LANSING, Mich. — Lawmakers today unveiled a broad housing reform package that makes it legal to build more types of housing in more areas, gets rid of absurd and unnecessary regulations and speeds up the approval process for housing providers.

Michigan housing prices have nearly doubled in recent years and increased faster than the rest of the nation because supply has not kept up with demand. Many families can’t afford a home and people wanting to move to Michigan aren’t able to find a place to live. Lawmakers are addressing some of these issues through these proposed laws.

The housing reform package includes bills that would do the following:

• Allowing multiple homes on single lots across the state (like duplexes and Accessory Dwelling Units).

• Limiting the ability for local government to mandate a minimum number of parking spots.

• Preventing municipalities from allowing seemingly endless studies and petitions that delay housing being built.

• Getting rid of overly burdensome rules requiring stringent setback requirements, maximum lot sizes and minimum home sizes.

“Michigan’s housing shortage isn’t an accident — it’s the result of policy choices that make building homes harder and more expensive than it needs to be,” said Jarrett Skorup, vice president of marketing and communications at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. “This package eliminates some of these barriers to help creates more opportunities for affordable and accessible housing.”