The Courage to Change Housing

Change is uncomfortable. For many, it’s even frightening. But when the old way is broken — and everyone knows it — clinging to comfort is just choosing failure.

 

I’ve lived what happens when the system resists change: zoning laws that say “your needs don’t fit here,” housing markets that assume everyone has two incomes, and policies that treat accessibility as optional. The fear of change isn’t abstract — it shows up as barriers in people’s actual lives.

 

And let’s be honest about the fears holding us back:

 

•  Policymakers fear being the first to break old rules.

 

•  Developers fear losing profit margins.

 

•  Communities fear what’s unfamiliar — or fear affordable homes will drag down property values.

 

•  Even buyers fear believing homeownership could actually be possible.

 

But here’s the truth: those fears don’t just protect the status quo — they are the status quo. And the status quo is broken.

 

What housing needs now is courage.

 

•  Courage to try smaller homes.

 

•  Courage to rethink accessibility as a right, not an upgrade.

 

•  Courage to demand affordability that’s real, not lip service.

 

•  Courage to prove that ownership is a right, not a privilege.

 

The system won’t fix itself. Pretending it still works won’t make it true. The question now is whether we’ll let fear keep us trapped — or finally choose the courage to build something better.