Bucks County – and Pennsylvania as a whole – is not building enough new housing, driving up prices for both homebuyers and renters, writes Michaelle Bond for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
A new report by the Pew Charitable Trusts found that the Keystone State was No. 44 for share of homes approved to be built from 2017 to 2023 in the country.
In that period, municipalities in Bucks County and other collar counties issued a lower share of building permits than Philadelphia. As a result, suburban rents grew faster – 44 percent to 47 percent – than in the city – 30 percent.
Often, new construction is limited by local land-use rules.
In Doylestown, the municipal zoning rules require at least 80,000 square feet of land per single-family home – or almost two acres. If the land-use rules were changed, one lot currently zoned for a single-family home could accommodate 40 townhouses, each on a 2,000-square-foot lot.
“Where it’s been done, it’s worked,” said Seva Rodnyansky, a manager in Pew’s housing policy initiative.
Other recommendations in the Pew report include streamlining permitting, allowing more apartments near transit and commercial areas, and reducing or getting rid of parking minimums.
Read more about what’s driving Bucks County housing prices higher in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
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