Washington, D.C. – The nation’s housing crisis continued to be a top issue on the second day of the U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) Winter Meeting, with mayors emphasizing its threat to America’s thriving cities, discussing potential solutions, and examining the results of a new survey that found the crisis to be expansive and worsening. 

“This is a national crisis that cities all across this nation are dealing with,” said USCM Second Vice President San Diego (CA) Mayor Todd Gloria at the morning’s breakout session on the new housing survey. “It calls out for national action.”

The survey of 120 cities in 43 states, conducted by USCM and the American Institute of Architects (AIA), found that among the surveyed cities alone, the housing shortfall is expected to grow by more than two million units over the next five years, unless Congress acts. Mayors noted they are pulling every local lever possible to lower costs and increase construction – with some touting regulatory reform, such as simplifying their building code to lower construction costs for new housing.

 “We had a bunch of outdated practices, and we determined that was where we needed to make changes. One of the first was in permitting and site planning,” said Austin (TX) Mayor Kirk Watson. “That is where you start, because I promise you, no matter how good it is in your city, it can be made better.”

However, mayors said real progress will require substantive federal support. Seeking areas for further aid, mayors pointed to existing affordability programs: the low-income housing credit, housing vouchers, Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), and the HOME program – all of which need more money and fewer strictures, mayors said.

The American Institute of Architects echoed the calls for housing to be a top priority for the new Congress and incoming administration.

“Without swift, decisive action at every level of government, the housing shortfall will grow by millions of units in the next five years,” said AIA President Evelyn Lee. “Addressing this challenge requires a federal response that matches the scale of the problem – the largest and most comprehensive in housing in our nation’s history.”

Beyond housing, local leaders discussed other timely issues.  

During a panel discussion led by Kansas City (MO) Mayor Quinton Lucas, mayors touted positive trends in public safety thanks to local interventions and new federal laws against gun violence. Mayor Lucas celebrated significant drops in deadly crime, such as Kansas City’s 20 percent decrease in homicides. He, his fellow mayors, and visiting experts also identified areas for further action, pointing to a rise in non-fatal shootings, the persistence of mass shootings, and lagging public sentiment on the state of safety in cities. 

Elsewhere, mayors zeroed in on immigration during a panel led by Tucson (AZ) Mayor Regina Romero. They contemplated potential local impacts of the incoming Trump administration’s immigration policy, listed potential enforcement responses, and discussed how cities are managing new migrant inflows. “We can learn from one another. Share the ideas you are putting out there,” said Mayor Romero.

Later in the afternoon, mayors discussed infrastructure grants and the importance of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) at a gathering of the Local Infrastructure Hub, a partnership between the USCM, Bloomberg Philanthropies, and Results for America. “It is important that we tell our stories and share how the BIL is impacting our cities and residents,” said Montgomery (AL) Mayor Steven Reed.

The Winter Meeting concludes on Sunday.