NLIHC and Pew Charitable Trusts released today a new research brief, Homeowners, Renters, and Households of All Incomes Back Housing Reforms. Based on a national survey, the brief highlights the majority support among households with low, moderate, and high incomes and among homeowners and renters for state and local policies that would enable more homes of various types to be built. The survey finds broad agreement that housing affordability is the most compelling reason to allow more homebuilding.
Renters who were surveyed expressed somewhat stronger support for policies that would allow more homes of various types in existing residential areas, such as allowing town houses and small multifamily buildings on residential lots, allowing homes to be built closer together with smaller yards, and allowing accessory dwelling units. Meanwhile, homeowners expressed slightly stronger support for policies that would allow more homes to be created along commercial corridors, such as allowing apartment homes near transit and job centers and allowing conversion of commercial buildings to housing.
Zoning and land use reforms are imperative for increasing the housing supply, but on their own, they are not sufficient to address the housing needs of families and individuals with the lowest incomes. The severe shortage of affordable homes for the lowest-income renters is the result of the failure of the market to serve extremely low-income renters because what they can afford to pay in rent is often too little to cover property owners’ costs. Increases in subsidies are needed to provide adequate rental assistance to all eligible families and to increase the supply of affordable rental homes.
Read the brief: Homeowners, Renters, and Households of All Incomes Back Housing Reforms