NAHB Survey: Americans Want Policymakers to be Initiative-Taking on Creating Affordable Housing
ST AUGUSTINE, Fla. (March 30, 2022) – According to a recent survey by the National Association of Homebuilders, Americans overwhelmingly expressed their support of government initiatives to facilitate the production of more housing, with 82% agreeing in a recent survey that policymakers should factor in housing affordability when considering new legislation and regulations.
When asked about potential solutions to address affordability woes, 66% of survey respondents said government should provide incentives to private builders and developers to create more housing that is affordable to low- and moderate-income households.
“This survey focuses on the problem in local communities. It is not just a federal solution. It is state, county and city governments, housing officials and builders and developers working to create affordable housing,” said St. Johns Housing Partnership Executive Director Bill Lazar.
Respondents also showed support for policies to improve housing affordability:
- 61% support incentivizing homeowners to update their older homes to make them more resilient to flooding and high winds.
- 59% support incentivizing local governments to ease zoning regulations that prevent the construction of more affordable housing.
- 54% said easing regulations that create roadblocks to the construction of accessory dwelling units, such as in-law suites and tiny homes, would be helpful.
“In addition to citing an urgent need for increased housing affordability across the country, respondents were in favor of building lower-cost and higher-density homes in their own communities,” noted Lazar.
Another housing type that received a sizable percentage of respondents approving being built within a mile walk of their house was manufactured housing, or mobile homes.
The St. Johns Housing Partnership is collaborating with builders, developers, housing and health agencies and other stakeholders to bring focus on the crisis to policy and lawmakers.
For more information contact Bill Lazar at (904) 824-0902 or [email protected].
