The AI boom is sucking up all the capital. The Federal Reserve is raising rates to try to cool inflation. And one sector is bearing the brunt of the pain from both: housing .

The big picture: The situation is lose-lose for both homebuilders and homebuyers . Builders are facing more expensive capital and bidding for scarce construction-related resources. Would-be buyers are being quoted some of the highest mortgage rates of this century.

New September housing starts data out Tuesday morning puts an exclamation point on what has been a slow-moving disaster for a sector that plays an outsized role in the economic cycle and in Americans' basic living standards.

By the numbers: The number of housing units started by builders fell 5.2% last month, the Census Bureau said , to 1.22 million.…