Land use, permitting, and building code reform have made tremendous strides in the last decade. Many successes have emerged from a groundswell of local activism, combined with a sustained chorus of experts and advocacy organizations proposing specific solutions. However, many of the solutions thus far have been ad hoc and reactive — solving individual bottlenecks, obstacles, or barriers — rather than holistic or structural in nature.

This tool outlines the policy action for land use, permitting, and building code reform, while providing an overview of federal, state, and local efforts.

The Challenge This Tool Solves

Land use regimes, permitting processes, and building codes have grown increasingly restrictive, preventing housing supply from effectively responding to increases in housing demand. That means that, today, it is harder to build a wide variety of home types in a wide variety of places. This results in fewer homes, fewer choices, less affordability, and less availability of housing across communities nationwide.

Types of Communities That Could Use This Tool

Nearly every community in the U.S. limits the type of housing that can be built in their community through planning and zoning laws and processes. These local regulations constrain housing options through use restrictions, density limitations, setback requirements, minimum lot sizes, and even explicit prohibitions on housing types such as duplexes, triplexes, townhomes, and small apartment buildings, forms that often exist in neighborhoods developed before zoning became widespread. Further, many local governments operate their own permitting offices. Building codes are often codified in state law and/or regulation and implemented through a partnership between state and local governments. Since land use, permitting, and building codes are purely the province of state and local government, reform-minded policymakers at these levels of government have significant opportunity to increase housing production by adjusting regulatory frameworks.

Expected Impacts of This Tool

Land use, permitting, and building code reform can substantially reduce new development costs. On upzoned parcels that previously only supported the development of expansive single-family homes, homebuilders could instead develop small apartment buildings affordable to teachers, firefighters, and service workers. By expanding home choices in a given community, reducing the time it takes to get a building permit, and requiring common-sense building safety codes, cities can reduce regulatory barriers and allow for more housing.