> Fewer people living in one unit is how you get a shrinking population while the housing supply remains static.
No, that's not how normal distributions work. Among the 5.3%, some significant portion of those left empty housing units in their wake. They weren't all 3rd roommates that left.
The vacancy rate in NYC is really low right now. Those units aren't "left empty", they're quickly re-rented back out. It's just that the new tenants on average have fewer people living per unit than the old tenants.
No, that's not how normal distributions work. Among the 5.3%, some significant portion of those left empty housing units in their wake. They weren't all 3rd roommates that left.