Zillow Identifies Empty Lots as Key to Reducing U.S. Housing Shortage
Zillow has identified over 300,000 empty lots for sale in the U.S. that could help alleviate the national housing shortage. These lots, each five acres or fewer, represent 17.4% of all for-sale listings. Building homes on these lots could reduce the housing deficit from 4.7 million to 4.44 million homes, a 6.3% decrease. The typical lot is 0.57 acres with a median price of $79,000. Zillow suggests that loosening zoning rules and expanding access to financing could further reduce construction costs and uncertainty, potentially increasing housing availability. 
