It’s local housing regulations, stupid. The primary explanation for the large housing shortage in the United States is local zoning and building code regulations for new residential construction.

For the past 25 years, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has helped develop building codes, the construction standards that help houses survive hurricanes, wildfires and earthquakes. Now, ...

The tornadoes in the Midwest last weekend once again exposed the lack of national building standards. Regulations vary greatly from one locality to another. Last week's tornadoes in the South and ...