Many MindedA policy group's case that looser land-use rules would bring rents down
Americans for Prosperity, a policy advocacy group, published a post on Oct 27, 2026 arguing that restrictive zoning is a main driver of high housing costs. It puts the US shortage at roughly 6 million homes and says construction has fallen from about seven new homes per 1,000 people in the 1970s to about four today.
The post traces the problem to local land-use rules, which it says were virtually nonexistent before the 1900s and spread after a 1926 Supreme Court decision upheld local authority over land use. It says regulations add over $130,000 to the cost of an average-priced new home, about a quarter of the final price. Reforms it names include smaller lots, more townhomes and easier approval of accessory dwelling units.
It points to two cities. Austin cut parking requirements and eased approvals; the post says its housing stock grew about 30% from 2015 to 2024 and median rents fell over 10% from their 2021 peak. Minneapolis dropped parking minimums, allowed ADUs and shrank lot sizes; the post says rents rose about 1% from 2017 to 2022, against about 14% elsewhere in Minnesota.
Why it matters: shelter is the largest fixed cost for most households, and building more of it is one of the few levers that lowers prices without subsidy. Cheaper homes in connected places also affect who can live near work, family and community.
The caveats are real. This is an advocacy blog, not independent reporting. It cites no sources in the text for the Austin and Minneapolis outcomes, and the causal link is the author's framing. The post itself concedes that many factors affect prices that local officials can't control. Its attack on rent control, citing St. Paul, is also an argued position, not a settled finding.
Source: Google News