Economy

Want affordable housing? Get government out of the way

August 3, 2026

Jonathan Small

A recent Pew Research Center survey found that 89 percent of adults under 40 say it’s harder for young adults today to buy a home than it was for their parents’ generation.

The reasons for this are varied and complex, but a significant share of the blame lies with the government itself.

A new report by the Hern Policy Institute, "Burdens & Buyers: A Comparison of State Burdens on Homeownership," merits policymakers’ consideration. The report compares key cost burdens on homeownership across all 50 states and offers concrete solutions. 

"This comparison is aimed at helping individuals and families better understand where their government is contributing to rising homeownership costs," writes study author Robert Aery, executive director of the Hern Policy Institute.

The good news is that Oklahoma ranks 15th overall in terms of total state policy burdens on housing. Compared to high-burden states like New Jersey and Massachusetts, Oklahoma remains relatively competitive.

Unfortunately, Oklahoma ranks a disappointing 38th when it comes to burdens on construction—and that is where the crisis is being felt most acutely. Bureaucratic delays, excessive permitting requirements, and inflexible zoning rules add cost and time to every home that gets built in this state. Every month a builder spends waiting for permits is a month that housing supply falls further behind demand. That gap is what drives prices up, and it is a gap that the government created.

"From streamlining their permitting process to providing more flexibility to developers in their zoning structures," Aery writes, "the data reveals that many states have plenty of room to remove burdens on their homeowners." Oklahoma is one of them. Modernizing and streamlining our building permit process should be an urgent priority.

Tax relief is also part of the solution—and not just property taxes. Aery identifies income tax reduction as "an additional lever to pull" to generate meaningful relief for homeowners and aspiring homeowners alike.

Oklahoma is already on the path to phasing out its state income tax. We should stay the course and, indeed, accelerate the process. Every dollar left in a working family's pocket is a dollar closer to a down payment.

The broader pattern here is not unique to Oklahoma. Economist Mark J. Perry has tracked the percentage price changes of various goods and services relative to overall inflation and wages from January 2000 to June 2026. The results are striking. 

TVs, toys, software, and cell phone services—all largely free from heavy government involvement—have become more affordable. 

Meanwhile, hospital services, college tuition, daycare, and housing—all heavily regulated or subsidized by the government—have become more expensive. 

Perry sums it up nicely: “The greater the degree of government involvement in the provision of a good or service, the greater the price increases over time.”

We must not allow taxes and bureaucratic inefficiency to price young Oklahoma families out of their future.