Local laws often prohibit the construction of dense new housing, leading to higher housing prices, especially in a few large high-wage metropolitan areas. More permissive policy could contribute to both affordable housing and the continued growth of centers of economic activity. Working toward more permissive policy from a public-interest perspective (as opposed to lobbying for specific developments) appears neglected considering the significant potential gains.
We do not currently have a full-time staff member dedicated to this cause. Alexander Berger leads our grantmaking in this area.
For more on why we chose land use reform as a focus area, see our public cause report (March 2015) used in our process for selecting focus areas.
Illustrative grants
A complete list of our grants in the area of land use reform can be found here. Grants include:
