March 27, 2024
Market-oriented Reform Principles and Policies that Would Help the Housing Market
Introduction: In this election year, Congress and the President are feeling the urge to help Americans affected by rising housing affordability pressures across the country. With the status-quo untenable, Congress and the President are itching to address housing affordability, availability, and other community needs. Before springing into action, our leaders need to first establish clear…
March 15, 2024
Housing Abundance with Light-Touch Density
Executive Summary: The following presentation on “Communication with Policymakers and Media – For the Win!” was presented at YIMBYtown 2024, covering how Light-touch Density is the key to achieving housing abundance. Light-touch Density, which involves moderately increasing density in areas zoned exclusively for single-family detached homes, can tailored be to the context of specific localities….
February 22, 2024
The Workforce/Middle-Income Housing Tax Credit
A recording of the event will be uploaded soon. Event Summary Congress is considering expanding the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) and creating a new Workforce or Middle-Income Housing Tax Credit (MIHTC). In response, the AEI Housing Center gathered leading housing experts to discuss the LIHTC’s poor record and propose more effective market solutions. In…
January 24, 2024
Expanding Housing Supply with Light-Touch Density: City of Seattle Case Study
Executive Summary The formula for housing abundance is straightforward: Micro-managing this process won’t work. Planners need to get out of the way and let the market build more housing.
January 23, 2024
A Follow-Up on My Recent Testimony to the Joint Economic Committee on Policy Approaches to Increasing the Supply of Affordable Housing
In my recent testimony on affordable housing supply, I highlighted the superiority of markets over government solutions and pointed to the ineffectiveness of the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC), which offers generous tax credits for builders that rent units to tenants earning below 60% of area median income. During the hearing’s Q&A, I did not…
January 17, 2024
Achieving Housing Abundance Through State and Local Land Use and Zoning Reform
Chair Heinrich and Vice Chair Schweikert, and distinguished Members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify today. Executive Summary: Housing affordability issues are real for many Americans. As home prices and more recently mortgage rates have risen dramatically, many people can no longer afford to buy a home and have no choice…
January 17, 2024
Congress, Don’t Legislate a Takeover of the Nation’s Rental Housing Market
It is an election year and Congress will soon consider two bipartisan bills to address high rental costs for many renters. The first is the Workforce Housing Tax Credit (WFHTC) and the second would be an expansion of the existing Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC). The WFHTC would extend eligibility for subsidized units tenants earning below the area median….
January 4, 2024
To Fix Their Housing Shortage in 2024, Cities and States Should Turn To Market
States and cities considering housing supply reforms in the new year to combat worsening affordability should unleash the free market rather than rely on the Department for Housing and Urban Development (HUD) regulatory solutions. HUD’s recommendations tilt towards heavy-handed government interventions that lack thorough analysis and proven results. A particularly egregious example is HUD’s latest assessment of…
December 11, 2023
New York City Officials Blame Everyone but Themselves for Housing Unaffordability
By implementing onerous requirements on Airbnb hosts, New York City is attempting to scapegoat short-term rental (STR) sites for the city’s own failings. Rather than accounting for city policies that continue to drive its housing and hotel room shortage, officials have decided to target the city’s 40,000 active listings, operated by—mostly smalltime—Airbnb hosts. In the…
September 25, 2023
A Bad Bipartisan Housing Bill: Connecting the Dots on the Helper Act
As rising home prices continue to undermine the American Dream of homeownership for hard-working Americans, Congress is considering a bipartisan bill modeled after the successful VA home loan program, to help first responders and teachers buy a home. However, as long as there is a housing shortage, first-time homebuyer assistance programs, such as the Homes…