Salim Furth
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Senior Research Fellow
Salim Furth is a Senior Research Fellow and Director of the Urbanity project at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. His research focuses on housing production and land use regulation. He frequently advises local governments and testifies before state and federal legislatures. He earned his Ph.D. in economics from the University of Rochester.
Furth previously worked at the Heritage Foundation, at Amherst College, and as a contractor to HUD. His research has been published in Housing Policy Debate, Critical Housing Analysis, and the IZA Journal of Labor Policy. He serves as an advisor to the board of Texans for Reasonable Solutions and a Better Cities Project Fellow.
Featured Research
"Why Housing Shortages Cause Homelessness"
"Housing Reform in the States: A Menu of Options for 2024" (Emily Hamilton, Salim Furth & Charles Gardner)
Latest Work
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- | Housing Housing
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Paris density and aesthetic NIMBYs | Market Urbanism
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- | Housing Housing
- | Podcast Appearance Podcast Appearance
Podcast: Alain Bertaud on what planners control — and what they don't | The New Zealand Initiative
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- | Housing Housing
- | State Testimonies State Testimonies
Allowing Housing Near Jobs Can Unlock Housing Options in Maryland
HB 1137 can expand residential development on underused commercial land -
- | Housing Housing
- | Research Papers Research Papers
Substitutability in the Demand for Housing over Small Distances
Why housing demand isn’t uniform across a city—and how that shapes rent, development, and zoning debates. -
- | Housing Housing
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Commentary: Can young Americans reinvent the starter home? | Tribune News Service (Syndicated)
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- | Housing Housing
- | State Testimonies State Testimonies
Allowing Housing Near Jobs Can Unlock Housing Options in Maryland
SB 829 can expand residential development on underused commercial land -
- | Housing Housing
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Getting tax policy backwards | Market Urbanism
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- | Housing Housing
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Starter home reforms | Market Urbanism
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- | Housing Housing
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
How to implement a ring-and-access traffic circulation plan in Georgetown | Greater Greater Washington
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- | Housing Housing
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Paris density and aesthetic NIMBYs | Market Urbanism
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- | Housing Housing
- | Podcast Appearance Podcast Appearance
Podcast: Alain Bertaud on what planners control — and what they don't | The New Zealand Initiative
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- | Housing Housing
- | State Testimonies State Testimonies
Allowing Housing Near Jobs Can Unlock Housing Options in Maryland
HB 1137 can expand residential development on underused commercial land -
- | Housing Housing
- | Research Papers Research Papers
Substitutability in the Demand for Housing over Small Distances
Why housing demand isn’t uniform across a city—and how that shapes rent, development, and zoning debates. -
- | Housing Housing
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Commentary: Can young Americans reinvent the starter home? | Tribune News Service (Syndicated)
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- | Housing Housing
- | State Testimonies State Testimonies
Allowing Housing Near Jobs Can Unlock Housing Options in Maryland
SB 829 can expand residential development on underused commercial land -
- | Housing Housing
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Getting tax policy backwards | Market Urbanism
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- | Housing Housing
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Starter home reforms | Market Urbanism
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- | Housing Housing
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
How to implement a ring-and-access traffic circulation plan in Georgetown | Greater Greater Washington
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- | Housing Housing
- | Research Papers Research Papers
Substitutability in the Demand for Housing over Small Distances
Why housing demand isn’t uniform across a city—and how that shapes rent, development, and zoning debates. -
- | Housing Housing
- | Journal Articles Journal Articles
Single-Family Zoning and Race: Evidence From the Twin Cities | Housing Policy Debate
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- | Housing Housing
- | Working Papers Working Papers
Single-Family Zoning and Race: Evidence from the Twin Cities
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- | Housing Housing
- | Working Papers Working Papers
Regulating without Zoning in Maine Towns
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- | Housing Housing
- | Working Papers Working Papers
Foundations and Microfoundations: Building Houses on Regulated Land
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- | Journal Articles Journal Articles
Decomposing Housing Unaffordability
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- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Journal Articles Journal Articles
Does Census Hiring Stimulate Jobs Growth?
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- | Housing Housing
- | Research Papers Research Papers
New Urban Econ Research Shows the Macroeconomic Benefits of Big Cities
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- | Housing Housing
- | Research Papers Research Papers
California Zoning: Housing Construction and a New Ranking of Local Land Use Regulation
Ranking California’s Cities on the Stringency of Land Use Regulation![]( "ranking-zoning-in-25-selected-california-cities.png")
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- | Housing Housing
- | Research Papers Research Papers
Do Minimum-Lot-Size Regulations Limit Housing Supply in Texas?
