Growth boundaries, large-lot zoning and resistance to infill development are pushing people to satellite cities in search of homes that are affordable to middle income families. Forces at work to encourage even tighter restrictions on growth, which may very well be wolves in the sheep's clothing of environmental protection and traffic congestion concerns- are pushing the cost of housing beyond the reach of millions of young families, according to a recent NAHB release. When large tracts of land are removed from the inventory of developable land because of restrictions in use or creation of growth boundaries, then the value of all remaining land still available for development increases. What many don't realize is that although there has been a surge in the cost of building materials and skilled labor within the building industry, the cost of developed land has also skyrocketed due to these growth restrictions. Job growth and housing demand also figure prominently into this picture.
More jobs equals more demand for housing.
If job growth is a priority, then policy makers have a responsibility to ensure that equal priority is given to demand for a broad mix of housing choices, according to Mitchell. Census statistics predict that the population of the U.S. will grow by approximately 37 million over the next 15 years, with some 1.3 million new households formed each year. Extremists in states like California, Arizona, and Colorado are apparently hard at work seeking to impose anti-growth policies, attributing their concerns in vague language referring to traffic congestion and loss of open space. The price tag for these efforts is high. The resulting prejudice and legal wrangling create an open invitation to allow consumers to use lawsuits to stop growth.