Super Bowl Ad Promoting Neighborliness: How Homeowners Could Help Solve the Housing Crisis
Rocket and Redfin ran a TV commercial during the Super Bowl called America Needs Neighbors Like You, which one can still view on YouTube. It portrayed a heartwarming story that showed the value of neighborliness.
"Our core creative idea, 'Own the Dream,' reflects the belief that homeownership is about more than a transaction," said Jonathan Mildenhall, chief marketing officer of Rocket Companies, in a statement. "Stability is why communities thrive. When people feel rooted, they're more likely to show up for one another. That's the role housing plays in strengthening neighborhoods, and why neighborliness is essential."
Theory vs. Practice
Everyone likes to think they're ready to be a good neighbor, but many are shy about making the first move. Rocket and Redfin cite a survey which claims only a quarter of Americans know most of their neighbors' names. So, there's a disconnect between Hollywood and TV portrayals of neighborliness and the reality on the ground.
However, there is better news. Roughly 70% of Americans have either helped a neighbor or received help over the last year. And "Homeownership deepens that sense of connection even further, with 71% of homeowners reporting a strong sense of community, reinforcing how stability and neighborliness grow stronger together," say Redfin and Rocket in a news release.
Staying Put
Of course, some people aren't sociable and prefer to live in isolation from their neighbors. But others may just take a few years to settle in and make friends.
Recent trends in Americans' moving habits suggest Americans are staying in their homes for longer, something that often might create deeper roots in the community and greater neighborliness.
Before the pandemic, homeowners' tenure peaked at 13.4 years around 2019, according to The New York Times last year. But COVID-19 brought that number down as many moved out from urban centers or wanted different sorts of accommodation during lockdowns.
Also last year, Redfin reported that average tenure had dropped to 11.8 years. Still, that's way longer than it used to be. Only 10 or 15 years ago, a common estimate was five to seven years.
True, that included renters, many of whom — especially while young — move every couple of years either as rents rise or when their work and lifestyle needs change.
How Homeowners Block Housing Crisis Fixes
Voting turnout among homeowners is significantly higher than among renters. "Among the citizen voting-age population, homeowners had higher voter turnout than renters, with 58.1% of eligible homeowners and 36.5% of renters voting," says the Census Bureau about the 2022 midterms.
For local elected politicians who sit on zoning boards or who otherwise have influence over residential development projects, this makes homeowners an overwhelmingly important constituency. And the message politicians receive from homeowners is, "We don't want to change a thing, thank you very much."
But there's very little nuance in that message. Do suburban homeowners really care if the housing density downtown increases with the building of more apartment blocks?
How much difference does it make to residents if a manufactured home park is allowed a mile or two from their homes? We're talking about communities that are typically beautifully landscaped and come with new, safe, air-conditioned homes, of which residents can be justifiably proud.
The not-in-my-back-yard attitude (NIMBYism) has a point, but only if the new airport, highway, manufactured home park or apartment building is literally going to be in or very near the resident's back yard.
Insisting that a whole city's plan remains set in stone despite a nationwide housing crisis seems the opposite of community-minded neighborliness. Those homeowners who agree might want to let their local politicians know.
