Welcoming Neighbors Network
@welcomingneighbors.us
A network of local organizations working to fix the US housing shortage. Our members win pro-housing policy change. We can help you do the same. welcomingneighbors.us.
"The less time people have to spend dealing with unnecessary regulations, the more time they can spend starting a small business or building affordable places to live." Yes, indeed. 👍️
NC lawmakers send sweeping regulatory reform bill to Stein's desk
The bill eases housing restrictions, creates portable benefits for contractors, and changes property, business, and agency rules.
carolinajournal.com
Columbus legalized ADUs, but a sewer code could add tens of thousands of dollars to building costs. This interview digs into what's working, what's not, and what comes next. 🎧
How can Accessory Dwelling Units help address housing needs in Columbus?
In Columbus, a possible solution to the housing crisis could be as close as your backyard.
wosu.org
What happens when a city makes it easier to build homes of all shapes and sizes? 🔍 Indianapolis owes its renters — two-thirds of whom can't find a home they can afford — the chance to find out.
Indianapolis faces a housing shortage. Why is it so hard to build more? - Indianapolis Recorder
There is an estimated housing shortage of between 4 and 7 million homes across the country, according to the Pew Research Center. That...
indianapolisrecorder.com
A tour in Denver makes the case for missing middle housing: more flexibility, more home choices, same neighborhoods you love.
Changes to city zoning code could ‘unlock’ affordable middle housing
The idea is to mix mid-size multifamily homes amid single family ones and giant apartment complexes.
denverite.com
Dallas is rewriting its zoning code for the first time since the 1980s. WNN member Dallas Housing Coalition is making sure residents shape what comes next. 📐
Dallas housing advocates launch campaign ahead of major zoning code rewrite
Dallas residents are being encouraged to get involved in a once-in-a-generation zoning overhaul that could change where and how housing is built.
nbcdfw.com
NH said yes to homes near jobs. Some municipalities are saying "yes, but." Advocates say drop the "but." People need homes they can afford in places they want to work and play. ✅
Municipalities, housing advocates grapple with new ‘mixed-use’ housing law • New Hampshire Bulletin
Last year, New Hampshire lawmakers passed a mandate: Starting July 1, 2026, cities and towns were to begin allowing multi-family residential housing developments in commercial zones. And Kingston,…
newhampshirebulletin.com
Ending Houston's costly parking mandates could mean more shops & homes, less flooding, and more federal dollars. What's not to like? 👍️
Keep Houston growing and affordable. Cut parking minimums. | Editorial
How can Houston keep growing and stay affordable? Cut parking minimums, writes the Houston Chronicle editorial board.
houstonchronicle.com
Young voters have a clear message for lawmakers: housing costs are their top issue. Lawmakers have a clear opportunity: make it easier to build homes more people can afford. 🗳️ 🔑
Priced out and moving on: How housing costs could shift young voters
Young Americans’ frustration with skyrocketing housing costs might become an electoral issue influencing the upcoming midterms.
newsweek.com
Fayetteville, AR, has a mismatch problem: the homes being built don't fit the household size or budgets that people actually need. Local advocates explain that streamlined approvals and predictable permitting can fix that. ✅️ 🧰
Fayetteville seeing housing growth, but challenges remain, report says | Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
FAYETTEVILLE -- Fayetteville's housing continues to see growth, while also facing diversity and affordability challenges, a recent housing assessment found.
nwaonline.com
Check out a great explainer from WNN member @betterdcregion.bsky.social on the housing type that used to be everywhere, and why it's hard to find nowadays. 🗣️
Coalition for Smarter Growth@betterdcregion.bsky.social · last wk.Not a single-family home, not an apartment tower, but something in between. Let’s talk about Missing Middle Housing! What is it and why is it missing? Watch the video and stick around to learn more!
YIGBY just went live in Kentucky. Real policy change that will improve real lives 🙌
Kentucky law eases zoning rules for faith-based affordable housing
Kentucky’s new law lets qualifying religious groups bypass some zoning review to build small affordable housing projects, including in Marion County.
spectrumnews1.com
Boise's new zoning code aims to make it easier to walk a kid to school, age in place, and grab groceries from the store around the corner. Year one numbers suggest it's working. 🌱
Boise bets the block
Boise's updated zoning code drives walkability and approves over 1,800 housing units, reshaping neighborhoods with mixed-use development and accessory dwelling units.
idahobusinessreview.com
🎉 Big win in Michigan! 🎉 Single-stair buildings up to 4 stories are now law! Lower building costs, more home choices that Michiganders can afford. HUGE congrats to @abundanthousingmi.bsky.social for their hard work to help make this happen. 🙌
Whitmer signs state budget, education funding and housing bills into law • Michigan Advance
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed her eighth and final education budget into law Tuesday at an event in Southfield, celebrating wins in continuing to fund free school meals, free pre-K, free community coll...
michiganadvance.com
St. Pete passed YIGBY, and now it's helping faith communities put it to work. Expert guidance, site feasibility, funding navigation. Love to see the follow-through. 🧭 ⚒️
St. Pete Launches “Yes in God’s Backyard” Program with Florida Housing Coalition and Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg
Florida Housing Coalition will serve as technical assistance consultant to local congregations; first information session to be held at Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg on July 28 July 13,…
theweeklychallenger.com
"I just want to live simple and enjoy [life]." Utah's new ADU law is making that possible for more families. ♥️
Utah family builds backyard home to stay together as housing costs climb
One family in Clinton found a solution to a problem many Utah families are facing: helping the next generation find a home without losing each other in the process.
