Economy

Zoning preemption bills flood legislatures

Local opposition hasn’t impeded the legislation from advancing in many states this year.
Homes are shown in San Francisco, April 26, 2023. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)

State lawmakers proposed hundreds of zoning preemption bills this year in a bid to increase home building and drive down sky-high rents and home prices.

More than 300 bills are pending across 33 states, a breadth that’s “honestly overwhelming,” said Salim Furth, senior research fellow and director of the Urbanity project at the Mercatus Center, a free market think tank at George Mason University.

Stay informed
Subscribe to keep reading.

Sign up today to get the latest state new at your fingertips and in your inbox.