Human Rights Beyond the Headlines: Is Affordability a Human Right?
US cash bills being stuffed into a piggy bank (credit: Markus Kammermann/Unsplash)
Why is there so much talk lately about affordability, especially when it comes to politics?
Google searches for the term “affordability” skyrocketed in late 2025. At the time, several Democrats were running for office, and they focused heavily on affordability in their speeches and messaging. In addition to Google searches, Congressional newsletters to constituents mentioned the word affordability an average of 70 times per month in the Fall of 2025.
What does it mean that affordability is “the political word of the moment”? What does the word affordability mean to you?
What to Know
(Background information for educators that can be read aloud, shared, or summarized with learners)
What is affordability?
The term “affordability” can mean different things to different people. In simplest terms, affordability means a person can pay for the things they need to live. People often ask themselves, “Can I afford that?” or say things like, “I can’t afford this right now.” When there is a lack of affordability, people do not have enough money (in income, savings, or other sources) to buy what they need.
A couple terms related to affordability are:
Income refers to salary/wages, government assistance (social security, cash and food assistance, subsidized housing, unemployment, Medicaid/Medicare, etc.), and any type of investment income.
Expenses are goods and services that people need to live, including housing (rent/mortgage), utility bills (gas, electric), food/groceries, household supplies, transportation (gas, public transportation, car insurance), childcare costs, clothing and personal care items, health insurance, education (tuition, student loans, retirement, and savings.
Is affordability simply about being able to afford the basics of everyday life like gas, groceries, food, and rent? Not necessarily.
A recent New York Times/Siena University poll suggests that the word “affordability” means more than that. To many, affordability focuses on being able to have a “middle class life”–buying a home, paying for childcare, health care, college, saving for retirement, etc. A majority of voters say a middle-class life is out of reach for most people living in the US.
The Brookings Institute explains it this way:
“Life is considered ‘affordable’ when a household’s income is equal to or greater than the total cost of living. We measure cost of living using the Economic Policy Institute’s Family Budget Calculator—an annually updated, inflation-adjusted estimate of the cost of basic necessities for a household depending on the number of workers and children as well as where they live. The Family Budget Calculator includes estimates for housing, food, transportation, child care, health care, taxes, and a grouping of “other necessities” such as clothes, personal care items, and household supplies.
It is jarring that in one of the richest countries in the world, one-third of the middle class does not make enough to afford basic necessities.”
Factors that impact a country’s affordability
There are many factors that impact a country’s economy and affordability. Here are some examples:
Rising costs of living and inflation decrease household savings and other income, making it less affordable to pay for daily expenses, housing, and other necessities.
Stagnant wages–when workers’ pay remains flat or increases very slowly over a long period–results in people not being able to afford to pay their bills. When the costs of living increase and wages do not, those costs become unaffordable.
Housing supply and demand can result in fewer housing options, which drives up prices for rent and house sales. High mortgage interest rates increase the monthly cost of owning a home, making less people able to buy a home.
International trade tariffs raise the retail prices of imported goods, which increases prices for the consumer.
During international tensions and pandemics, global supply chain and trade disruptions can increase the price of goods. Similarly, geopolitical and international conflicts and wars can increase energy prices, which are passed on to consumers, such as increases in gas prices.
Elected officials can do something about these factors that impact affordability. Who is governing matters. Some elected officials are focusing on policies that address affordability; others are enacting policies that benefit wealthy people or taking actions that cause a spike in spending—like a war. In 2026, during the US's war on Iran, Senator Tammy Baldwin said, “Imagine in America, instead of spending billions on the war in Iran, we spent that money on making health care, child care, groceries, and gas more affordable for families.” That stark contrast is felt by many, especially when people are struggling with affordability.
Affordability around the world
Affordability is also a pressing issue in other countries. People around the world are struggling with (and in some cases, protesting because of) cost-of-living challenges. According to a Time analysis, similar US economic patterns are present in Europe. In developing countries (countries with lower industrialization, lower income per person, and limited access to technology), people are moving from rural areas to cities to find work. Because those cities are not able to expand housing quickly, many people end up living in slums–urban areas characterized by poverty, unsafe and inadequate housing, and a lack of basic infrastructure, such as clean water or sanitation. Today, the number of people living in slums is estimated to be around 881 million in developing countries. High prices and lack of affordability are fueling unrest and protests in many countries around the world.
Is affordability a human right?
According to the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), affordability is a human right. Article 25 states that,
“Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of [themself] and of [their] family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond [their] control.”
If countries embrace affordability as a human right, they would prioritize and enact policies that make life more affordable for people who have middle and low incomes. All people deserve to be able to make a living that provides what they need to have a decent life.
Why It Matters
Affordability, and the extent to which people can afford the things they need to live a decent life, is essential. As the UDHR states, all people have the right to an adequate standard of living to take care of themself and their families. If people cannot afford to buy needed goods and services, they are at risk of becoming unhoused or food insecure and can face a variety of health concerns that can make life harder. They may need government assistance, which is not available in all countries. In fact, over half of the global population lacks comprehensive social protection. Even with government assistance, many often do not have enough to live on.
What You Can Do Right Now
(Ideas for learners to take action)
Help to organize a forum at school to explore the topic of affordability. You can invite experts and elected officials to talk about how affordability affects you and your community, and what can be done about addressing the affordability crisis.
Learn about your elected officials’ positions on affordability and what they are doing about it. Elected officials include your local government, like the mayor or city council member, or, if located in the US, search by your address to find contact information for your member of Congress. Share your thoughts about affordability in your community and what you want your elected officials to do about it.
Since housing is such a core part of affordability, explore affordable housing in your city, town, or community and advocate for policies that provide more affordable housing options.
Talk with family members or other adults about affordability. Learn about what is included in their budgets and to what extent they are dealing with affordability. Be mindful that not everyone feels comfortable discussing this, so ask their permission first.
Conversation Starters and Sparkers
To engage learners in a discussion, use non-judgmental and open-ended questions. Non-judgmental questions are curious questions that seek to understand a person, perspective, or situation without making assumptions or judgments. Open-ended questions are broad questions that can’t be answered in one word or with a simple “yes” or no,” but instead are questions that lead to detailed responses that uncover a person’s opinions or feelings and keep the conversation flowing.
Ask any of the following questions or create your own questions:
Why do you think there has been a lot of conversation about affordability recently?
Do you ever think about affordability? How so?
What does affordability mean to you?
What did you learn about affordability that you did not know before?
How would you explain affordability to someone else?
Do you think affordability is a human right? Please explain.
Do you think your local, state, or federal elected officials value affordability? How do you know?
Why is it important to talk about affordability?
In your opinion, what can countries and their governments do to make things more affordable?
Resources for Further Learning
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Affordable Housing by Country 2026 (World Population Review)
In every corner of the country, the middle class struggles with affordability (Brookings Institute)
The American Affordability Tracker (Urban Institute)
Why everyone is talking about ‘affordability’ now (The Washington Post)
Woven Teaching believes that human rights education is essential for students and adult learners to understand and assert their own rights and to protect the rights of others. As a result, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) lies at the core of Woven Teaching’s materials. The document’s 30 articles outline fundamental human rights: basic rights and freedoms which every human being is entitled to, regardless of race, religion, birthplace, gender, sexual orientation, or other characteristics. Although its articles are not legally binding, the UDHR serves as a moral compass for the international community. The concepts in this resource connect directly to several UDHR articles, including:
Article 17: Right to own property.
Article 22: Right to social security.
Article 25: Right to an adequate standard of living.