Building for Tomorrow: States Take Action on Housing Reform
Rising housing costs, restrictive zoning laws, and a fragmented approach to development have made it nearly impossible to build enough homes to meet demand.
While the nation navigates the latest executive orders and highly anticipated bipartisan action on the federal level, state leaders are taking action now to enable the reforms communities need to boost supply.
Increasingly, state elected officials are joining together with local leaders and housing policy experts — including planners — to determine ways their state can pave the way for local housing action.
Building for Tomorrow
Last year, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey established the Unlocking Housing Production Commission to identify and make recommendations for how state and local regulations could be updated and reformed to better produce the housing necessary to meet growing demand across the state.
Now, the commission has released its report, Building for Tomorrow, which offers a comprehensive set of over 50 recommendations aimed at increasing housing supply and lowering costs for Massachusetts residents. This report comes shortly after the release of Massachusetts' first comprehensive housing plan, A Home for Everyone, which highlights the need for 222,000 additional housing units by 2035 to address the state's housing crisis.
Building on the trends and recommendations outlined in the comprehensive plan, Building for Tomorrow highlights four broad themes to advance Massachusetts' housing goals:
- Economic incentives and workforce development
- Updating land use and zoning practices
- Streamlining regulation, codes, and local permitting
- Strengthening state planning and local coordination
A Home For Everyone: Massachusetts' Statewide Housing Plan. Credit: Mass.gov
Taking Action Today
Governor Healey's administration has already begun to implement several measures to generate more housing, including the Affordable Homes Act, the MBTA Communities Law, and expanding tax credit programs.
"The Unlocking Housing Production Commission report represents an important call to action by the Commonwealth," says Jennifer Raitt, executive director of Northern Middlesex Council of Governments and member of the Massachusetts Unlocking Housing Production Commission.
"The research, analysis, and bold recommendations provide multiple pathways to achieve the housing goals laid out by the state housing plan. Every community across our Commonwealth can find an opportunity to create housing options towards a stronger and more sustainable future."
Housing Supply Accelerator Playbook
State and local action on housing supply
Learn more tips and read case studies to help your state and community increase housing supply and production in the Housing Supply Accelerator Playbook.
A Growing Trend
State-driven housing action isn't just happening in Massachusetts. Similar efforts are underway in states like Delaware, where Governor Matthew Meyer issued an executive order to develop a working group to streamline permit processes to increase workforce and affordable housing. This initiative aims to:
- Review regulations that impact housing, permitting, and construction
- Streamline permits and licenses
- Become a "one-stop shop" for housing projects across the state
With a report expected at the end of April, these efforts reflect a growing recognition across states that bold policy action is needed to tackle housing challenges.
"State reforms really empower planners," says APA Colorado's Josh Olhava, AICP. "It empowers us to unlock new and a variety of housing options." Local reform success stories in places like rural Eagle, Colorado, are only possible when states open the door to allow the changes communities need to produce more housing, faster.
Whether through housing task forces, new legislation, or state-wide reforms, state leaders have a key role to play in ensuring planners have the resources necessary to streamline and boost housing production. In turn, planners are ready with data-driven insights that can maximize the impact of new housing opportunities.
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