The American Home Built a Nation—Now the Nation Is Struggling To Build Enough Homes

The American home has historically served as a cornerstone of stability, wealth, and belonging, a narrative explored in the Smithsonian National Museum of American History's "Within These Walls" exhibit. This installation, sponsored by the National Association of Realtors®, features the 1760 timber-frame house built by Abraham Choate in Ipswich, MA, tracing the lives of five families who resided there from the Colonial era through World War II. The exhibit highlights the enduring tension between homeownership as a pathway to generational wealth and the persistent challenge of access, a theme amplified by the current nationwide housing shortage. Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Doris Kearns Goodwin emphasized the foundational role of homeownership in the American identity, stating at the 2026 NAR Legislative Meetings conference in Washington, DC, that it was integral from the nation's inception. The exhibit underscores that while homeownership has been a powerful engine for upward mobility, its benefits have not been universally accessible, a disparity that remains critical as the United States approaches its 250th anniversary amidst a significant deficit in housing stock.