New Report Illustrates How Local Governments Can Address Housing Shortages and Affordability
The recently released 2024 Case for Innovation in Housing: How Local Governments Can Drive Solutions report explores how local governments can address housing shortages and affordability through innovative strategies.
The current shortage of affordable and available housing creates significant challenges for individuals and families, driving up costs and limiting access to stable homes. Housing innovation is essential to overcome these issues by introducing new construction methods, policies and partnerships that can increase supply, lower costs and provide sustainable housing solutions that adapt to diverse community needs.
The recently released 2024 Case for Innovation in Housing: How Local Governments Can Drive Solutions report explores how local governments can address housing shortages and affordability through innovative strategies. It emphasizes that local governments alone cannot resolve the housing crisis and that a systems approach is needed to tackle both the causes and effects of this issue.
The report outlines several solutions for local governments to address housing challenges:
- Flexible Zoning: Encouraging mixed-use, multifamily developments to maximize land use
- Public-Private Partnerships: Leveraging collaborations to expand affordable housing
- New Housing Technologies: Promoting modular construction, 3D printing and sustainable materials
- Community Involvement: Engaging residents in planning processes for equitable development
- Data-Driven Policy: Using data analytics to identify and meet housing needs
These strategies focus on creating accessible, affordable and sustainable housing.
The International Code Council’s Role in Driving Off-Site Construction Innovation
The Code Council plays a vital role in advancing the off-site construction industry, contributing valuable expertise and resources. Its comprehensive suite of standards and guidelines support efficient, affordable and sustainable off-site construction practices, including:
- ICC/MBI Standard 1200 for Off-site Construction: Planning, Design, Fabrication, and Assembly
- ICC/MBI Standard 1205 for Off-site Construction: Inspection and Regulatory Compliance
- ICC/MBI Standard 1210 for Off-site Construction: Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing and Water Conservation for Off-Site Construction
- ICC G6: Guideline on Advanced Panelization
Several of these standards were highlighted in the report and adopted by multiple states as key solutions for advancing off-site construction. These standards guide the industry toward innovative solutions for affordable, high-quality housing, aligning with the 2024 Case for Innovation in Housing report’s vision of shared responsibility and effective systems.
To access more of the Code Council’s off-site construction resources, click here.
To view the 2024 report, click here.
About the Author
The International Code Council is a nonprofit association that provides a wide range of building safety solutions, including product evaluation, accreditation, certification, codification and training. It develops model codes and standards used worldwide to construct safe, sustainable, affordable and resilient structures.
