RESEARCH

Texas ranks 49th in state and local government spending on housing/community development. Within this brief, you'll read about their issues with housing support, funding, and regulation. Some of their recommendations to make housing more affordable include boosting funding for public-private partnerships, simplifying regulations for developers, creating mixed-income neighborhoods to encourage diversity, and expanding the use of vouchers, subsidies, and tax credits. Sounds familiar? We're all in this together.

Not only does Hawaiʻi have the highest median home price compared to other states, but it also ranks highest in local regulatory restrictiveness, making it near impossible for real estate developers to build affordable housing without losing money. UHERO (University of Hawaiʻi Economic Research Organization) does a great job of explaining the impact of regulations on the cost of housing in Hawaiʻi and how it disproportionately affects low- and middle-income households.