Affordable housing ranks among the pressing issues outlined in a new blueprint for managing the growth of Texas’ metro areas.

The Texas Metropolitan Blueprint, crafted by a coalition of policy institutes in the Lone Star State and unveiled February 5, lays out a five-year plan for tackling concerns related to housing, land use, economic development, energy, natural resources, infrastructure, and artificial intelligence in the state’s 26 metro areas.

The blueprint project was led by three colleges or university entities: the LBJ School of Public Affairs Urban Lab at the University of Texas at Austin, the George W. Bush Institute-SMU Economic Growth Initiative, and the Hobby School of Public Affairs at the University of Houston. A bipartisan group of more than 175 leaders in Texas’ government, business, and nonprofit sectors — representing all 26 metro areas — further developed the blueprint’s approaches for coping with growth in urban areas.

“This collaboration reflects the best of Texas: bold ideas, rigorous research, and a shared commitment to keeping our metros as engines of innovation and opportunity,” said Steven Pedigo, faculty director of the LBJ Urban Lab at UT Austin, in a news release. “After 30 years of steady urban population growth, Texas has reached a crossroads, and the decisions we make now will shape the state’s future for generations to come.”

Growing pains
Since 2010, Texas has gained 4 million new residents, and projections indicate another 17 million people will arrive by 2050, according to the release.

“While this growth fuels opportunity, it also brings pressing challenges,” the news release says. “Outdated land-use policies, rising housing costs, and infrastructure strains — often exacerbated by extreme weather — could threaten the state’s future. Additionally, emerging technologies such as AI and electric vehicles could double energy demand, while workforce and income disparities persist.”

Housing costs
The rise in housing costs is top of mind for many current and prospective Texans. According to an October report from the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, median home prices across the state rose about 40 percent between 2019 and 2023.

“Price increases were widespread across Texas metro areas, particularly in smaller metro areas. Brownsville-Harlingen experienced the largest increase during this period, jumping 73 percent,” the report says.

Creators of the blueprint note that 90 percent of Texans consider housing affordability a significant issue.

Pablo Pinto, director of the University of Houston’s Center for Public Policy, says that for housing and other matters, the blueprint “not only outlines strategies and policies for state, local and business leaders to consider, but also delivers an action-oriented playbook with clear steps and priorities.”

Steps forward
The blueprint makes 27 recommendations for coping with growth in Texas’ metro areas. To address the soaring cost of housing, the blueprint suggests:

• Regulatory reform: Promoting so-called “market rate” housing by easing regulatory barriers. This type of housing, either owned or rented residences, is not subsidized by government funding.
• Living on the edge: Advocating for “smart” expansion of growing metro areas. “Localities on the outer edges of expanding metro areas should encourage smart growth by allowing a diverse range of housing types,” the blueprint says.
• Improving programs: Reforming Texas’ Low-Income Housing Tax Credit and Public Facility Corporation programs to make them more attractive to residential real estate developers.
• Low income help: Boosting the affordability of rental housing for families with extremely low incomes.
• Stronger workforce: Expanding workforce development to encourage more skilled workers in the homebuilding industry.
• Aiding homeowners: Improving policies that support homeownership.
• Addressing homelessness: Continuing to reduce the state’s homeless population.

“Texas' future hinges on the success of its metros,” said J.H. Cullum Clark, director of the Bush Institute-SMU Economic Growth Initiative. “This [blueprint] unites diverse voices and actionable solutions to strengthen our workforce, enhance infrastructure, and prepare for tomorrow’s challenges.”