Louisiana is Holding Steady in Affordability and Homebuilding: Can Governor Landry Build More Momentum?

"Louisiana's housing market is stable but showing signs of strain as construction costs and insurance challenges weigh on affordability. The state earned a B-on the Realtor.com® State-by-State Housing Report Card, part of the Let America Build campaign measuring how effectively states balance affordability and new construction. While Louisiana continues to offer relatively accessible home prices, its pace of new development has slowed-testing whether recent policy efforts can keep supply moving."

"In a post on his Truth Social platform in early October, he accused major builders of hoarding lots to prop up prices-likening them to OPEC, which restricts oil output to maintain high prices. "They're my friends ... but now, they can get Financing, and they have to start building Homes. They're sitting on 2 Million empty lots, A RECORD," Trump wrote. He urged Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to intervene and "get Big Homebuilders going" to "restore the American Dream.""

"Louisiana scored 61.3 overall, placing it squarely in the middle of the national rankings. The median listing price stood at $278,215 in 2024, well below the U.S. average, while the median household income of $58,060 gives residents moderate buying power. The Realtor Affordability Score came in at 0.77, suggesting the market remains affordable for many households but increasingly vulnerable to cost pressures from insurance and materials. The state's construction metrics tell a story of slow but steady progress."

Louisiana earned a B on the Realtor.com® State-by-State Housing Report Card with an overall score of 61.3, placing the state in the national middle. The median listing price of $278,215 in 2024 and a median household income of $58,060 produce moderate buying power and a Realtor Affordability Score of 0.77. New home permit activity equals roughly 1% of the national total, matching population share, but the pace of development has slowed. Rising construction material costs and insurance challenges are straining affordability and testing whether policy efforts can sustain homebuilding and housing supply.

Read at SFGATE