Affordability Legislation and Policies to Watch for in 2025
Mike Kingsella, CEO, Up for Growth and Up for Growth Action
Mike Kingsella is the founder and chief executive officer of Up for Growth, an organization that aims to offer its members a new kind of agency in solving the housing shortage, and Up for Growth Action, the only U.S. organization singularly focused on leading federal legislation to eliminate barriers and increase resources for housing production. Mike holds a Bachelor of Science in Community Development and Real Estate Development from the Toulan School of Urban Studies and Planning at Portland State University in Portland, Oregon, and has worked in housing since 2003.
What do Up for Growth and Up for Growth Action do?
Up for Growth builds and supports a broad coalition of housing affordability stakeholders who act together, despite their differences, develop and supports policy solutions grounded in development economics, and work to reverse and remediate the destructive effects of past exclusionary practices in housing development. The organization also provides meaningful opportunities for cross-sector relationship building and collaborative decision-making to ensure all stakeholders are aligned on how they can build, preserve, finance, and maintain more homes.
Up for Growth Action has a track record of national pro-housing legislative success. In the 117th Congress, Up for Growth Action led the introduction of three signature bills resulting in the passage into law of H.R. 3680, the Promoting Affordable Housing Near Transit Act, and the passage of two bills in the House of Representatives: H.R. 2483, the Build More Housing Near Transit Act, and H.R. 2126, the Housing Supply Affordability Act.
What are some of the relevant issues for stakeholders when it comes to housing policy that drives impact for renters, communities, and investors?
Almost everyone agrees that we don’t have enough housing supply. Every state in the country is experiencing some degree of housing underproduction. Zoning, land-use, and building code reforms are critical to solving the problem. Today’s zoning laws restrict the construction of higher-density housing, reducing the potential housing stock and exacerbating affordability challenges.
The market’s ability to meet the growing demand for diverse housing options is far too constrained. Reforming zoning laws to allow for more mixed-use and higher-density developments will help unlock underutilized land, particularly in urban areas. We also need building code reform. Unnecessary regulations are driving up costs and causing lengthy delays in production. Inflexible, unnuanced building standards are making it financially prohibitive to build affordable housing, especially in lower-income or rural areas. If we succeed at modernizing zoning laws and building codes to focus on essential safety and efficiency without imposing excessive burdens, we’ll see a more predictable and favorable investment environment for multifamily investors and developers. Ultimately, rents will come down, and communities will grow more sustainably.
Tell us about some of the most notable projects your organizations have been working on recently.
Up for Growth’s flagship report, “Housing Underproduction in the U.S.,” returns this month. It will feature our latest estimates of housing underproduction nationally and in every regional housing market across the country. This year’s report will examine why some regions are doing better than others and offer actions that policymakers at all levels can take to address the root causes of the housing shortage. We are taking this year’s report on the road – our first stops will be in Denver, Colorado, and Seattle, Washington, with more planned in 2025.
Up for Growth Action is diligently working on three signature bills in Congress: the Yes In My Back Yard (YIMBY) Act, the Build More Housing Near Transit Act, and the Reducing Regulatory Barriers to Housing Act. Together, these bills increase visibility into which cities and localities are taking actionable steps to reduce exclusionary barriers, ensure land use and zoning alignment to allow for more housing along transit corridors, and increase funding to HUD to enable it to provide more data-driven technical assistance to states and localities interested in solving their housing challenges.
Up for Growth Action is also celebrating a big win: it led the advocacy for funding to create the Pathways to Removing Obstacles to Housing (PRO-Housing) Grant program and secured the initial appropriation of $85 million in the FY 2023 budget, with another $100 million appropriated this year.
These are amazing accomplishments in multifamily impact. What areas will you be focusing on in the coming year?
You’ve probably noticed that housing is on the ballot this November. Three in five people now cite housing costs as one of their top concerns, and over 75% of both Democrats and Republicans support a broad range of proposed measures aimed at improving housing affordability and accessibility. There is strong bipartisan support for federal action on housing. Up for Growth has been busy developing its policy portfolio so we can quickly capitalize on opportunities to create new funding for building innovation, housing preservation, and new home production. Our goal is to enable 10 million more homes in the next 10 years – 10 million above and beyond what’s already expected.
Also in 2025, we will be taking our work on the road, visiting regions across the country to hear from lawmakers and community leaders what’s working – and what’s not. Our goal is to take what we learn and turn it into meaningful, nuanced policy recommendations that lawmakers can borrow, adapt, and deploy to meet their unique needs. All in all, we think 2025 is going to be a big year for housing supply.