Cities Cut Red Tape to Promote Office-to-Housing Conversions

Nearly 20% of office space in the U.S. is vacant, prompting cities to convert unused offices into housing to address economic and housing shortages. Efforts include reducing approval times, offering tax incentives, and easing building codes. Despite these initiatives, conversions have only produced over 22,000 apartments since 2016, a small fraction of the total housing inventory. Some states face legislative hurdles, but experts anticipate increased conversion efforts to provide affordable housing for underserved communities.