Welcoming Neighbors Network
A network of local organizations working to fix the US housing shortage. Our members win pro-housing policy change. We can help you do the same. welcomingneighbors.us.
- Small village, big heart. ❤️ Despite "baked-in" zoning barriers to affordable housing across the region, Jordan, NY, is showing that every community has room to say yes.
- As our friends at 10K Friends of Pennsylvania put it, "When the problem is statewide, the solution has to be statewide." 🏗️
- 10 years is too long to wait for a home. ⏳ VA is advancing reforms to make it easier for faith-based organizations to build affordable housing, but there's more work ahead to get them across the finish line.
- MD voters have spoken: housing is the top concern for 2026. 📈 Lawmakers have a huge opportunity this session to address those concerns with meaningful reforms that allow more starter and silver homes.
- Last night, Missoula, Montana notched a HUGE zoning reform win. They achieved: 1️⃣ Shifted single-family only zones to 4 to 12 homes per lot (depending on zone) 2️⃣ Reduced minimum lot sizes 3️⃣Eliminated (❗) parking mandates citywide (‼️) ...And more!
- Read all about it:
- ❌ Working in silos is part of what got us to this housing shortage. State, local, and private sectors working together is a winning strategy in our book, too. Let's go, VA! 🤩
- Allowing starter homes on smaller lots ➡️ building homes that everyone can afford. Let's make it reality.
- Starter homes are disappearing in MA. This ballot question could help bring them back by legalizing smaller lot sizes statewide. www.bostonglobe.com/2026/01/10/o...
- Trading asphalt for affordability 🥳 Bellevue, WA, is reviewing outdated parking mandates to align with state law and clear the way for more affordable homes in thriving neighborhoods.
- 19 states and counting get it: Data-driven building codes that allow for single-stair construction in smaller apartment buildings aren't just a trend, they're smart policy. 📈
- We have a great opportunity to bring back "missing middle" housing and trade red tape for more neighbors and thriving communities. ✨
- The status quo isn't just unaffordable, it's boring. Restrictive zoning blocks the charm and variety that makes houses feel more like homes. 🌹
- Florida's 2026 legislative session will take up an exciting slate of pro-housing reforms, including ADUs 🎉 By allowing ADUs in every neighborhood, we can create the flexible, affordable homes that working families in the Sunshine State deserve.
- Housing affordability is taking center stage in VA's legislative session! Bills like HB 262 (ending wasteful parking mandates) will unlock the affordable home choices that Virginians need. 🚘 ➡️ 🏘️
- BIG things are brewing in Chapel Hill. Winning a major package of zoning reforms is a great sign of what's to come for the pro-homes movement in 2026 🎉
- For the first time in decades, Chapel Hill and #Carrboro are moving toward real zoning reform 🏘️ Their councils are likely to legalize small infill homes, eliminate housing barriers, and break from the old anti-growth playbook 🌱 Read more: 👉loom.ly/3R5vK2o #ChapelHill #yimby #housing
- Thank you for being a... roommate? 🎶 Even the Golden Girls would be excluded from some PA towns because of zoning rules that ban unrelated people from living together. Love seeing flexible, creative ways to make housing more accessible for everyone. 🔑
- More ADUs ➡️ more home types ➡️ more people able to afford a home that meets their needs.
- Manufactured homes are high-quality, affordable, and a key tool for addressing the housing shortage. Time to look beyond the stigmas and make these homes a viable option in every ZIP code. 🗺️
- It’s a shame "rich towns" wasted taxpayer money fighting the inevitable. ⚖️ The court was clear: NJ law requires every town to allow affordable homes to be built. Seniors, people with disabilities, and low-income families deserve to live in the community of their choosing.
