America's housing shortage by the numbers

(The Hill) -- The U.S. has been short of the homes it needs to meet its growing population for more than a decade, driving up prices and shooting down the dreams of millions of would-be buyers.While buying a starter home was once a safe and attainable way to build wealth, rising home prices, falling construction rates, and economic volatility have left the U.S. without nearly enough affordable housing.Daryl Fairweather, chief economist at Redfin, said there are two basic ways of looking at the d