美国房租价格高企，只因年轻人没钱买房

据《今日美国》（USA Today）报道，2016年公寓续租的比例达到了历史新高的近54%。这一比例超出了2015年的52.9%，以及21世纪头十年中期更加常见的45%。另一方面，美国人口统计局的数据显示，美国拥有住房者的比例降到了62.9%，这是1995年以来的最低值。

这一趋势的产生原因有二：85后、90后需要偿还学生贷款，购买昂贵的住房，这让他们来到了大城市，但开发商已经开始在那里建造奢华的公寓大楼。

房地产研究公司CoStar在8月发布了一份报告，其中发现美国有许多奢华的公寓都处于空置状态，其比例从四年前的3.4%增长到了上个月的5.5%。

而且，千禧一代一旦搬进了公寓，他们就不愿意再搬家了。RealPage的首席经济学家格雷格·威利特在接受《今日美国》采访时表示，这减少了美国城市可租用的公寓数，房租也因此出现了增长。

威利特补充道：“如果你费了很大劲，才在你喜欢的地段以你能承担的价格找到了一套公寓房间，那你肯定不太愿意再搬家了。”

《今日美国》报道称，今年预计将会建设33万栋公寓，比起2015年的23万栋有了小幅增长。不过威利特表示，由于越来越多的开发商正在开发昂贵地段，价格实惠的公寓大楼无法让他们获取利润，因此租金昂贵的现象仍将维持下去。（财富中文网）

译者：严匡正

USA Today reported apartment lease renewals hit an all-time high of nearly 54% in 2016. This is up from 52.9% in 2015 and a more-conventional 45% in the mid 2000s. The nation’s homeownership rate, on the other hand, fell to 62.9%—the lowest it’s been since 1995, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

The reason for the trend is two-fold: Millennials are faced with student debt and expensive home buying options, which drives them into metro areas where developers have started putting up luxury apartment buildings.

Real estate research firm CoStar released a report in August that found many luxury apartments across the nation are left vacant, growing from 3.4% four years ago to 5.5% last month.

Then there’s a reluctance to move once millennials settle into apartments. This reduces the number of available apartments in American cities, RealPage chief economist Greg Willett told USA Today, and rents rise as a result.

“You’re unlikely to relocate if it’s a big struggle to find a vacant apartment in your preferred neighborhood at the price point you can afford,” Willett added.

An estimated 330,000 apartments will be built this year, a slight increase from the 230,000 built in 2015,USA Today reported. But with more developers building on expensive land, Willett said affordable apartment complexes won’t be profitable.” Meaning the high rents stay.