In contrast to highly partisan debates over many other issues, state lawmakers of all political stripes are joining forces to pass legislation to increase the supply of housing to meet the demand for more housing.

The policies attracting support range from requiring cities to allow manufactured homes in areas with single-family homes to easing regulations for accessory dwelling units to allowing housing on church-owned land and strip malls.

Housing has become a can’t-ignore issue for lawmakers across the political spectrum, said Henry Honorof, director of Welcoming Neighbors Network, which connects pro-housing advocacy organizations across 24 states.

“Almost every victory in the country for pro-housing policy has been bipartisan, and has actually required votes from the minority party. … It’s not moderates working together. It’s urban progressives and rural conservatives and libertarians working together,” said Honorof.

“There’s a huge amount of political pressure to do something about housing prices, but the average person doesn’t have a clear sense of what that ‘something’ is but they’re just saying, ‘Fix housing prices, for the love of God.’”

From July 2024 through June 2025, 124 pro-housing bills cleared state legislatures, up from 40 during the same period in 2022-2023, according to the Mercatus Center, a research institute at George Mason University.

This year, lawmakers in Florida, Idaho and Virginia have passed bills requiring municipalities to allow manufactured homes — houses that are built in a factory rather than on site and then transported to a permanent location — anywhere single-family or other housing is permitted. New Hampshire legislators are considering a similar bill.

Michigan lawmakers have also filed housing legislation — including measures to reduce minimum lot sizes, allow accessory dwelling units and set caps on minimum parking requirements — all of which have at least some Republican sponsors. None has passed yet.

Michigan Republican state Rep. Joe Aragona is working alongside Democratic colleagues on a package aimed at easing zoning restrictions.

Read the full article about meeting the demand for more housing by Robbie Sequeira at Stateline.