Studies Shows Council’s Efforts on Housing Reforms Are Making an Impact

Two recent studies from a highly respected national think tank highlight a message the Bay
Area Council has been making for years and reinforce the need for just the kinds of policy
reforms we continue to advance in the state Legislature to address our housing and
homelessness crises, including eight bills we’re sponsoring this year alone. The studies also put
the lie to anti-housing opponents who speciously argue that building housing of all types and for
all incomes, including market rate, doesn’t help overall affordability.

The findings from the reputable Pew Research Group don’t come as a big surprise to us, but
they offer solid evidence that easing rigid and restrictive local zoning and building regulations
can help lower home prices and rents. The studies also found that building market-rate housing
not only improves overall affordability in a market it also concluded that adding more housing of
any kind helps slow rent growth. One of the studies noted that removing parking requirements
can also have significant impact on increasing affordability, particularly for lower-income
housing. The Council advocacy last year helped remove parking requirements for most housing
developments.