America’s Housing Comeback initiative focuses on public-private partnerships and community dialogue.
As California communities continue to grapple with an intractable housing crisis—characterized by high costs, constrained supply, and deeply entrenched political barriers—the National League of Cities (NLC) is offering a compelling new blueprint for local action.
Dubbed “America’s Housing Comeback,” this nationwide initiative is mobilizing city leaders to tackle housing challenges not with one-size-fits-all mandates, but with collaborative, system-based solutions rooted in public-private partnerships and community dialogue.
The initiative builds on years of work under the Housing Supply Accelerator, a joint effort between the NLC and the American Planning Association.
The Accelerator focused on aligning the fragmented components of housing development—from land use regulation and permitting to workforce and financing—with the goal of moving beyond blame and into pragmatic, scalable solutions. Now, through America’s Housing Comeback, that work is accelerating and expanding to meet the moment.
“The moment for housing is now,” said Lauren Lowery, NLC’s Director of Housing and Community Development, in a recent interview with the Vanguard. “Local governments didn’t create this crisis alone—and they’re not going to solve it alone either. We need builders, financial institutions, real estate professionals, and state and federal partners all working together.”
At the heart of the initiative is a playbook developed from three years of cross-sector conversations. Those dialogues focused not just on zoning or regulatory reforms, but on every link in the housing chain: construction, permitting, finance, infrastructure, and labor.
“The moment for housing is now.” – Lauren Lowery, NLC’s Director of Housing and Community Development
“It became clear early on that zoning reform alone isn’t enough,” said Lowery. “Zoning has to communicate with building codes. Workforce issues, permitting delays, and financial underwriting practices all interact—and if we don’t address those, even the best zoning policies will fall flat.”
The playbook is not prescriptive; rather, it offers a flexible framework that communities can adapt to their specific needs, whether they’re fast-growing college towns like Davis or smaller cities like Athens, Ohio, which NLC President Steve Patterson leads as mayor.
“What we’re aiming for isn’t perfect consensus,” Lowery explained, “but actionable consensus—enough agreement to get things done.”
One of the most significant challenges in housing development isn’t technical—it’s cultural.
“The system is set up to be contentious,” noted Michael Wallace, Legislative Director for NLC. “Developers don’t always understand the constraints and obligations local governments face. Elected officials may not fully grasp the financial realities of housing production. Residents may not trust either group.”
To overcome that dynamic, NLC organized a series of in-depth site visits around the country, where municipal officials, developers, financial institutions, and nonprofit partners came together to observe projects, exchange perspectives, and build relationships.
“Trust doesn’t come from reading policy papers,” Wallace said. “It comes from hearing each other out, face-to-face, and seeing firsthand what works and what doesn’t.”
This model of intentional, trust-building engagement is now being replicated across the U.S. via America’s Housing Comeback, which seeks to equip cities with not only policy tools, but the cultural shift needed to use them effectively. “It’s not just about what policies you adopt—it’s about how you engage the public and other stakeholders to make them stick,” Wallace said.
While the initiative is grounded in local action, it recognizes the critical role of federal support. “The pandemic response showed what’s possible,” Wallace noted, referencing the State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund, which became—perhaps unexpectedly—the largest federal housing program during the COVID era.
“Local governments didn’t create this crisis alone—and they’re not going to solve it alone either.” – Lauren Lowery, NLC’s Director of Housing and Community Development
Despite the complexity of using those funds for housing construction, many cities rose to the challenge. “That showed us that when localities have resources, know-how, and trust in their partners, they can get things done.”
But such resources remain in short supply.
“We need a federal recommitment to housing production—not just to alleviate homelessness or expand vouchers, but to actually build,” Wallace said. He stressed that cities must be prepared to act swiftly if and when new federal dollars arrive. “You don’t want a one- or two-year lag while cities figure out what to do. They need to be shovel-ready.”
For communities like Davis, where all housing beyond current city boundaries requires voter approval—a hurdle that has blocked most projects over the past 20 years—the conversation feels particularly urgent.
“We understand that not every place can adopt the same strategies,” Wallace acknowledged. “But every place can start by bringing the right people to the table and having open, honest conversations.”
That means identifying trusted voices—whether they are religious leaders, local employers, or school officials—and inviting them into the housing dialogue. It also means acknowledging legitimate community concerns while building a shared understanding of what’s possible.
“Opposition is often rooted in fear—fear of change, of traffic, of lost neighborhood character,” Wallace said. “But fear can be countered with information, trust, and shared values.”
He pointed to examples like Athens, where even modest investments—such as eight new affordable units—made a measurable difference. “Affordable housing isn’t ideological when it’s tied to real money, real projects, and real community benefits.”
America’s Housing Comeback stands out not only for its multi-sector approach, but for its focus on practical implementation. Unlike many housing studies that stay at the level of theory, NLC’s initiative puts mayors, homebuilders, bankers, and planners at the same table. That means the questions aren’t just philosophical, but operational: What stops a project from moving forward? Where does the process break down? How can cities support emerging developers as they do small businesses?
Critically, the initiative also speaks in a unified voice.
“We’re pushing out the same message to elected officials and developers,” Wallace emphasized. “If residents hear different things from each side, that breeds mistrust. But if you’re all working from the same playbook, you can make progress—even without full consensus.”
That message has gained traction. States and regions are beginning to adopt the Accelerator model, and more cities are joining America’s Housing Comeback each month. “We’re seeing real, organic uptake because people see the value,” Wallace said. “This is not abstract. This is about changing the way we do business on the ground.”
In a moment when many cities feel overwhelmed by the scale of the housing crisis—and wary of the polarization that often accompanies it—America’s Housing Comeback offers a grounded, hopeful alternative. It doesn’t pretend the politics are easy. But it does insist that progress is possible, especially when cities stop working in silos and start building together.
As Wallace concluded, “We’re not going to fix this overnight. But we can move the needle in the right direction. And when the next window for big federal investment opens, cities won’t be starting from scratch—they’ll be ready.”
For a college town like Davis, with high land costs, deep voter skepticism, and pressing workforce needs, the takeaway is clear: the path forward may not be easy, but it doesn’t have to be lonely. There is a growing national movement, and local governments—when equipped with tools, trust, and vision—can lead the way.
Categories:
Breaking News Housing State of California
Tags:
America’s Housing Comeback Athens Davis Federal Support Housing Supply Accelerator Lauren Lowery Michael Wallace National League of Cities Ohio Shovel-ready