National Association of Realtors® President John Smaby issued the following statement on Friday following Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson’s announcement that HUD will seek to encourage reforms to local zoning and land use regulations as a way to address affordable housing shortages.
“America’s 1.3 million Realtors® strongly support efforts to increase the supply of affordable housing as we look to fill housing needs for both renters and prospective buyers across the country.
“NAR commends Secretary Carson’s commitment to spurring additional affordable housing construction through the FHA multi-family loan program and its Low Income Housing Tax Credits, as well as his call to reduce regulatory burdens in local communities.
“While some communities have exacerbated this problem through zoning and land use regulations that increase housing costs, NAR encourages states and municipalities to adopt zoning laws, building codes and other policies that facilitate market production of affordable housing units. Realtors® look forward to continuing our work with HUD to address housing affordability issues plaguing much of our nation.”