The American Planning Association and the National League of Cities have announced a new partnership to find and implement solutions to the national housing affordability crisis.
The National League of Cities and the American Planning Association (APA) this week announced a new Housing Supply Accelerator in response to the worsening housing affordability crisis in the country. The announcement came within a few days of a report that the average national rent-to-income ratio reached 30 percent for the first time at the end of 2022.
The two organizations are working in “to improve local capacity, identify critical solutions, and speed reforms,” according to a press release from the APA. The press release specifically notes the role of local governments and planners in meeting housing demand. “The Housing Supply Accelerator will help localities do more with their housing dollars and maintain their efforts even after these one-time programs wind down,” according to the press release.
A recent article by Patrick Sisson in Planning magazine lays out the case for zoning reform, undoing the strict prohibitions of multi-family housing and requirements that enabled the car-centric sprawl of the 20th century planning status quo, as a critical solution for the housing affordability crisis in the United States.
Expect more announcements in the near future. The APA promises to reach out in the coming weeks to key housing supply stakeholders, housing association partners, and housing policy partners to participate in the Housing Supply Accelerator.
News coverage of the Housing Supply Accelerator is available from Smart Cities Dive.
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