But to grasp what year was the housing crisis, you need the full arc, not a snapshot. For anyone asking what year was the housing crisis, 2007 was the audible creak before the break. If you press for a date to answer what year was the housing crisis, 2008 is the turning point most economists cite. This longer arc explains why what year was the housing crisis is both 2008—and a story spanning a decade. ConclusionThe cleanest answer to what year was the housing crisis is 2008—the pivotal year when housing stress metastasized into a global financial shock.