Using Public Land for Affordable Housing

The United States faces a severe shortage of affordable housing, placing increasing financial pressure on tenants and homeowners across the country. Yet nearly every community contains underutilized or vacant publicly owned land, and state and local governments should think creatively—and proactively—about how to use these parcels for more robust public purposes, especially housing. In places where affordable housing is in short supply, using suitable public land for affordable housing development can address an acute and growing public need.