Opinion: Why are housing costs so high? The elevator can explain why.

They have become over-engineered, bespoke, handcrafted and expensive.

View in browser|nytimes.com July 12, 2024 An illness led Stephen Smith, the executive director of the Center for Building in North America, to study why America has so few elevators. What he learned explains why housing costs are so high. Read the guest essay in Times Opinion. → Sign up for the Opinion Today newsletter Get expert analysis of the news and a guide to the big ideas shaping the world every weekday morning. Get it in your inbox Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this message because you signed up for updates from The New York Times. To stop receiving From The Times, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018