I make a separate post to comment on exponential housing.

The number of commercial buildings which have been built in the last ten years have enough floor space to house all of WA States homeless population.  I am not saying the space should, this is a raw observation about floor space only.  A measurement.  A measurement which says the physical ability to keep up with housing needs is not a material consideration.  It is a political issue and exponential growth has nothing to do with it.

The floor space I mention uses polished concrete metal and exotic woods.  Metal studs are used in the walls and high end HVAC moderates climate.  This is expensive floor space and not the kind of floor space that is used in residential construction generally.  However high end Seattle Homes are built to the same standards now.  It is what inequality does don't you know.

Working every weekend enterprising men used to build their own homes in about five years.  Every weekend and after work.  As soon as part of it was habitable a family would move in.  Building homes that way keeps up with exponential growth because everyone builds their own home.  All excess money went into building materials, but in the 70's building materials were cheap enough that a working man could buy building materials almost as fast as he could use them.  Sometimes work would have to pause while money was earned.

Without subsidy no way does a working man earn money to buy building materials now.  A particular demographic used the build your own trick.  Clock punchers who did not have regular overtime and earned a union wage.  Salaried people had a hard time finding the time.  Building your own was not something everyone could do, but some could and that is my point.  Human labor can keep up with housing needs.

In a rational society.