How States are Addressing the Need for Affordable Housing: Gretchen Baldau in The Epoch Times
A lot of states are interested in ways that they can increase supply of housing so that housing can become more affordable, so that different types of housing can be built.
Gretchen Baldau, ALEC Commerce, Insurance, and Economic Development Task Force Director, was featured in The Epoch Times discussing the latest actions from the Biden Administration attempting to increase housing access in suburbs and towns. Baldau is quoted detailing the alternative policies being proposed at the state level to address affordable housing needs. The piece also covers the latest programs being implemented by the Department of Housing and Urban Development on compelling towns to accept federal housing grants with the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Program (AFFH), and the criticisms of federal overreach with this program.
“A lot of the ideas they propose are ideas that are coming from the states. A lot of states are interested in ways that they can increase supply of housing so that housing can become more affordable, so that different types of housing can be built,” she said. For example, Montana recently introduced a law expanding the types of housing that may qualify as single-family.
“It allows starter homes by allowing accessory dwelling units on different lots,” Ms. Baldau said. “These are things like granny flats, or they can be freestanding, small structures that as starter homes get people into the market as a homeowner. Then they can start moving up from there and using the equity they’re building as homeowners to continue building their wealth.”