A San Francisco developer imports Chinese steel modules to install 22 units of graduate student housing in only four days.

A shortage of affordable housing is only one component of a broader community development crisis.

The 50 top-selling U.S. master-planned communities (MPCs) during 2018 surpassed their sales totals for the previous year by an average of 5 percent, according to data from RCLCO Real Estate Advisors. The top two communities were both in Florida: the Villages, with 2,134 home sales, is once again the top-selling community in the country, followed by Sarasota, Florida’s Lakewood Ranch.

According to data from Yardi Matrix, the average size of a new U.S. apartment has shrunk 5 percent over the last 10 years, while the average price has risen 28 percent. The average floor plan of a new apartment measures 941 square feet (87.4 sq m), but that is still larger than the overall average of 882 square feet (82 sq m).

A novel condo development incorporates fully robotic parking and direct access to high-end units.

Housing affordability has become one of the most talked-about land use issues in virtually every major urban center in North America. Less focus has been directed to the lack of affordable housing options in small towns and rural areas, despite a significant need that spans the demographic spectrum.

Addressing the lack of affordable housing for the middle class is one of the biggest opportunities—and sources of frustration—for homebuilders, according to a panel of industry executives speaking during the 2018 ULI Fall Meeting in Boston.

The city of Dallas’s first-ever comprehensive housing policy is drawing significant interest from real estate professionals, but building affordable housing in one of the nation’s most income-segregated cities remains a significant challenge. A group of housing experts gathered in September to discuss the policy and affordable housing opportunities at an event hosted by ULI North Texas.

While America’s South continues on a steady course with a growing population and an increasing number of jobs, officials are acting on some challenges, which include traffic, housing affordability, education needs, and the rising cost of construction.

Affordable and workforce housing policies and programs put in place by the governments of New York City, Los Angeles County, and the states of New Jersey and New York have been selected as finalists for the 2018 ULI Larson Housing Policy Leadership Award. The annual award, presented by ULI’s Terwilliger Center for Housing, recognizes innovative ways the public sector is addressing the nation’s affordable housing crisis.