If you’ve ever stared at a Zillow listing like it was a personal insult, you know our housing market isn’t working. For years, we’ve told a familiar story: Local veto points, tangled zoning codes, and a thicket of well-intentioned rules have made it maddeningly hard to build enough homes. Rents soar, young families delay milestones, workers stay stuck, and the whole economy takes a hit.
That’s why senior correspondent Dylan Matthews’s new explainer on the Senate’s big housing package grabbed me. It’s not just another “maybe someday” idea — it’s a practical rethinking of what the federal government can do to help you, me, and millions of renters and would-be homeowners. The basic bet is straightforward: If Washington can align incentives and provide clearer rules, cities and states can actually build more homes where people want to live.
This piece also kicks off something new I’m excited about: it's the first article in a new Vox series on growth. Over the coming months, we’ll examine ideas that can responsibly expand the economy’s capacity — in housing, energy, infrastructure, immigration, and more — and what it takes to translate those ideas into real-world progress. (Thank you to Arnold Ventures for a grant to help support this work.)
Vox Members also help support pieces like Dylan’s — journalism that takes the problems we have, and the solutions we may yet have, seriously. If you would like to support Vox’s independent journalism, please consider becoming a Vox Member today.
—Bryan Walsh, senior editorial director
