As many are priced out of buying, the renter-owner wealth gap is wider than ever

NPR | By Jennifer Ludden

Published July 28, 2026 at 3:14 PM CDT

Jay Washington, 38, stands for a portrait at his residence in Athens, Ga., earlier this month. Washington would like to own a home, but after a cycle of underemployment, he's not sure whether he'll ever be able to.

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All Things Considered

Jennifer Ludden

Jennifer Ludden helps edit energy and environment stories for NPR's National Desk, working with NPR staffers and a team of public radio reporters across the country. They track the shift to clean energy, state and federal policy moves, and how people and communities are coping with the mounting impacts of climate change.

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