A tangle of regulations has made it impossible to build enough housing in America, a problem that has been worsening for decades. The result is a nationwide shortage of millions of homes, rising housing costs, and growing pressure on federal policymakers to address an affordability crisis that is largely driven by rules set at the local level.
Right to Build Zones (RBZs) is a new proposal designed to help municipalities unlock housing supply while preserving local control. RBZs respond to two persistent challenges that have undermined many recent attempts to reform zoning: (1) sweeping citywide changes are often stalled by a small but highly motivated opposition, and (2) successful reforms frequently get diluted by discretionary reviews, lengthy permitting processes, and regulatory poison pills.
RBZs chart a different path. Instead of requiring broad citywide reform, they allow municipalities to designate targeted areas for deep reform where housing can be built by-right. The model is simple. Municipalities opt in. Reforms are focused where local support is strongest. Federal rewards are tied to results: for each new home permitted in the RBZ, the municipality receives a dividend. RBZs do not prescribe a specific building form; they simply remove regulatory barriers that prevent housing from being built where it is wanted.
This paper outlines potential RBZ program designs, identifies where evidence supports clear program design choices, and identifies questions for further research and input. We are publishing this concept paper to invite feedback from the broader housing and policy community. What works? What should change? Help us build the strongest version of this idea.
Contact Tina Lee, Manager of Housing Policy at [email protected] with any thoughts.
