Experts Say Zoning Reform Isn’t Likely to Solve Housing Crisis

In a survey conducted by Fannie Mae, housing experts warn that zoning reform alone won’t be enough to solve the housing crisis impacting more and more American households.

The group of experts and policymakers surveyed agreed that zoning code changes will likely have a “moderate” or “insignificant” impact on housing supply and costs in the next five years.

“A plurality of panelists suggested that hastening the construction permitting process would have the greatest positive impact on housing supply if broadly enacted, [followed] by expanding zoning for multifamily housing developments and enabling more ‘missing middle’ or ‘light touch density’ housing construction,” but close to two-thirds expressed skepticism that these reforms will be broadly enacted.

“Accelerating the construction permitting process, along with increasing density around transit corridors and facilitating the creation of so-called ‘missing middle’ homes, are policies that are most likely to spur builder activity based on panelists’ perspectives,” according to many of the respondents.