Cities cut red tape to turn unused office buildings into housing

Nearly a fifth of office space across the country sits empty, a record high vacancy rate that’s expected to keep growing.

Seeking both to boost their economies and ease their housing shortages, cities are taking steps to encourage the conversion of unused office space into much-needed housing. They include reductions in approval times, exemptions from affordable housing rules and changes in building code requirements. Some cities and states also are providing tax incentives or subsidies to developers.

Robbie Sequeira