U.S. mayors strongly support more market-rate housing development

Support for the development of more market-rate housing has grown among U.S. mayors, according to the Menino Survey of Mayors by Boston University’s Initiative on Cities.

Roughly 75% of respondents agree or strongly agree that more market-rate housing can boost housing affordability. That’s a marked increase from 60% in 2021.

Eighty percent of respondents said their city has too little multifamily housing and 82% strongly support adding apartments near transit and business centers. Support for zoning and permitting code reforms to encourage more development is mixed.

One-third of mayors say regulations are the primary cause of high housing costs, and 48% strongly support multifamily housing by-right citywide. Mayors favor administrative streamlining, with 70% strongly supporting giving city staff the authority to sign off on permits. More than 40% say public meetings reduce the amount of housing that gets built.

Roughly 40% of mayors cite financial issues as barriers to viable housing projects, and a quarter of them point to community pushback as a barrier. Only 15% say permitting or zoning regulations stymie projects.