Housing Policy · Interactive Explainer

How Mandates Change What Gets Built

Research & sources

Affordable housing mandates aim to create below-market units, but they also change what developers can build. The net effect depends on local market conditions — this simulator lets you explore the tradeoffs.

Affordable-unit rule0%

12 proposed apartment projects

All 12 still get built
3%
5%
7%
9%
11%
13%
15%
17%
20%
23%
27%
32%
Sorted by profit margin (labeled below each). ■ Market-rate■ Cancelled
How strong is local demand?

504

total affordable units

= no rule baseline

Projects viable

Out of 12 hypothetical

12

Required affordable

Created by the rule

0

No rule yet. All 12 projects move forward at market rate.