ABOUT THIS SERIES: Across the West, costs associated with renting or buying property have skyrocketed, forcing individuals and families to make tough decisions about what home looks like in a volatile market. The median asking price for rent in the U.S. recently exceeded $2,000 for the first time ever, and the cost of buying a home has spiked as much as 25% in some cities in just the past year. These increases have pushed the housing crisis in the West to a breaking point, making the American Dream of stable housing available to fewer and fewer families and individuals. This series, Squeezed Out, observes the current state of the housing market and the challenges it poses for renters and buyers, as well as possible remedies for the issues. More than one dozen reporters, photographers and editors at Lee Enterprises locations across the West contributed to this series.

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How to solve the affordable-housing crisis

In red-hot Montana housing market, young cash-strapped buyer beats the system