JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – The Mississippi Senate and House Housing Committees held a joint meeting Thursday morning to hear from those in the industry.

“We should have starter homes. We must have homes for workers. We must have affordable housing,” said Senator John Horhn, Chairman of the Housing Committee.

Housing is considered unaffordable when costs reach 30% of a family’s monthly income. Mississippi’s housing rate is currently at 50%.

Some of the issues causing high housing rates include high insurance costs, restricted land use and zoning regulations, and construction costs.

John Sullivan, Director of State and Local Policy for Corporate Community Partners, says more homes need to be built across the country.

“The problem we face is largely a housing supply problem. “We, as a nation, cannot build enough houses,” he said.

When asked during Thursday’s debate what lawmakers could do to help developers, everyone responded that they needed more funding.

As it stands now, the state does not provide much funding for housing. Most of the available funding comes from the federal government.

“We’re hoping that with the help of more funding from the state, we can get some things passed to make sure that the people who need these homes can get them,” said Rep. Carl Mickens, chairman of the Housing Committee.

“The state needs to take a more active role in solving the housing resources problem in Mississippi,” Horhn said.

According to Horhn, his committee plans to reintroduce the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program

He also hopes to allocate some capital expenditure funding to housing during next year’s legislature.

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