Bush Institute Report Reveals Nation Falling Short: When Homes Become Unaffordable, So Does Opportunity

Housing is the foundation for stability, opportunity, and long-term equity. DCH has witnessed and reported over time how rising prices and underproduction are forcing families to the edge, and recently, the George W. Bush Institute-SMU Economic Growth Initiative released a report that validates what we have noticed for the past 5 years, that housing is out of reach for too many Americans. DCH would like to share insights from this report and other solutions we think may be useful for Dallas and beyond. 

A Nation Falling Short

The Bush Institute report entitled, America’s Housing Crisis: A Federal Policy Agenda for Expanding Supply and Affordability, shows that since 2000, the U.S. has built 6 to 7 million fewer homes than we need. This has inflated housing prices, and rents have risen more than 20% above incomes. Homeownership is further out of reach, and renters are paying far more than 30% of their income, as recommended. 

The report calls for an increase in housing production by at least 50%, including new federal strategies to help cities and nonprofits like DCH to build critical housing and infrastructure. Some recommendations include federal transportation dollars for “smart growth” housing plans, funding streams for preserving naturally affordable housing, and reform of Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac and housing choice vouchers. Solutions we have discussed in our blog that also appear in the report include innovative zoning, modular housing, and workforce housing development. Lastly, is improving housing data, so we can better measure these crises and foresee them. 

What Guides Dallas and the DCH’s Response

A housing crisis of this magnitude threatens our foundations of ensuring families of all incomes and backgrounds have access to safe housing, that our neighbors can work in protected communities, and to assist neighbors and communities in building generational wealth through housing. Rising rent and displacement are becoming a reality across Dallas, and inequities are noticeable. Right now, Dallas must act to preserve affordability, community, and equitable access to housing, and take advantage of new federal mandates. 

Lessons from San Francisco’s Casa Adelante

Much of the Bush Report draws on Sun Belt metros. However, we continue to be impressed by other cities' struggles with wealth and inequity that can serve as a powerful lesson. San Francisco has been one of the most encumbered cities in the US in terms of affordable housing and the affordability gap. The Casa Adelante 2060 Folsom project in San Francisco’s Mission District, developed by Mission Economic Development Agency (MEDA) and Chinatown CDC, shows what’s possible when community, creativity, and policy align. 

This development was 100% affordable housing, serving low-income families, with a special focus on displaced Latino residents and formerly homeless individuals and was built on land donated by the city. The project combines affordability with wraparound services, green building standards, and cultural relevance, and most importantly, Casa Adelante wasn’t just about building units, it was about restoring a community. 

Tenants were prioritized from local neighborhoods. Partnerships with nonprofits ensured access to job support, health care, and youth programs, and layered public financing—including city funds, LIHTC, and state housing bonds— made it a scalable model in a high-cost market. This integrated, equity-driven approach should inspire us and show where funding, land use and community unite, housing solutions follow.

How Can Dallas Lead? 

We need the will to scale what works, and Dallas could use the following lessons from San Francisco. First is activating underused or underperforming land, notably, city-owned and commercially zoned land. Second, it is investing in neighborhood-centered redevelopment instead of displacement. Third, there is layering of local, federal, and nonprofit funds. Lastly, it engages and involves the communities you are building for, ensuring long-term affordability and sustainability. 

We are proud to be putting this into practice in our developments, and notably, our most recent development, Armonia Apartments. It is important for all of us to be engaged in national and local conversations about upcoming preservation efforts that protect historically affordable housing. However, to be aware of the new developments and rezoning needed to move the needle citywide. Federal policy must support local innovation, not slow it down.

Source:  America’s Housing Crisis: A Federal Policy Agenda for Expanding Supply and Affordability