Up for Growth is committed to producing a robust body of data-driven research to advance a shared understanding of the causes and impacts of the housing crisis and to carve out space for thoughtful solutions to arise.   

We leverage the expertise of our member network to identify critical issues at the federal, state, and local levels and advance innovative policy proposals for accelerating equitable community growth.

Federal Policy Research

The housing shortage and affordability crisis cannot be adequately resolved without effective, evidence-based federal intervention. Our federal Policy Briefs provide in-depth exploration of housing-related policy topics. Legislative Notes provide timely, data-driven analyses of active and proposed federal legislation. 

• Policy Brief on Emergency Rental Assistance. April 28, 2020.
• Legislative Note on H.R. 6515, The Rent and Mortgage Cancellation Act of 2020. May 1, 2020.
• Policy Brief on the Private Activity Bond Volume Cap and Housing Production. June 22, 2020.
• Legislative Note on H.R. 6175, The Revitalizing Economies, Housing and Business (REHAB) Act of 2020. June 29, 2020.
• Legislative Note on H.R. 4351, the Yes in My Backyard (YIMBY) Act. July 29, 2020.
• Legislative Brief on S. 3083, the Family Stability and Opportunity Vouchers Act of 2019. September 15, 2020.
• Policy Brief on Leveraging Federal Funds to Incentivize Land Use and Zoning Reform. January 7, 2021.
• Legislative Brief on S. 5061, the Housing Supply and Affordability Act. January 30, 2021.
• Policy Brief on Exempting Housing Bonds From the Private Activity Bond Volume Cap to Spur Economic Recovery and Incentivize Accessible Growth. March 16, 2021.

State & Local Policy Research

State and local governments are responsible for key decisions around housing, land use, and planning. Understanding the complex interplay in these environments is essential to ensuring adequate housing supply and equitable community growth.   

Our Legislative Notes feature analyses of active and proposed state legislation alongside analysis of how state policy interventions affect housing.  

• Legislative Note on California's A.B. 3107, Opening Commercial Land in Developed Areas to Affordable Housing. May 19, 2020.
• Policy Brief on Residential Infill Project (Portland, Oregon). July 16, 2020.
• Legislative Note on California's A.B. 2345, A Bill to Enhance the State of California's Density Bonus and Other Incentives Law. August 5, 2020.

Housing Underproduction Report Series

In 2018, Up for Growth launched a groundbreaking research series that quantified housing underproduction in the United States and explored the causes and consequences of the housing shortage. The flagship report, Housing Underproduction in the United States, and subsequent state reports in California, Washington, and Oregon offer critical insight into the scope of the housing crisis, the consequences of underproduction, and best strategies for future growth.  

• Housing Underproduction in the U.S. April 9, 2018.
• Housing Underproduction in California. October 10, 2018.
• Housing Underproduction in Oregon. October 10, 2018.
• Housing Underproduction in Washington State. January 28, 2020.