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Washington Post Examines Imbalance Between New Jobs and Housing

Local governments across the country are always working hard to attract more jobs. But those same local governments are not so quick to approve the housing that new workers will need. The discrepancy between job growth and housing demand is creating real hardship for millions of families, forcing many to commute long distances or to spend far too much for housing.

A three-part series by Washington Post staff writer Peter Whoriskey explains the politics behind the housing crunch and how the jobs-housing imbalance affects families. Whoriskey’s series focuses on the Washington, D.C. region, but the story is the same in countless cities across America.

The series begins with a look at affluent Montgomery County, MD, where the pace of job growth far outpaces the number of housing units approved by the county government. Whoriskey writes about growth in the County’s Clarksburg area:

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“The master plan approved by Montgomery County leaders permits enough office space and shops to employ 40,000 workers. But it deliberately does not provide for enough housing for all of those workers — fewer than 15,000 new homes. By the time Clarksburg is completed, homes for thousands of workers will have to be built elsewhere.

"But where? The answer resounding from county governments across the Washington region these days is: not here.”

Part II of the series looks at how the jobs-housing imbalance is forcing a growing number of families to commute long distances from home to work. Part III addresses the debate over density.

To read the series, click here. You will be asked to register for the Washington Post web site. Registration is free. The link to these articles will become inactive after Aug. 22.

For more information on this story or the land use issues it covers, e-mail Blake Smith at NAHB or call him at 800-368-5242 x8583.
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