Zoning Reform for Housing

States and cities are rethinking zoning to make housing more affordable and accessible, as single-family housing is the dominant U.S. residential land use, largely due to local zoning codes and maps that have remained unchanged for decades. These regulations keep densities low but limit overall supply, increasing housing costs in suburbs and central cities. Additionally, these regulations have often codified racist and exclusionary policies that serve to segregate communities along racial lines.

California and Oregon have both banned single-family-only zoning at the state level, while some cities have revised their zoning codes to permit "missing middle" housing types in single-family districts. At the federal level, legislators are attempting to tie local funding to the revision of exclusionary zoning regulations. These measures are gaining momentum in states and cities across the U.S. as housing costs, displacement, and homelessness continue to rise.