ksl.com
Indianapolis is considering a proposal to let businesses decide how much parking they need. Simple, sensible, and long overdue. More room for homes and businesses that people actually need. 👏
Councilor Wants to Eliminate Parking Mandates Throughout Marion County
Indianapolis City-County Councilor Jesse Brown says he's looking to remove parking requirements throughout Marion County.
wibc.com
In a major step toward addressing Massachusetts' housing shortage, the Senate will vote on a bill with provisions to allow duplexes by right and YIGBY statewide. This would unlock more home choices for Bay Staters. 🔑 Watching this one closely!
In the face of a state housing shortage, could single-family zoning be on the chopping block?
The Senate's economic development bill, which lawmakers have teed up for a vote next week, includes a provision that would require municipalities to allow duplexes as-of-right on all residentially…
commonwealthbeacon.org
One simple change to a 50-year-old law could mean new designs, lower costs, and a whole new market for homes more families can afford. 🏗️
New housing law could reinvent the mobile home
Manufactured houses, or mobile homes, no longer must have a permanent chassis.
axios.com
NC recent parking reform win sets a new bar: ✅ No minimums for homes or businesses ✅ Applies in most areas, not just near transit ✅ United conservationists and builders behind one bill This is what leading on housing looks like 🌱
Off-street parking no longer required in most of North Carolina
Off-street parking no longer required in most of North Carolina. New rule applies to single-family driveways, as well as parking lots.
homes.com
The housing win is monumental. So is what this represents: proof that broad coalitions and common-sense policies can still solve our country's hard problems. 🙌 🗳️
Congress did its job on housing. Now, let’s get to work.
Congress recently enacted a bipartisan law designed to remove regulatory barriers and address the housing affordability crisis.
washingtonpost.com
For families with loved ones with disabilities, an ADU can mean independence, stability, and peace of mind. A compelling case for why NJ needs statewide ADU legislation. ♥️
Op-Ed: Making the economic case for accessory dwelling units for persons with IDD
Explore how dwelling units can solve New Jersey's housing challenges for individuals with disabilities and their families.
binje.com
Add this one to the top of your queue. 🎧 WNN member Gem State Housing Alliance breaks down their new statewide zoning code analysis: 28 communities, 6 regions, and a clear picture of what's holding back more homes in Idaho. 🔑 🏘️
How zoning codes affect affordable housing in Idaho
A new report looks at how zoning codes in different regions of the state are impacting how much we pay for housing.
boisestatepublicradio.org
Massachusetts may have a "piecemeal" approach to housing, but the pieces really add up: ✅ YIGBY ✅ Site plan review 🔜 Starter homes ballot question Advocates now head to the Senate to add parking reform to the list. Real progress!
Faced with crippling housing crisis, Beacon Hill nibbles at the edges
A rundown of recent actions, pending proposals, and actions at the Supreme Judicial Court influencing housing policy more aggressively than any single piece of legislation.
commonwealthbeacon.org
Getting into Stuyvesant HS is harder than getting into Harvard. Getting its students to care about zoning reform? Apparently easy. The future of the movement looks good. 🙌
The Teens of Stuyvesant High Who Want to Build, Baby, Build
Studying the ABCs of ADUs and lobbying in Albany between classes and Starbucks Refreshers.
curbed.com
Better built, better looking, more adaptable. Manufactured homes have come a long way. Outdated state and local rules haven't, but that's beginning to change. 📐 ✅
Home Costs Could Drop 30% With Innovative New Construction Methods, JPMorganChase Says
Those techniques could also cut down the time needed to build new homes by 30% to 50%. Think having a home two months sooner.
realtor.com
Signed, sealed, delivered 🎉 NC's parking reform is now law! Less pavement, more of everything that matters. 🏘️ 🌳
NC leaders back parking reform to cut housing costs, thwart pollution | Port City Daily
SOUTHEASTERN N.C. — Limits on local government power may result in cheaper housing and less pollution with new legislation regulating minimum parking space requirements and stormwater for…
portcitydaily.com
There's nothing "starter" about a $1 million home. 😤 Yet 242 cities have crossed that threshold, and millennials are paying the price. Build more homes.
The new problem for millennial parents in the Northeast: The million-dollar starter home | Fortune
The first rung on the property ladder now costs seven figures in a record 242 cities, a new Zillow report shows.
fortune.com
Employers can't hire if workers can't afford a home nearby. WNN member @newjerseyfuture.bsky.social connects the dots. 📈
Great Homes and Neighborhoods for All@ghna-nj.bsky.social · last mo.@newjerseyfuture.bsky.social's latest report: "Is NJ’s Housing Shortage Stifling our Economic Growth?" "...even if an employment opportunity might attract or retain workers, potential employees will pass on the job if they cannot find a home near where they would work." https://bit.ly/4gQHBDQ
No single fix solves the housing shortage. But letting homeowners rent spare rooms to non-family members? Easy, popular, and bipartisan. More states should be doing this. ✅
Older Adults Turn to ‘Golden Girls’ Housing
nytimes.com
