This. Contrary to this article, I think the biggest policy mistake was turning home ownership into an investment/retirement strategy. In the last 10 years, services like AirBnB have only accelerated the problem.

Since you know that, go with the market. Sell your house every 2-3 years while it's hot and make money. When things slow down, stay in your house and enjoy it.

I don't think there's a way to unlink so long as there are particularly desirable and undesirable places to live.

There are way yes, such as Georgism or Socialism. They require rethinking some things and shaking some powerbases, so that's why they appear impossible.

You could have both if dense housing was allowed to be built and people bought condos.

How? If an asset goes up in value then that means someone is paying more for it at the end of the day. Thus, it’s less affordable...

If your argument is about splitting up land use by building higher, it still is true. At the end of the day, that land became more expensive and you are less able to purchase the land.

Appreciating asset and affordability are opposites by definition.

You're less able to purchase the same size of land but size really isn't that interesting unless you're planning to farm it.

Another solution is a ban on new office buildings in areas with insufficient housing supply. Right now the corps happily build new offices in cities that are already overcrowded to the tilt, and the city councils turn a blind eye to this. I realize that such a law would have no sponsors.

This started becoming bigger and bigger problem in Sofia (capital of Bulgaria, in the Balkan Peninsula, Eastern Europe). I live for 20 years here and now I want to get out because almost every plot of land eventually gets filled with the same faceless concrete and glass block that the office buildings are.

Aesthetic sentiments aside, those office buildings bring stress to the local infrastructure in many ways.

One win however is that local businesses that serve food and drinks at least survive which is not a small win during COVID-19 times.