While each state's housing situation is unique, and there are no "one-size-fits-all" solutions, governors share some common strategies for make housing more affordable and available. As a first step, several governors have sought to raise the prominence of housing on their policy agendas. They have engaged residents, communities, and business leaders in a critical conversation about housing that reaches beyond traditional housing advocates and developers to a broader range of stakeholders -- including public and private sector employers, teachers, direct-care workers, first responders, community leaders, and local officials.

In addition to making housing a priority issue, governors have taken the lead in implementing a range of available housing-related strategies to improve communities. States have done much more than improve traditional housing programs. Governors have linked housing to other key programs, including support programs for seniors and families, infrastructure and economic development programs, and community revitalization programs. They also have undertaken regulatory reforms designed to make it easier to develop quality housing that is available for the full range of economic classes.

These innovative state strategies can be grouped into six categories:
-- Coordinating programs and resources
-- Linking housing and development policies
-- Promoting redevelopment of older neighborhoods
-- Reducing regulatory costs of housing development
-- Implementing zoning reform to promote affordable housing
-- Building community and family stability through housing initiatives