Housing Supply Accelerator Playbook
The Housing Supply Accelerator (HSA) Playbook is for local elected officials and community planners working to boost diverse, attainable, and equitable housing supply in communities nationwide.
The American Planning Association (APA) and the National League of Cities (NLC) are the leading authors and the playbook was produced in collaboration with The Mortgage Bankers Association, the NAHB and the National Association of REALTORS.
The playbook represents a systems approach to addressing housing supply challenges. To address the many factors that affect the housing supply, a comprehensive perspective and collaborative effort are needed.
The information on this page is adapted from the HSA. For in-depth, analysis, solutions and approaches, please download the playbook.
Common Barriers to Boosting the Housing Supply
Understanding the inherent challenges of producing, preserving, and improving the nation’s housing supply is crucial for crafting effective solutions.
Regulations: The playbook recognizes that while developer requirements can be important, regulations can serve as unintended barriers to boosting the housing supply.
Lack of Flexibility: Prohibiting specific housing typologies or densities to maintain only single-family detached housing can negatively impact equitable access to housing and community resources by dictating where people with diverse economic statuses can live.
Zoning: Evidence shows that single-household-only residential zoning disproportionately impacts the ability of historically disadvantaged and vulnerable groups to access attainable housing and quality schools and services.
Infrastructure barriers: Can be the deciding factor for whether new housing can be built, serviced and maintained.
What are we Accelerating Toward?
The nation’s housing supply is not growing proportional to demand, exacerbating affordability gaps. To make significant improvements to the housing supply, all housing stakeholders involved in the housing supply pipeline, including local governments, real estate professionals, builders, laborers, developers, financial institutions and state, regional, and federal agencies must collaborate.
How to Launch an HSA
Communities can implement the following partnership framework to establish a local HSA that develops and commits to a common action plan.
Establish a Steering Committee
The steering committee should include local leaders with experience directly working with the community, including position holders who are accountable to residents who are either appointed, employed, or contracted by local government. It is highly recommended that elected officials serve on this committee.
Convene the Steering Committee, Core Partners, and Outside Partners
Choosing the core and outside partners is essential. Consider including industry individuals who bring practical perspectives into financing, construction, preservation of rental, and home sales at the table. The core partners and steering committee work to find common ground to build understanding, and trust, identify a shared set of goals for public and private entities, and develop recommendations for process and systems changes that improve alignment and efficiency.
Engage State and Federal Government Partners
Engage state and federal partners that offer information, tools, services, programs, grants and/or other resources. Potential partners include various branches of federal and state agencies that may touch on funding, banking, and development.
Selecting Convening Issues
This is where the steering committee places its focus on topics. HSA focuses on the following issues that brought everyone to the table:
- Construction and development
- Finance
- Land use and regulations
- Workforce development
- Infrastructure challenges
These topics are essential in finding the groundwork and understanding where the middle is for everyone involved.
Delivering on Commitments and Executing Your Action Plan
At this step of the process, champions—including core partners, outside partners, major employers, and other key community voices—can influence public opinion. Use your champions’ voices and platforms to create opportunities for public education and engagement.
