Although Texas builds more homes than any other state, it’s not building enough to keep up with its massive population and economic growth, leading to historically high housing costs, according to housing advocates, builders and real estate experts. By some estimates, the state is short hundreds of thousands of homes.A sweeping agenda to slow Texas’ substantial rise in housing costs by reining in local regulations that opponents say get in the way of building new homes has died quietly in the Texas Legislature.

As rents skyrocketed in the aftermath of the pandemic and have continued squeezing Nevadans in the last year, local officials on numerous occasions stressed state law restricted them from taking action to address the housing crisis. Now given a chance to weigh in on legislation that would clarify their authority, local governments have been mostly silent on the matter.

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Image credits - iStockPhoto

"Florida Senate Bill 102 is among the most impactful legislation to stimulate the new construction of affordable housing that’s taken effect in Florida. The bill increases funding availability and provides important incentives to make affordable housing more feasible. However, Senate Bill 102 alone is not a silver bullet. Without increased engagement from local governments and increased local and federal affordable housing subsidies, communities will continue to experience an affordable housing supply that is far below the increasing need." – Jake Morrow, Principal, Interurban.

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Integra Investments and Centennial Bank executives discuss this major legislation, as well as their efforts to ease Miami's housing crisis.

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Image: Program logo from the Florida Housing Finance Corp. website

Many in New York hoped that the final version of the state’s $229 billion budget would include provisions to prevent cities and towns from limiting themselves exclusively to the construction of single-family homes. However, the Governor's Housing Compact plan was abandoned when it proved too controversial to keep budget negotiations with the Legislature moving along. Read about what this missed opportunity could cost the state.

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Photo by Tom Rumble on Unsplash

Arizona is short more than 200,000 homes to match demand and lawmakers proposed to fix that by changing local zoning regulations to make building easier, a strategy that has drawn heated opposition from cities across the state.

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Image credits - Unsplash

Developers are analyzing how to take advantage of Florida’s new legislation, which will set aside over $700 million in funding, create tax breaks, and provide zoning-related incentives for affordable and workforce housing developments. 

The law could contribute to a new boom in housing development, from entirely affordable buildings to mixed-income towers on commercial sites that developers are now looking to purchase, experts say. The Live Local Act, which Gov. Ron DeSantis signed last week, aims to help fill financing gaps, making more developments economically feasible. What is still crucial, attorneys and developers said, is combining that with incentives on the local level. he new legislation sets aside $259 million in SAIL (State Apartment Incentive Loan) funds. It also promises $252 million in SHIP (State Housing Initiatives Program) funding to incentivize local governments to partner with developers preserving or building new housing. The law goes into effect July 1. Developers are expected to apply for incentives this summer, and receive funds next year. If developers don’t have to pay property taxes (beginning in 2024), they can count on a project generating more net operating income, which means they can borrow more debt. Ultimately, that means they could develop more units, experts said. The huge increase in construction costs — including the price of land, debt, labor and materials — and insurance have contributed to the lack of affordable housing.

The Live Local Act aims to remedy some of that. It will put $100 million in non-recurring funds into a competitive loan program that developers could tap to cover inflation-related cost increases for Florida Housing and Finance Corporation-approved multifamily developments that haven’t broken ground yet.

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Image: Brian Sidman, Keith Poliakoff, J.C. De Ona and Jake Morrow (Source: Getty)

In the first quarter of 2024, home prices increased in 93% of U.S. metro areas, with significant growth observed in 30% of these markets. The national median price for single-family homes rose to $389,400, marking a 5% year-over-year increase. The South led in sales volume, while the Northeast saw the highest price appreciation. Despite high mortgage rates, market conditions improved slightly for buyers due to a marginal decline in required mortgage payments compared to the previous quarter.

After Kathy Hochul's failed New York Housing Compact plan last year, New York State is trying again to tackle its severe housing crisis. According to anonymous sources close to the deal, New York state leaders have reportedly reached a tentative agreement on a legislative plan to tackle the crisis and will be presented to the full Senate and Assembly on Monday. The framework of the deal offers incentives for both developers and tenants. Developers would receive significant tax breaks to develop more affordable units, while tenants would benefit from enhanced protections against eviction in certain cases. Additionally, the agreement would allow landlords of rent-stabilized apartments to raise rents for renovation costs and eliminate size restrictions on new Manhattan apartment buildings, fulfilling long-standing desires of city officials.

The housing market for buyers in California is becoming increasingly challenging. Prices are soaring while the inventory remains limited. Statistics reveal a stark reality: home prices have surged 9.7% over the past year, with the median home price now at $813,980. Meanwhile, inventory levels have plummeted by 48.3%, exacerbating the affordability crisis. Despite historically low mortgage rates, competition remains fierce, leading to bidding wars and further price escalation. Experts suggest that while the market may stabilize in the long term, immediate relief for buyers appears unlikely.

Currently, the average rate for a 30-year mortgage stands at around 6.9%, a significant decrease from late October when it peaked at nearly 8%. Despite expectations of rates declining later in the year, some buyers are opting to act now due to fears of increased competition. The combination of high mortgage rates and soaring home prices has made affordability a major concern, with many households earning less than what's needed to afford a median-priced home. While economists anticipate mortgage rates easing, uncertainty remains.

There are ongoing bipartisan efforts at various levels of government to address housing supply and pricing challenges in the United States. The importance of local action in addressing these issues, particularly through measures such as accessory dwelling units (ADUs), changes in zoning rules, and reduction of lot sizes, is increasingly becoming evident. Despite political differences, lawmakers in some states are collaborating on bipartisan housing legislation. However, challenges such as NIMBYism hinder progress at the local level, prompting calls for state-level intervention to overcome resistance to housing reforms. 

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass took office in 2022 and since then, has been making a big push to address homelessness, particularly in Venice Beach. Mayor Bass initiated the Inside Safe program to provide motel rooms for homeless residents, resulting in cleaner sidewalks and parks in Venice Beach. However, challenges persist, including budgetary constraints and the need for permanent housing solutions. Critics accuse Bass of prioritizing aesthetics over long-term solutions, while supporters applaud her urgency in tackling the crisis. Despite progress, concerns remain about the sustainability and effectiveness of current efforts, highlighting the complex nature of addressing homelessness in Los Angeles.

The National Low Income Housing Coalition report shows Texas only has 29 available and affordable rental homes per 100 extremely low-income renters. The report ranks Houston, Dallas, and Austin in the top ten worst major metro cities for affordable housing.

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Source - iStockphotos

With climate change making severe weather events more common and the area’s housing crisis increasing the number of people who need support, the operation of the shelters is taking an increasing toll on county and city officials and budgets, as well as the community volunteers whose labor the region relies on to run the shelters.

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Image credits - Mika Baumeister/Unsplash

On January 10, 2023, Governor Kathy Hochul announced a statewide strategy to address New York’s housing crisis. This new plan, named The New York Housing Compact, aims to build 800,000 new homes over the next decade to meet the state’s historic housing shortage.‍

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Hochul’s Compact would have boosted housing production in New York City’s suburbs, by overriding local planning boards that limit most land to single-family detached homes. However, it didn't make it past the State Budget after heated negotiations at the State Legislature.

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What is next for New York's affordable housing future?

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Imade credits - Mike Groll/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul

In recent years, Florida has become one of the least affordable places to live in the nation, making affordable housing one of the top issues impacting Floridians. While the state’s reputation as a place for leisurely coastal living has made it a popular retirement destination for seniors, Florida has also seen an influx of young, high-earning professionals from states like New York, where the median home price is nearly double that of Florida’s. While individuals from states like New York or California — two states with some of the highest average incomes in the country — may find Florida to be more affordable, everyday Floridians are paid lower wages on average and renters in Florida have historically been more cost-burdened than any other state in the nation. In the span of just two years, median rent prices increased by over 30 percent across the state, from about $1,340 in February 2020 to roughly $1,760 in February 2022. To afford a modest one-bedroom rental home at fair market rent, a person earning $10 per hour (the state’s minimum wage for most of 2022) would need to work 86 hours per week.

Although Texas builds more homes than any other state, it’s not building enough to keep up with its massive population and economic growth, leading to historically high housing costs, according to housing advocates, builders and real estate experts. By some estimates, the state is short hundreds of thousands of homes.A sweeping agenda to slow Texas’ substantial rise in housing costs by reining in local regulations that opponents say get in the way of building new homes has died quietly in the Texas Legislature.

As rents skyrocketed in the aftermath of the pandemic and have continued squeezing Nevadans in the last year, local officials on numerous occasions stressed state law restricted them from taking action to address the housing crisis. Now given a chance to weigh in on legislation that would clarify their authority, local governments have been mostly silent on the matter.

​

Image credits - iStockPhoto

"Florida Senate Bill 102 is among the most impactful legislation to stimulate the new construction of affordable housing that’s taken effect in Florida. The bill increases funding availability and provides important incentives to make affordable housing more feasible. However, Senate Bill 102 alone is not a silver bullet. Without increased engagement from local governments and increased local and federal affordable housing subsidies, communities will continue to experience an affordable housing supply that is far below the increasing need." – Jake Morrow, Principal, Interurban.

​

Integra Investments and Centennial Bank executives discuss this major legislation, as well as their efforts to ease Miami's housing crisis.

​

Image: Program logo from the Florida Housing Finance Corp. website

Many in New York hoped that the final version of the state’s $229 billion budget would include provisions to prevent cities and towns from limiting themselves exclusively to the construction of single-family homes. However, the Governor's Housing Compact plan was abandoned when it proved too controversial to keep budget negotiations with the Legislature moving along. Read about what this missed opportunity could cost the state.

​

Photo by Tom Rumble on Unsplash

Arizona is short more than 200,000 homes to match demand and lawmakers proposed to fix that by changing local zoning regulations to make building easier, a strategy that has drawn heated opposition from cities across the state.

​

Image credits - Unsplash

Developers are analyzing how to take advantage of Florida’s new legislation, which will set aside over $700 million in funding, create tax breaks, and provide zoning-related incentives for affordable and workforce housing developments. 

The law could contribute to a new boom in housing development, from entirely affordable buildings to mixed-income towers on commercial sites that developers are now looking to purchase, experts say. The Live Local Act, which Gov. Ron DeSantis signed last week, aims to help fill financing gaps, making more developments economically feasible. What is still crucial, attorneys and developers said, is combining that with incentives on the local level. he new legislation sets aside $259 million in SAIL (State Apartment Incentive Loan) funds. It also promises $252 million in SHIP (State Housing Initiatives Program) funding to incentivize local governments to partner with developers preserving or building new housing. The law goes into effect July 1. Developers are expected to apply for incentives this summer, and receive funds next year. If developers don’t have to pay property taxes (beginning in 2024), they can count on a project generating more net operating income, which means they can borrow more debt. Ultimately, that means they could develop more units, experts said. The huge increase in construction costs — including the price of land, debt, labor and materials — and insurance have contributed to the lack of affordable housing.

The Live Local Act aims to remedy some of that. It will put $100 million in non-recurring funds into a competitive loan program that developers could tap to cover inflation-related cost increases for Florida Housing and Finance Corporation-approved multifamily developments that haven’t broken ground yet.

​

Image: Brian Sidman, Keith Poliakoff, J.C. De Ona and Jake Morrow (Source: Getty)