Why? Because corporations have bought up homes and using them for collateral and to make $$. I have two in my neighborhood that sit empty. Yup empty. They drive up housing costs.
Ask them about their pets, and shoes, and cars, and gaming systems, and TVs, and streaming services. And honestly, more of us Americans should skip a meal from time to time.
And where is the context is this recently of since all Americans includes during the depression or 70s inflation or in college that seems like a intentionally misleading comment