The United States housing supply is short nearly four million of what communities and residents need, even in areas that have previously experienced relatively stable markets. The impact of this is felt through low rates of housing vacancies or availability, rising rents, and high home purchase prices, and more. The shortfall is even greater for workforce housing, moderately and affordably priced housing, and for rental housing units.
Across the country, community leaders, community planners and residents alike know from their own experiences the housing challenges facing the nation. Numerous communities continue to experiment with new approaches and reforms — from zoning reform to expanding missing middle housing options — to find solutions to ease the nation’s housing burdens. The local needs vary widely by community, but the story is the same: The United States needs more housing.
That’s why the National League of Cities (NLC) and the American Planning Association (APA) have partnered to launch the Housing Supply Accelerator, a national campaign to improve local capacity, identify critical solutions, and speed reforms that enable communities and developers to work together to produce, preserve and provide a diverse range of quality housing. This effort will bring together local governments, community planners, builders, financial institutions, housing policy associations and state and federal partners to develop, align and advance solutions that accelerate and incentivize local approaches to land use, housing development and preservation. By realigning the efforts of public and private stakeholders in the housing sector, we can meet national housing needs at the local level.
“Solving today’s housing crisis is going to require partnering across sectors to find solutions together. On behalf of NLC, I am thrilled to partner with the American Planning Association and leaders in the public and private sectors over the next year so that we can work toward a future where every resident in every city, town and village has a safe and affordable place to call home.”– NLC President Victoria Woodards, Mayor of Tacoma, WA
Introducing the Steering Committee
To guide and inform this important campaign and expand knowledge about efforts already undertaken, opportunities, and obstacles, NLC President Mayor Victoria Woodards (Tacoma, WA) and APA President Angela D. Brooks, FAICP, have engaged a steering committee of local leaders and planners, each with unique perspectives and experience in housing policy, planning or development.
These representatives are actively working within their respective communities to identify and apply solutions on the front lines of the national housing crisis. The steering committee will be guiding efforts on three areas of focus over the course of the campaign: zoning and regulatory reform; construction and development; and finance.
Members of the Housing Supply Accelerator steering committee will first convene in March 2023 to begin charting the path for this national effort.
National League of Cities Representatives
Housing Supply Accelerator Campaign Co-Chair: Mayor Victoria Woodards, City of Tacoma, WA
Steering Committee Co-Chair: Mayor Corey Woods, City of Tempe, AZ
Steering Committee Members
- Mayor Angela Birney, City of Redmond, WA
- Vice Mayor Jolien Caraballo, City of Port St. Lucie, FL
- Carolyn Coleman, Executive Director, League of California Cities
- Theresa Kuhns, CEO, Maryland Municipal League
- Mayor Bianca Motley Broom, City of College Park, GA
- Council President Vop Osili, City of Indianapolis, IN
- Mayor Aftab Pureval, City of Cincinnati, OH
- Councilmember Adriana Rocha Garcia, City of San Antonio, TX
- Mayor Mark Shepherd, City of Clearfield, UT
American Planning Association Representatives
Housing Supply Accelerator Campaign Co-Chair: Angela Brooks, FAICP, Director, Corporation for Supportive Housing
Steering Committee Co-Chair: Angela Brooks, FAICP, Director, Corporation for Supportive Housing
Steering Committee Members
- Vincent Bertoni, AICP Planning Director, City of Los Angeles, CA
- Andrea Brown, AICP Executive Director, Michigan Association of Planning
- Kimberly Driggins Executive Director, Washington Housing Conservancy, Washington, D.C.
- Taiwo Jaiyeoba City Manager, City of Greensboro, NC
- Emily Liu, FAICP Director, Louisville Metro Office of Planning and Design Services, Louisville, KY
- Sarah Marchant, AICP Chief of Staff, New Hampshire Community Loan Fund
- Jennifer Raitt Executive Director, Northern Middlesex Council of Governments, Lowell, MA
- Angela Self, AICP Planning Administrator, City of Garland, TX
- Arlova Vonhm, AICP Zoning Division Chief, City of Arlington, VA
- John Zeanah, AICP Director, Division of Planning & Development, City of Memphis & Shelby County, TN
“Boosting the supply, availability, and diversity of housing options is essential to expanding opportunity and affordability for all. As communities across the country are confronting an expanding housing crisis, the need for reform has never been greater. This crisis threatens our economy, limits access to opportunity, reinforces long-standing inequities, and undermines efforts to create more sustainable places. The launch of the Housing Supply Accelerator shows the commitment of community planners and local officials to work together to find solutions and build momentum for a common agenda. Together, we can speed the adoption of policies that will reform zoning and increase housing choice in communities across the nation.”– Angela D. Brooks, FAICP, APA president
Up Next for the Campaign
In the coming weeks, key housing supply stakeholders, housing association partners and housing policy partners will be directly invited to participate in the Housing Supply Accelerator. Local government leaders and planners will also have an opportunity to provide critical insight to this campaign through engagement with National League of Cities and the American Planning Association. Together cities, planners and our partners stand ready to meet the urgency of this moment.
Receive Updates About the Campaign: Sign-up for updates and learn more about this effort to realign stakeholders and advance solutions that accelerate and incentivize local approaches to land use, housing development and preservation by completing the interest form.
Get Involved
This campaign would not be possible without the generous support of our strategic partners, including Airbnb and Zillow. A limited number of sponsorship opportunities are available to organizations looking to drive meaningful impact to address local housing supply needs. Learn more about the packages and benefits available to partners by downloading the prospectus or contacting sponsorships@nlc.org.
About the Authors
Written in collaboration with Jason Jordan, the Public Affairs Director at the American Planning Association.
About the Authors
National League of Cities Announces New President & 2025 Leadership
AI Report and Toolkit
Immigration Resource Dashboard: Supporting Cities
Ending Homelessness: A Guide for Local Governments
Supreme Court 2024-25 Term Preview: Important Cases for Local Governments
- McKaia Dykema
- Stephanie Martinez-Ruckman
