Publications

Starter Home Strategies Policy Brief

New! Casita Coalition partnered with Charles Gardner of Mercatus Center to gather proven strategies from around the U.S. that have brought down the cost of starter homes. With just 15% of Californians able to afford homeownership, the situation is critical. The report offers a road map for policymakers, advocates and planners to make the changes needed to bring back this essential housing type to our communities.

The report is available in two versions: the complete policy brief and an infographic visual summary.

Build the Middle Playbook

Middle housing has long been a part of the American landscape. Duplexes, townhomes, bungalow courts, and other neighborhood-scale home types allowed families from all economic backgrounds to thrive in a community. But decades of exclusionary zoning and over 100 years of governmental focus on single detached houses have limited available housing options. By reimagining our neighborhoods, millions of new homes can be added to meaningfully address the housing supply shortage and the affordability challenges it creates.

We partnered with Zillow to write a Playbook of lessons learned, best practices and proven strategies.

Who is it for?

The Playbook is for those who want to make change happen iand bring middle housing solutions to their communities. From housing advocates to legislators or everyday people, this playbook is for the changemakers who want to improve the affordability and availability of homes in their neighborhoods.

It's time to build for the future. Let’s create affordable, thriving neighborhoods together.

California Community Builders: Publications

At Casita Coalition’s 2025 Build the Middle National convening, we announced our exciting merger with California Community Builders, a high-impact nonprofit organization working on closing the racial wealth gap by focusing on the core issue of housing and homeownership. In 2026, we’ll be continuing to integrate their programs and publications into our work, as we move forward together in our mission. See below for a taste of their excellent research publications. More coming soon!

Join Casita Coalition and build the middle with us