Can American cities grow AND stay affordable?

What It Covers

Huntsville Alabama maintains affordability while growing rapidly by building 16,000 apartment units since 2020, diversifying housing types, and reforming zoning codes to allow missing middle housing options.

Key Questions Answered

• •Housing supply timing: Cities must predict housing shortages 10 years ahead and act early, as Huntsville did in 2013 when recognizing the national housing crisis, preventing the affordability collapse seen in Austin.
• •Filtering effect: Building expensive apartments keeps cities affordable by preventing wealthy residents from competing for cheaper units downstream, reducing displacement pressure on lower income residents in existing affordable housing stock.
• •Missing middle zoning: Reform zoning codes to permit quads, townhomes, and diverse housing types beyond single family homes, as mid-century zoning laws created artificial scarcity by restricting housing variety needed for modern household structures.