Delays and uncertainty in the approval process for proposed housing developments reduce overall housing production. The resulting cost increases are passed on to consumers. Even as state and local governments pursue land use reforms, many projects are mired in procedural swamps.
Because each state has different permitting bottlenecks, the Mercatus Center has initiated a series of Policy Briefs on state-specific reforms. For each state, we’ve partnered with a local land use expert to conduct dozens of interviews with developers, lawyers, government officials, and scholars from different geographic areas.
The resulting recommendations provide a roadmap for increasing the speed and decreasing the cost of permits to build. By reducing uncertainty and removing roadblocks in the permitting process, policymakers can provide more housing opportunities in their communities.