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The Marshall Plan We Need to Tackle Our Housing Crisis

Cities across the country are committed to making it easier to build housing and are taking a variety of promising approaches, note the leaders of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. But they must be bolstered by federal investment and flexibility.

Housing under construction in Long Beach
Housing under construction in Long Beach, Calif. (David Kidd/Governing)
The recent election cycle revealed widespread concern among millions of Americans about their ability to make ends meet, and the voters sent a clear message that addressing the cost of living needs to be the top priority for our policymakers in Washington, D.C. That starts with tackling housing costs.

As mayors of three very different cities — Columbus, Ohio; Columbia, S.C.; and San Diego, Calif. — we all agree that our housing shortage demands immediate attention and action.

The current housing landscape is stark. Millions of our residents face rising rents, dwindling affordability and a shortage of affordable homes. According to Zillow, America’s housing shortage grew to 4.5 million homes in 2022, up from 4.3 million the previous year, and the inventory of homes for sale remains near record lows, according to a Harvard study.

These factors are driving up costs, displacing families and increasing homelessness. From the bustling streets of Columbus to the vibrant neighborhoods of Columbia and the sunny shores of San Diego, we all face the same pressing reality: Families are struggling to find stable, affordable housing. And the crisis not only impacts individuals and families, but also limits the economic growth of our communities.

As Democratic and Republican mayors, we are united in our belief that it’s time to come together as Americans to tackle this crisis. We need a bold, comprehensive approach akin to a Marshall Plan for housing. Just as the original Marshall Plan revitalized war-torn Europe, a dedicated effort to address our housing crisis can rebuild communities, create opportunity across the nation and go a long way toward restoring the American Dream.

At the local level, we recognize our responsibilities. We are committed to making it easier to build housing in our cities. This means upzoning areas to allow for higher-density developments, removing red tape that delays projects, and revising burdensome regulations that stifle innovation and investment. Columbus updated its 70-year-old zoning code to add 88,000 units over the next 10 years, while Columbia conducted an audit to identify the 2,100 vacant lots in the city and is now connecting the owners, many of which are churches, to community partners to discuss development to meet neighborhoods’ “missing middle” housing needs. And San Diego has accelerated permitting reviews to enable affordable and transit-oriented projects to be approved in less than 30 days.

But we cannot do this alone. While local initiatives are crucial, they must be bolstered by federal investment. When cities are granted funding and flexibility, we can mobilize quickly to assist those in need. We have demonstrated time and again that with the right federal partnership, we can achieve great things. Now we need that same sustained commitment to address the housing crisis.

Federal resources must be directed toward programs such as Community Development Block Grants and HOME Investment Partnerships that help cities spur affordable and accessible housing development. We must also remove unnecessary, burdensome regulations that limit local governments’ ability to promote more housing development.

The federal government should also expand innovative financing programs such as those that provide tax incentives for developers who build affordable homes, and Washington should enhance its support for community land trusts and cooperative housing models that foster community ownership. These could include expanding the successful Low-Income Housing Tax Credit; creating a downtown commercial-to-residential conversion tax credit; expanding Opportunity Zones for affordable and workforce housing investments; and incorporating a new middle-income housing tax credit to spur workforce housing investments throughout our urban and rural communities.

We also need to build on other initiatives that we know work. That is why we need to make permanent the Emergency Rental Assistance Program, which measurably prevented homelessness during the COVID-19 era. Our specialized populations, including seniors, veterans and foster youth, should be provided sufficient rental assistance so they can stay in their homes, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development should incentivize new, innovative strategies to build housing faster and at lower costs by working with local governments and the housing industry.

America’s mayors stand at the ready to work with the Donald Trump administration and the 119th Congress to finally tackle this country’s housing crisis. Let’s ensure all Americans can thrive in a safe, affordable home.

Columbus, Ohio, Mayor Andrew J. Ginther is president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria is second vice president and Columbia, S.C., Mayor Daniel Rickenmann is an advisory board member.



Governing’s opinion columns reflect the views of their authors and not necessarily those of Governing’s editors or management.
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