Texas has a big problem: regular folks can’t afford regular homes anymore. The main culprits? Local rules and red tape that make building new houses harder, slower, and way more expensive than it needs to be.
So, the 89th Texas Legislature stepped in and passed a batch of reforms to help fix it. Here’s the short version:
- Cities can’t force every house to sit on a mansion-sized lot anymore—smaller lots (under about 4,000 square feet) are now fair game.
- A few cranky neighbors can’t stop every zoning change just because they don’t like new development. Goodbye, “tyrant’s veto.”
- Old office buildings can be turned into apartments or mixed-use spaces without jumping through a hundred bureaucratic hoops.
- And cities can’t ban people from living together just because they aren’t “family.” Spare bedrooms, meet new roommates.
But, of course, some local governments didn’t love the changes. Instead of helping, they added more hoops, like fancy design mandates, unnecessary amenities, and alleyway rules that make building harder again.
If Texas really wants to make housing affordable, the next steps are pretty clear: speed up permits, legalize granny flats (a.k.a. ADUs), ditch outdated parking mandates, and study new tech like 3D-printed homes.
As my TPPF colleagues conclude, “The 89th session set the foundation on which the
90th can come and build. In so doing, Texas would strengthen private property rights and take much needed steps toward a more attainable housing market, one that puts homeownership in reach.
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