The local housing context varies not only by regional housing market types but also by the tools available to cities, towns, and villages to address the needs of their communities. Based on our assessment of inclusionary housing, rent control, housing voucher holder protections, housing trust funds, and state tax incentive programs, cities in New York and California and the District of Columbia have more tools to address housing affordability than others. Cities in Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Texas, and Virginia have fewer.

In addition to the number of tools available to cities, the way these policies play out locally varies significantly by state. For example, in some states with local inclusionary housing, rent control restrictions limit the authority of cities to implement mandatory programs, whereas, in other states, this is not the case.