What is your living situation? We want to hear from you.

“No society can be fully understood without the homes of its members.”

I have that quote (from “Border of crabgrass”, the groundbreaking history of America’s suburbs), taped to a wall behind my desk. It sums up why I love reporting on housing for The New York Times and never run out of things to write about. Housing is everything. It’s where we live and raise our families. It is the greatest wealth for most people. Whether you own, rent or sleep outside, the place where you hang your head determines a large part of your existence.

Over the past few decades, and especially since the pandemic, housing has gone from a symbol of American strength to an everyday crisis. Aspiring homeowners become perpetual tenants. People live in increasingly crowded households, the supply of illegal housing has increased dramatically and the number of homeless camps has increased. People are fleeing expensive states for cheaper states – which in turn has created housing problems in the cities where they end up.

There are also new opportunities: the rise of home offices has allowed many people to move to cheaper housing markets and has prompted some families to ditch their 9-to-5 lives and redevelop real estate or become landlords. In California and elsewhere, the legalization of backyard homes has inspired some homeowners to become developers by creating small rental units on their properties.

Over the past few years, I’ve covered virtually every aspect of America’s housing crisis, from the officials trying to tackle it in statehouses to the people experiencing its effects. I write about both tenants and landlords, both developers and environmentalists, both social and private housing – even attempting to build a new city from scratch.

My stories vary in subject matter and come from all over the country, but the common thread is that they are rooted in people’s stories and the places they come from. That’s why I’d like to hear from you. I want to know what types of housing pressures you face and how they have affected your life, family, friendships and community. And I want to know which stories or topics you think need more attention. The articles I write are inspired by the stories people tell me.

I have read all the entries. I also always reach out to ask more questions and make sure I have my facts straight before publishing anything. I will not publish anything without your express permission, and I will not use your contact information for any other purpose or share it outside the newsroom. If you would like to provide information anonymously, please visit our tips page.