Amid surging rents, rising construction costs, and entrenched zoning barriers, the U.S. continues to grapple with a worsening affordable housing shortage. Policymakers and advocates are increasingly exploring prefabricated housing, zoning reform, and financial innovations as potential solutions. To better understand the origins of today’s housing crisis and where the path forward may lie, Washington CORE spoke with Dr. Casey J. Dawkins, professor of Urban Studies and Planning at the University of Maryland.

In this interview, Dr. Dawkins delineated the roots of today’s housing shortage, explained how states are experimenting with zoning reform, and discussed the potential of manufactured and modular housing.