New Case Study Research Highlights Local Housing Solutions

NEW REPORT: How Four American Mayors are Tackling Housing Affordability

Capital One Insights Center, Bipartisan Policy Center, and U.S. Conference of Mayors launch new report examining best practices in four U.S. cities for expanding housing supply, lowering costs

Washington, D.C. - Housing affordability is increasingly shaping economic and political priorities across the country, with public opinion polling consistently ranking housing as a top financial concern across all geographies and demographic groups. Recognizing the hyper-localized nature of the zoning and development regulations impacting housing supply, the Capital One Insights Center launched new research today in partnership with Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) and the United States Conference of Mayors (USCM) to identify best practices in America's cities.

The new report examines successful efforts in four unique U.S. cities where mayors have implemented innovative, bipartisan solutions to build more housing supply and address the challenge of affordability.

Now in its second year, the Mayoral Housing Report released by the Capital One Insights Center in partnership with BPC and USCM details specific initiatives and programs in the cities of:

• Columbia, South Carolina's Vacant Lot Initiative: Turning Empty Land Into New Homes

To address a shortage of roughly 16,000 housing units, Columbia is maximizing existing land by identifying vacant lots through innovative camera technology attached to garbage trucks. Under Mayor Daniel Rickenmann's (R) leadership, the city's partnership with property owners, local communities, and nonprofit developers allows the growing community to successfully increase its housing supply without expanding outward.

"Columbia's housing shortage is not an issue of land availability; it is an issue of activation. With over 2,000 vacant lots, we have the footprint we need to meet our growth head-on. We are taking a deliberate, data-driven approach to move these underused parcels from being liabilities to becoming the foundation of attainable housing for all income levels. Most importantly, we are grounding this transformation in the people who define our city, prioritizing our local employees and our long-term neighbors to ensure that, as Columbia grows, the opportunities for stability and ownership remain firmly in the hands of those who call it home," said Mayor Daniel Rickenmann.

• Kansas City, MO's Zero KC Initiative: A Data-Driven Strategy to End Homelessness

In response to rising homelessness driven by a shortage of affordable rental units, Mayor Quinton Lucas (D) launched Zero KC, the city's initiative to align local response efforts and create the Housing Gateway Program to provide short-term rental and utility assistance. Kansas City's approach reflects a shift toward better coordination across service providers and clearer data on how people move through the system.

"Homelessness is a complex challenge for cities across the country. Kansas City is committed to tackling this challenge head on, creating an Office of Unhoused Solutions in the City's Housing Department, investing in outreach workers, and developing new strategies like the Housing Gateway Program that bring new partners and resources into the City's work with a coordinated and proven model to address homelessness. By restructuring our approach and leveraging strong, public-private partnerships, we are building a coordinated pathway that meets our unhoused neighbors with the immediate compassion they deserve, while providing the wrap-around supportive services necessary for long-term stability. As we continue investing in affordable housing programs like our Affordable Housing Trust Fund, we are creating a sustainable framework that will rapidly move people out of encampments into safe, dignified housing with a plan. This is how we build a stronger, more equitable Kansas City for everyone," said Mayor Quinton Lucas.

• Manchester, NH's Zoning Overhaul: Cutting Red Tape to Build Missing Middle Housing

Confronted with outdated zoning rules that restricted 'missing middle' housing options, Manchester undertook its first full zoning code rewrite in over two decades. Initiated under former Mayor Joyce Craig (D) and completed under Mayor Jay Ruais (R), the new Manchester Land Use Code combines multiple regulations into a single framework to reduce development delays. The overhauled rules expand housing supply by reducing minimum lot sizes, lowering parking requirements, and simplifying accessory dwelling unit approvals. Manchester's approach focuses on updating local rules that have limited housing supply, creating more opportunities for smaller-scale development in a constrained market.

"Manchester's housing shortage was not created overnight, and it will not be solved by any single policy. But one of the most important things local government can do is remove unnecessary barriers that make it harder and more expensive to build housing. This zoning overhaul modernizes rules that had not seen a comprehensive update in more than two decades, streamlines the development process, and creates new opportunities for the kinds of housing our workforce, families, and seniors need. By reducing red tape and encouraging thoughtful growth, we are helping create the conditions for more housing to be built while preserving the character of our neighborhoods. Manchester still has work to do, but this reform represents a major step toward addressing our housing challenges and ensuring the Queen City remains an affordable and accessible place to live," said Mayor Jay Ruais.

• San Diego, CA's Streamlined Approvals: Developing Underutilized Land, Increasing Density Near Public Transit-A Bipartisan Blueprint for Housing Reform

San Diego launched the bipartisan Complete Communities Housing Solutions program to expand higher-density and infill development near public transit. Initiated under former Mayor Kevin Faulconer (R) and expanded by current Mayor Todd Gloria (D), the program streamlines permitting and incentivizes developers to include affordable units. San Diego's bipartisan approach highlights the importance of reducing regulatory barriers and strengthening construction capacity to build housing.

"When I became mayor, I made a simple commitment: San Diego would stop talking about the housing crisis and start building. We've cut red tape, modernized our zoning, streamlined permitting, and invested in affordable housing at every level. Those efforts have created capacity for more than 134,000 new homes, accelerated approvals for affordable projects to days instead of months and positioned San Diego as one of the most pro-housing cities in America. Our experience proves that when local leaders are willing to reform outdated systems and focus on results, we can build more homes, lower costs, and create opportunities for more families to achieve the California Dream," said Mayor Todd Gloria.

"We know that lasting solutions to the housing crisis are often developed and tested at the local level," said Shena Ashley, President of the Capital One Insights Center. "Across the country, mayors are advancing innovative approaches that are increasing housing supply and helping more families access affordable housing. Capital One is proud to elevate these success stories and create a platform for sharing proven, replicable strategies that can inform efforts in communities nationwide."

"Housing affordability remains one of the most pressing challenges facing communities across the country, and there is no single solution," added Dennis Shea, Executive Vice President for Housing at the Bipartisan Policy Center. "This report shows that local leaders are advancing practical, bipartisan approaches to expand supply and lower costs-and that progress doesn't require waiting for Washington. Those examples offer a roadmap policymakers at every level can learn from and build on."

"Mayors across the country are on the front lines of the housing affordability challenge and are working every day to deliver real solutions for their residents," said Tom Cochran, CEO and Executive Director of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. "What this report shows is that when leaders come together across party lines, they can take meaningful steps to expand housing supply and make their communities more affordable."

Findings from last year's Insights Center, BPC and USCM survey of 68 mayors underscore the urgency of addressing the housing affordability challenge:

• 80.9% of mayors said their residents are dissatisfied with the state of housing affordability.

• 66.2% believed worsening economic conditions would hurt housing affordability in their city within the year.

• 51.1% believe housing affordability in their city will worsen in the next year.

The most common challenges to housing affordability identified by mayors in the 2025 survey were the direct costs of housing development (materials, labor, and land), as well as the ability to secure funding to build that housing (private capital, federal funding, and local funding).

Capital One has made sizable commitments to address housing affordability in its historic five-year, $265 billion Community Benefits Plan (CBP). The CBP commits $44 billion for community development financing, which includes over $35 billion in support of affordable housing for low- to moderate-income communities and individuals. The CBP builds on Capital One's legacy of community impact-supporting individuals and families to become financially resilient, enabling consumers to build wealth, sustaining and growing small businesses, creating and preserving affordable housing in opportunity-rich communities, and building thriving communities through investment in institutions and infrastructure.