- The classic starter home is disappearing, leaving today’s buyers stranded. We can’t fix it overnight, but we can start by ✅ lifting bans on smaller home types and ✅ cutting the red tape that stops more housing from being built. It's time to bring the starter home back. 🔑
- By clearing the path for more home choices near jobs and transit, New York is making room for a more affordable, sustainable future for everyone. 🗽🌱
- Big news for Florida! ☀️ Backyard cottages and in-law suites are one step closer to being legal statewide. More homes means stronger, more connected communities for everyone. 🏘️✨
- Our friends at @housingfwdco.bsky.social share 9️⃣ powerful ways that pro-homes policies are good for the economy and the environments we live in and love ♥️
- Listen now: Let's Build Homes leaders explain how VT lawmakers can clear the path for more affordable housing 🔊
- That vacant office building in downtown D.C. that’s been empty for years? Let's build homes. 🏢 ➡️ 🏠 Converting underused office space into apartments is one way to help people afford homes near where they work. Read More ➡️
- Mayors in Baltimore, Boston, and Cleveland delivered more homes—and got more votes 🗳️ Local leaders take note: pro-housing policy isn't just smart, it's a priority for voters ✅
- A must watch: our friends at @sightline.org explain the elevator policy fixes needed to unlock more inclusive, affordable homes 🛗
- The United States has the fewest elevators in the rich world, with Canada only a bit ahead. We teamed up with @uytaelee.bsky.social of About Here Videos to investigate why, exactly, North America sucks at elevators.
- Those closed pharmacies sitting empty on SF street corners? They could be homes! 💊 ➡️ 🏘️ As a city's needs change, creating flexibility to turn shuttered retail into new housing is a win for the neighborhood and a win for affordability.
- The "McMansion effect"—or the drive to have the biggest house on the block—can actually diminish our happiness. Bigger isn’t always better, especially if it isolates us from friends, family, and the amenities we love. More space is no substitute for connection. 🏘️ 🫂
- "To redefine 'normal' is not to abandon tradition; it’s to reimagine our built environment for today’s realities. Families still want comfort, safety, and belonging. But they also want time: time to walk their kids to school, to know their neighbors, to spend less of life behind a windshield."
- 🏘️ Families are struggling to afford homes; but single-stair apartments could change that. This design shift could create walkable neighborhoods, shorten commutes, and ease the housing crunch📈 👉 Read more here: loom.ly/QEA0a2c 📚Learn more from Single Stair NC: loom.ly/5fHV1Nc
- 2025 was a 🎉 landmark 🎉 year for pro-housing wins. Check out a few highlights from experts at Mercatus Center.
- Quick, efficient ADUs = better choices for families that want to live close. Opening doors for families of all shapes and sizes! 🔑 🚪
- Our member organization @neighborswelcomeri.bsky.social isn't just optimistic, they're putting in the work 🛠️ More homes for more neighbors in RI!
- “If we want strong local economies, thriving small businesses, and the ability to attract and keep talent, we must ensure workers can live near their jobs.”
- Our friends at @ggwash.org reflect on a hard-fought win in MoCo and explain what’s still needed.
- YIGBY momentum grows in TX 📈 By repurposing underused property, congregations can continue their legacy of service and breathe new life into their neighborhoods. It’s a win for housing and a win for community. ✨
- Building an ADU in Maine just got easier! 🌲🏘️ A new website helps homeowners add extra units for elderly parents, adult children, or rental income. As the need for affordable homes continues to rise, these "backyard homes" are a vital solution.
- While we celebrate our wins, pro-housing work doesn't end there. We’re rolling up our sleeves for the next phase: making sure these policies are enforced and improved so that everyone actually gets the keys to a home they can afford. 🗝️
- One way to make homes more affordable? Build faster! 🛠️ NYC is exploring modular homes to cut construction time and drive down costs. An innovative strategy for a more affordable city!
- Felicity Maxwell at @texansforhousing.bsky.social and Alex Brennan at @futurewise.bsky.social show that statewide housing standards can work. ✨ Legalizing homes near transit and job centers doesn't just build housing; it connects people to opportunity and lowers the cost of living.
- 📋 Survey says… Support for homes in convenient, connected communities is at an all-time high, with broad appeal across all age groups. Maybe we should just build more homes in convenient places??
- “Communities with limited housing options before disasters become even more constrained afterward. People can’t ‘choose’ resilience if resilient places won’t let them build affordable housing.”
- Supporting affordable housing for the people our communities rely on, like teachers, should be common sense.
- The first major update to Green Bay’s zoning code since 2006 is a move in the right direction! New ordinances allow for more home types on smaller lots and in more places.
- Bend, OR’s policy reforms are now bringing hundreds more homes onto the market! More homes that are more affordable, in convenient communities—that’s a major win in our book.
- Thoughtful community engagement ➡️ better housing policy ➡️ brighter future for all 🌟
