(09-18-2024, 07:38 AM)Sneakers Wrote:

(09-17-2024, 10:54 PM)mikesez Wrote: But what if there was something a President could do to incentivize or even require these states to unlock their zoning?

Zoning is far too localized an issue to ever have Presidential oversight, and any Federal involvement would become just another bureaucratic boondoggle.  Municipalities enact their own zoning regulations and it's a continuously evolving process, with overlying restraints that vary with individual States.  There are numerous factors to consider when before making zoning changes that allow significant increases in development, especially residential.  A municipality's ability to support the accompanying demand for water, sewer, schools, etc. is a huge concern and those services take years to upgrade.

Zoning doesn't make development happen, it simply allows or prevents it.  When growth is permitted, infrastructure is still the critical component.  The most effective incentive government can offer is to provide and/or assist in developing the prerequisite supporting services.

Zoning is totally not the issue it is a red herring. There are a few factors causing this. First, the high inflation caused by the current administrations policies drove up the price of building new homes. In fact a new regulation they have is estimated to increase it an average another 20-30k per house. Next, in response to inflation the Fed responded by the Federal Funds Rate to 5.5% from .5%. This drove up the cost of money for the builders and buyers. Buyers were used to a 3% mortgage rate, it rose to around 8% at it's highest. Last real wage increases did not keep up with inflation under this administration. All of this made new homes unaffordable so less were built. Existing home sales fell as the people with 3% mortgage didn't want to dive into an 8% mortgage.  The Fed is actually meeting today to perhaps begin lowering rates.

Here read this,
https://www.forbes.com/advisor/investing...e-history/

PS. once the Fed takes the brakes off the "manufactured" housing shortage will be resolved by Free Market forces.

---