Guide for Developing Housing on County-Owned Land
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This guide outlines how counties can strategically use their own vacant or underutilized land to help address the nationwide shortage of affordable housing. It walks county leaders through a structured process: identifying suitable parcels, evaluating zoning constraints, modeling financial feasibility through pro formas and selecting the right ownership and development structure. The report emphasizes how these steps—combined with understanding local infrastructure, neighborhood context and potential housing typologies—can reduce land and development costs while boosting long-term affordability.
By following the practices shared through NACo’s Counties for Housing Solutions program, counties can overcome common barriers, build public trust, attract developers and ultimately expand housing supply.
County Countdown – Nov. 4, 2025
Every other week, NACo's County Countdown reviews top federal policy advocacy items with an eye towards counties and the intergovernmental partnership.
Federal policy shifts spark housing policy talks at LUCC Symposium
Counties are looking at alternative ways to provide access to housing and supportive social services to their most vulnerable populations in the wake of federal funding cuts.
Senate Banking Committee advances bipartisan housing reform legislation
On July 29, the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs unanimously advanced the bipartisan Renewing Opportunity in the American Dream (ROAD) to Housing Act, representing a significant opportunity for counties to address housing challenges through expanded funding, streamlined regulations and new grant programs.
Counties fight child homelessness
Housing instability is undercutting the foundation for children’s development, and counties are trying to stem that tide with eviction prevention, rental assistance and youth-specific programming.