Updated Nov 2, 2025 – 2.24pm, first published at 8.55am
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Wasi Ashraf, a 33-year-old veterinarian, squeezes into a 1.5-bedroom apartment in the New York borough of Brooklyn with her husband, a dog and a cat. Rent of $US4000 ($6116) a month, the rising cost of groceries and getting around – not to mention unplanned expenses – make hopes of buying their own home feel out of reach.
“The city does tend to be expensive even for people who have well-paying jobs,” she says. “We want to become homeowners, but at this point, it feels very difficult. It’s hard month over month to budget.”
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