Can empty-nesters boost housing affordability?

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  Npr.

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  This is the indicator from Planet Money.

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  I'm Darian Woods.

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  And I'm Waylon Wong.

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  So there is this term that's been floating around for a couple of decades now, the Silver Tsunami.

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  Yes, we've talked about this on our show and it refers to the aging population in the U.S.

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  especially members of the baby boomer generation.

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  And you know, some people find the term a bit derogatory because it's likening old people to a natural disaster.

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  That's not what we meant.

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  It's pretty rude.

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  I guess so now that you mention it.

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  Nevertheless, the term has become a popular shorthand for all the big cultural and economic changes that stem from this generation getting older.

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  And when it comes to housing, the so called Silver Tsunami has sometimes been seen as a silver bullet to address a major issue, housing affordability.

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  There's a theory that a wave of empty nesters putting their homes on the market will boost supply and bring home prices down.

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  Today on the show we talk to one economist who's vetted this hypothesis and he tells us why the Silver Tsunami solution to housing affordability might be more of a red herring.

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  That's coming up after the break.

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