/25/14

10

4.5

8
4.0

6
4
Week ending
4/25/14

2
0
1975

1980

1985

1990

Source: Federal Reserve Board, H.15.

1995

2000

2005

2010

3.5
5/3/13

3.0
2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

6

Household Formation Has Been Relatively Weak on Average Since 2000

Table 1. Contribution of Selected Determinants for Supply and Demand of Homes
Millions (annual avg.)

Demand

Household Formation
Change in Vacancies
Net Removals (Residual)
Total Demand

Supply

Single-Family
Multi-Family
Mobile Homes
Total Supply

Projections Based on JCHS
Low Case
Middle Case
High Case
2015-2020
2015-2020
2015-2020

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000-2013

1.56
0.10
0.46

1.34
0.34
0.06

1.11
0.19
0.35

0.91
0.32
0.23

1.23
0.15
0.33

1.29
0.15
0.33

1.34
0.15
0.33

2.13

1.75

1.65

1.46

1.71

1.77

1.82

1.14
0.62
0.37

0.99
0.51
0.25

1.10
0.27
0.28

1.04
0.29
0.13

2.13

1.75

1.65

1.46

Note: 2010 JCHS projections used for Change in Vacancies and Net Removals.
Sources: Joint Center for Housing Studies (JCHS). Baseline Household Projections for the Next Decade and Beyond (2014); Updated 2010- 2020
Household and New Home Demand Projections (2010).

7

The Percentage of Young Adults Living With Older Family Members
Climbed to Historic Highs in 2012
Figure 7. Young Adults Living With Older Family Members
Percent
48
2012

46
44

42
40
38
36
34
32
30
1976

1981

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics; CEA calculations.

1986

1991

1996

2001

2006

2011
8

Demographic Trends Suggest that the Construction Glut
Preceding the Great Recession Has Been Largely Worked Off

Figure 8b. Cumulative Over- and Under-Building of
Residential and Manufactured Homes, 1996–2014

Figure 8a. Cumulative Over- and Under-Building of
Residential and Manufactured Homes, 1996–2014

Millions of units
6

Millions of units
3
2

Apr-2007

Relative to projected
annual average demand
for new units based
on demographic trends

5
4
3

1

Relative to projected
annual average demand
for new units based
on recent demographic trends

Apr-2007

Feb-2014

2
0

1

-1

"Correction
years"
2007–2014

"Boom years"
1996–2006

-2

0

-1
-2

Feb-2014

-3
1996

1998

2000

2002

Source: Census Bureau; CEA calculations.

2004

2006

2008

2010

2012

"Boom years"
1996–2006

2014

-3
1996

1998

2000

2002

"Correction years"
2007–2014

2004

2006

2008

2010

2012

2014

9

Going Forward, Residential Construction Should Return to
Higher Levels Implied by Demographics

Figure 9. Building Permits for New Residential Units
Thousands, seasonally adjusted annual rate
3,000

Mar. 14

2,500
2,000
1,500

1,000

Estimate of
Current Annual
Average Demand

500
0
1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010
Source: Census Bureau; CEA calculations.

10

The Housing Sector Is One of the Most Cyclically Volatile in the Economy

Figure 10. Total Private and Residential
Constrution Employment
12-month percent change
15

Mar. 2014

10
5

Total Private

0
-5

-10
-15

Residential Construction

-20
-25
-30
1985
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics.

1990

1995

2000

2005

2010
11