Texas Senate is Pushing for More Affordable, Smaller Starter Homes
Texas is having a housing affordability crisis. In response, the Texas Senate has a new proposal.
According to a Texas Tribune story, new proposed legislation aims "to help drive down the cost of housing so that more Texans can afford homes."
The new proposal aims to increase the availability of homes, but advocates for smaller, 'starter' homes in newly developed neighborhoods. Furthermore, the proposed bills suggest reducing minimum lot sizes currently mandated for single-family homes. The result, they suggest, would lower construction costs and, hopefully, home prices.
The Texas Senate is advocating for more, smaller starter homes.
In the proposed bill, Senate Bill 15, the idea is that if cities decrease the land requirements for these homes, hopefully builders would be encouraged to build housing options that are affordable to more Texans, especially those buying for the first time.
The main goal is to make the dream of home ownership a more attainable reality for a larger portion of Texans.
Rising house costs have made it much more difficult for many people to consider buying a home.
Some builders have already begun seeking to build smaller homes in Texas and around the country.
According to a 2024 story from Axios, "Over a third (38%) of U.S. builders say they constructed smaller houses last year, and 26% plan to go even smaller this year, according to the National Association of Home Builders."
It's an interesting read, because other changes in the world of homebuilding may surprise you.
Regarding Senate Bill 15, here's hoping this could stimulate the housing market and allow more Texans to buy homes.