Gillis: Delaware needs more housing opportunities

Land use policies, driven by NIMBYism (aka, “not in my backyard”), have largely restricted the opportunity to provide housing options for all Delawareans.

Leadership at all levels of government needs to clear the path for housing development by making more housing types by right, increasing density where it makes sense and erasing stigmas related to building more decent and affordable homes.

In Delaware, there is a shortage of almost 40,000 affordable housing units (National Low Income Housing Coalition). A study by the Sightline Institute shows that rises in homelessness can be attributed more significantly to a lack of affordable housing than to social factors, such as mental illness, drug use or other social issues.

Prohibitive land use policies and regulatory costs can be found in every stage of housing development. Based on a recent study by the National Association of Home Builders, regulatory requirements can account for a quarter of a home’s sale price. In Delaware, this accounts for $117,680 of the median home sales price of $370,721.

Addressing the need for more housing should be a priority for all Delawareans. Housing is a significant economic driver. More decent and affordable homes mean more jobs and economic prosperity. In Delaware alone, the housing industry generates a $1.6 billion economic impact and supports approximately 20,000 jobs, many of which are small businesses (National Association of Home Builders).

We need our elected officials to help us solve this problem by removing unnecessary barriers and costs that affect housing development and affordability.

Kathryn Gillis

Dover

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