The conversation around affordable housing is often dominated by two extremes – either the market will fix it if we just get out of the way, or only the state can step in and build what’s needed. Both views miss the point. There is no single solution to the housing crisis, but a mix of policies, incentives, and protections can make a real difference – if we’re willing to use them.
The first step is admitting the problem isn’t scarcity, it’s structure. We’ve built cities around the idea that housing is a commodity first and a human need second. The result: zoning laws that prohibit anything denser than a detached house, financial incentives that reward speculation over stability, and a planning process so cumbersome that even well-meaning developers can’t keep up.
We need more housing – but not just any housing. We need more of what’s missing in most North American cities: mid-scale, modestly priced options like triplexes, rowhouses, and low-rise apartments. This “missing middle” doesn’t get built because zoning won’t allow it, and financing systems aren’t designed to support it. Reforming zoning laws and streamlining the permitting process won’t fix everything, but they’re essential first moves.
Just as important is protecting the housing we already have. In many cities, older, more affordable rentals are being bought up, renovated, and re-listed at far higher prices. Some rent control systems can help, as can public investment in maintaining and upgrading aging buildings – without forcing tenants out. These aren’t glamorous policies, but they work.
Then there’s the matter of support. Housing vouchers, rent supplements, and down payment assistance all play a role in helping people access homes they otherwise couldn’t afford. Publicly supported non-profit and co-operative housing also has a long and successful track record – when it’s properly funded.
Finally, we need to rethink the incentives. A land value tax, for example, discourages land speculation and encourages productive use. Vacancy taxes can nudge investors into renting units rather than sitting on empty assets. Inclusionary zoning can ensure that new development helps, rather than harms, housing access.
In short, affordable housing isn’t one policy – it’s a portfolio. When done well, these tools can reshape cities into places where nurses, teachers, gig workers, and young families aren’t priced out of their own communities. But none of this happens without political will. Housing policy is class policy, and unless we treat it as a public good, we’ll keep spinning our wheels.
The solutions exist. What’s missing is the courage to use them.