State And Local Housing Action Plan

The National Housing Crisis Task Force’s Action Plan profiles 15 innovative tools from around the country that have the greatest potential to transform state and local housing ecosystems, increasing housing production and preservation at lower cost and greater speed.

Land

Capital

Construction

Regulation
& Policy

Governance

Summary

The National Housing Crisis Task Force originated from a belief in The New Localism — that local governments and local actors were facing the housing crisis head-on in a vacuum of national policy change. Faced with rising homelessness, skyrocketing housing costs, and a lack of new housing development, cities, states, and public and private actors began looking for solutions that they had the power to implement. Hundreds of communities have passed local housing trust funds. Tens of states have passed housing bonds to construct and preserve affordable housing. Developers are seeking out new sources of funding, from concessionary capital to federal dollars that heretofore have not been used for housing development. Public housing authorities and redevelopment authorities are flexing “public developer” muscles not used in 40 years, developing new projects through revolving construction funds and mezzanine debt. Cities and states are setting production targets, relaxing regulatory requirements, upzoning around transit corridors, and increasing the pace for permit approval.