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- | Housing Housing
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
How to Streamline Housing Permitting in Arizona
Reforming the process could help Arizona build more homes faster -
- | Housing Housing
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
Housing Reform in the States: A Menu of Options for 2026
Proven steps lawmakers can take to lower housing costs -
- | Housing Housing
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
Rezoning Protest Petitions Are Ripe for Reform
Housing reform is gaining momentum, and states are rethinking protest petition laws that block rezoning and limit new housing -
- | Housing Housing
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
Framing Futures: Pro-Housing Legislation Goes Vertical in 2025
States passed record-breaking housing reforms in 2025, easing permits, parking rules, and zoning across the US -
- | Housing Housing
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
How to Streamline Housing Permitting in Massachusetts
Site plan review and development rights stand in the way of housing production in the Bay State -
- | Housing Housing
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
How to Streamline Housing Permitting in Maryland
10 policy recommendations to accelerate project timelines and reduce costs -
- | Housing Housing
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
Boosting Housing Affordability: Practical Suggestions for Congress and the White House
How executive actions and new laws in Washington can help reform efforts in the states. -
- | Housing Housing
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
Housing Reform in the States: A Menu of Options for 2025
Options for reform include reversing regulatory overreach, streamlining procedures, improving legal frameworks, and updating construction standards. -
- | Housing Housing
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
Laying Foundations: Momentum Continues for Housing Supply Reforms in 2024
Housing remains a top issue in state legislatures, with 20 states enacting housing supply bills in the last year. -
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- | Housing Housing
- | Policy Spotlights Policy Spotlights
Housing Reform in the States: A Menu of Options for 2025
To address the high cost of housing, lawmakers can learn from states across the country -
- | Housing Housing
- | Policy Spotlights Policy Spotlights
Streamline Housing Permits in Maryland
Nine policy recommendations to accelerate project timelines and reduce costs -
- | Housing Housing
- | Policy Spotlights Policy Spotlights
Streamline Housing Permits in Massachusetts
How reform in three areas will increase the housing stock in the Bay State -
- | Housing Housing
- | Policy Spotlights Policy Spotlights
Streamline Housing Permitting in Virginia
How reforming four problem areas will unlock housing in the Old Dominion -
- | Housing Housing
- | Policy Spotlights Policy Spotlights
Housing Reform in the States: A Menu of Options for 2026
To address the high cost of housing, lawmakers can learn from states across the country -
- | Housing Housing
- | Policy Spotlights Policy Spotlights
The Pandemic Has Especially Hurt America’s Cities; Land Use Reform Can Help Them Recover
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- | Housing Housing
- | Policy Spotlights Policy Spotlights
Rezoning Protest Petitions Are Ripe for Reform
States are rethinking protest petition laws that limit new housing
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- | Housing Housing
- | Podcast Appearance Podcast Appearance
Podcast: Alain Bertaud on what planners control — and what they don't | The New Zealand Initiative
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- | Housing Housing
- | Podcast Appearance Podcast Appearance
America’s Housing Affordability Crisis | “Newt’s World” podcast
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- | Housing Housing
- | Podcast Appearance Podcast Appearance
Not a Bubble, Just Demand | “Who Killed the Starter Home?” podcast
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- | Housing Housing
- | TV Appearance TV Appearance
New Report Indicates New Commanders Stadium Could Bring $24B in Revenue to DC | On The Hill
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- | Housing Housing
- | TV Appearance TV Appearance
The Redevelopment of RFK Stadium in DC | Fox 5 DC
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- | Housing Housing
- | Podcast Appearance Podcast Appearance
Permitting Fixes For More Housing | I Hate Politics Podcast
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- | Housing Housing
- | Radio Appearance Radio Appearance
Here Are Five Fixes for the US Housing Shortage | Marketplace Radio
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- | Housing Housing
- | Podcast Appearance Podcast Appearance
Tackling America’s Housing Crisis | Top of Mind
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- | Housing Housing
- | Podcast Appearance Podcast Appearance
Shifts in the Housing Market & the YIMBY Movement | Manhattan Institute’s “Manhattan Insights”
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- | Housing Housing
- | State Testimonies State Testimonies
Allowing Housing Near Jobs Can Unlock Housing Options in Maryland
HB 1137 can expand residential development on underused commercial land -
- | Housing Housing
- | State Testimonies State Testimonies
Allowing Housing Near Jobs Can Unlock Housing Options in Maryland
SB 829 can expand residential development on underused commercial land -
- | Housing Housing
- | State Testimonies State Testimonies
Transit-Oriented Upzoning in Colorado Can Deliver Jobs, Growth, and Affordability
Colorado Senate, Local Government and Housing Committee, HB 24-1313 Housing in Transit-Oriented Communities -
- | Housing Housing
- | State Testimonies State Testimonies
Transit-Oriented Upzoning in Colorado Can Deliver Jobs, Growth, and Affordability
Colorado House of Representatives, Transportation, Housing and Local Government Committee | HB 24-1313 Housing in Transit-Oriented Communities -
- | Housing Housing
- | State Testimonies State Testimonies
Market-Rate Rents Can Serve Moderate-Income Marylanders
Maryland Senate Education, Business, and Administration Subcommittee SB 484, Land Use - Affordable Housing - Zoning Density and Permitting -
- | Housing Housing
- | Federal Testimonies Federal Testimonies
Housing Affordability: Trends, Shocks, and State Legislation
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- | Housing Housing
- | State Testimonies State Testimonies
Minimum Lot Size Regulations Are a Barrier to Homeownership in Dallas
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- | Housing Housing
- | State Testimonies State Testimonies
Valid Petitions and Limited Government in Texas
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- | Housing Housing
- | State Testimonies State Testimonies
Rights, Responsibilities, and Preemption in Minnesota
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- | Housing Housing
- | State Testimonies State Testimonies
Light-Touch Density and New Hampshire’s Role in Zoning
New Hampshire House of Representatives, Municipal and County Government Committee
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- | Housing Housing
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Paris density and aesthetic NIMBYs | Market Urbanism
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- | Housing Housing
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Commentary: Can young Americans reinvent the starter home? | Tribune News Service (Syndicated)
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- | Housing Housing
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Getting tax policy backwards | Market Urbanism
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- | Housing Housing
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Starter home reforms | Market Urbanism
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- | Housing Housing
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
How to implement a ring-and-access traffic circulation plan in Georgetown | Greater Greater Washington
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- | Housing Housing
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Saving streets without banning cars | Market Urbanism
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- | Housing Housing
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Options for Maryland: Implementing Best Practices in Housing Policy | Maryland Realtor Magazine
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- | Housing Housing
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Official land prices | Market Urbanism
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- | Housing Housing
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Home prices rose everywhere | Market Urbanism