Making infill development easier, adding a state role to local land-use controls, and connecting housing with transit were some of the top trends in housing policy that emerged on May 9 at the 2024 ULI/Charles H. Shaw Forum on Urban Community Issues. The forum topic, “State and Local Innovations to Expand Housing Opportunities,” reflected something that many communities around the United States are grappling with: dire housing shortages.

The ULI Terwilliger Center for Housing has announced three finalists for this year’s Jack Kemp Excellence in Affordable and Workforce Housing Award and eight finalists for the Terwilliger Center Award for Innovation in Attainable Housing.

In the session “Financing Tools to Make Affordable Deals Pencil” at the 2024 ULI Housing Opportunity Conference, panelists shared a variety of tools and strategies designed to support the production of more affordable housing.

Housing affordability is an ongoing challenge, one that has been exacerbated in the last few years by rising interest rates and home prices. One alternative that is proving popular is the build-to-rent (BTR) model, which includes communities with apartment-style or single-family homes, or a combination of both.

At the 2024 ULI Housing Opportunity Conference, panelists discussed the topic of “Innovative Partnerships to Leverage Land for More Housing,” including strategies to add to local housing supplies by leveraging underutilized land owned by houses of worship and school districts.

The 2024 Asia Pacific Home Attainability Index by ULI offers a comprehensive overview of housing attainability across the Asia Pacific region. In this third edition, the report includes data from three additional cities—Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, and Perth—expanding its coverage to 48 cities in 11 countries, namely, Australia, China (including Hong Kong SAR), India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Land use is local, and so are many housing policy opportunities. In the 2024 ULI Housing Opportunity Conference session, “A Look Back on the Latest State and Local Housing Policy Innovations,” moderator Michael Wilt, senior manager of external relations for the Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation, asked the panelists: “The dynamics and conversations around housing are changing a lot. What is going to net the greatest benefits?”

Cities facing affordable housing challenges are becoming more open to making zoning changes that affect density.

Leading SFR companies are developing strategies to tackle social equity, land use, decarbonization, and resilience for maximum impact.

Ten projects deliver compact residential spaces that offer more affordable city living options, foster community, and minimize environmental impacts.