There are two different, mutually incoherent conversations about the housing market: the one conducted by "housing" people and the one among "finance" people. In Escaping the Housing Trap: The Strong Towns Response to the Housing Crisis, renowned urbanists Charles L. Marohn, Jr. and Daniel Herriges explore both view-points, providing rational steps that local leaders can begin to take right now to make room for a new housing paradigm. This book covers everything there is to know about housing in America, from the creation of the modern home mortgage and the problems it was intended to solve, all the way to the modern public policy environment that governs housing as shelter and the political forces that influence it. The authors take a deep dive into important big picture concepts, such as discussions of zoning policy and NIMBYism, the disempowering and destructive idea of cataclysmic money in housing communities, and more. Escaping the Housing Trap: The Strong Towns Response to the Housing Crisis is an essential read for planners, advocates, experts, and all individuals who wish to understand and help solve society's housing problems of today.