Addressing housing affordability starts with adding to the nation’s severely limited inventory. The U.S. is facing an underbuilding gap of at least 5.5 million units, translating to a $4.4 trillion underinvestment in housing. NAR is advocating for solutions at all levels of government to make housing more affordable, available, and accessible.
See our latest federal legislative priorities at FlyIn.realtor.
.
Housing Affordability Resources
Housing Supply Accelerator Playbook
A roadmap for communities to effectively navigate their housing supply challenges, offering a menu of options that can be tailored by local stakeholders. Produced by the American Planning Association and the National League of Cities, the Playbook’s development was supported by NAR, the National Association of Home Builders, and the Mortgage Bankers Association. Read our blog post on this customizable resource and how local and state REALTOR® associations’ efforts helped inform it.
NAR’s Advocacy Mission
NAR is in an all-hands, all-front advocacy posture on the housing supply crisis that impacts every American. Access the latest data and read more about our comprehensive, all-of-government approach to win this fight.
NAR Grants and Programs
Your association can use REALTOR® Party resources to push for solutions to increase affordable housing, such as zoning reforms, missing middle housing plans, accessory dwelling units, reducing regulatory barriers to development, and leading conversations on housing supply in your community. Some of these programs include:
Housing Opportunity Grants
Smart Growth Grants
Issues Mobilization Program
Consumer Advocacy Outreach Grant
Advocacy Everywhere
Land Use Initiative
Need inspiration? Access the REALTOR® Party Success Stories library and search “housing affordability” to see how other associations are addressing these issues in their communities.
.
NAR Research
Housing Affordability Index
Measures whether a typical family earns enough income to qualify for a mortgage loan on a typical home at the national and regional levels based on the most recent monthly price and income data.
Housing Shortage Tracker
Compares how many single-family permits are issued for every new job by metropolitan area. In a balanced market, a single-family permit is issued for every two new jobs; thus, an area with a ratio higher than two has a housing shortage. In addition, we provide how many single-family permits are missing by area.
REALTORS® Affordability Distribution Curve & Score
Measures housing affordability at different income levels for all active inventory on the market. For each state and the 100 largest metropolitan areas, the curve shows how many houses are affordable to households ranked by income while the score represents affordability for all different income levels in a single measure.
Click here for more resources related to housing affordability from NAR Research.