Written by two leading urban economists, Geoffrey Meen, Professor Emeritus in Applied Economics in the Department of Economics at The University of Reading, and Christine Whitehead, Professor Emeritus in Housing Economics in the Department of Economics, London School of Economics, Understanding Affordability: The Economics of Housing Markets, strikes a delicate balance between academic rigor and political pragmatism. This is not surprising, given the fact that both authors have extensive experience in advising the UK government on housing policies, and both were awarded OBE for their services to housing.