The United States faces a housing affordability crisis, and local governments share a significant part of the blame. For too long, local governments have constrained housing supply by limiting where and how much developers can build. The time has come for cities and counties to reduce barriers to housing construction of all types.
According to recent census data, nearly half of the 45 million households that rent in America are considered cost-burdened, meaning they spend more than 30% of their income on housing. Within the cost-burdened group, 11.2 million households spend more than half of their income on rent. This is not sustainable.