Written by Noah Carl.
The exorbitant price of housing is one of the most important issues facing young people in Britain and the US. And yet, whenever a right-wing politician draws the obvious link with mass immigration, he or she is accused of misdiagnosing the problem and using inflammatory rhetoric.
In the 2024 vice presidential debate, JD Vance referred to the “connection between increased levels of migration, especially illegal immigration, and higher housing prices”. He also affirmed that housing is “totally unaffordable because we brought in millions of illegal immigrants”. For these seemingly anodyne observations, Vance was denounced as someone who “perpetuates racism”. And various fact checks appeared purporting to debunk his claims by appealing to “experts”.
In Britain, Nigel Farage has likewise been accused of “scapegoating” migrants for suggesting that immigration puts pressure on housing and public services.