Key facts
- AI can help improve housing industry productivity, which has been falling since the 1970s.
- AI tools can help analyze zoning information to identify where housing can be built.
- Seattle's AI pilot for permit applications could cut intake review time by about 50%.
- Honolulu projects using AI reached permit decisions in an average of 32.5 days, down from 73.
- One company claims its AI-driven process can cut construction costs by a third and deliver homes three times faster.
- Los Angeles County's homelessness prevention program reduced shelter entry by 71% for participants.
Artificial intelligence can help address the nation's housing crisis by improving productivity and speeding up development, according to an analysis by Valerie White, who leads national housing strategic initiatives at LISC. While AI has environmental and energy impacts, its ability to create efficiencies can be applied to housing development, preservation, and services.
AI tools are being experimented with to analyze complex zoning information, potentially reducing the time planners spend on data collection and interpretation. Seattle has piloted an AI tool for construction permit applications that could cut intake review time by about half and correction cycles by 35%. In Honolulu, AI-powered systems reduced permit decision times for residential projects to an average of 32.5 days from 73 days.
Machine learning, robotics, and automation are also being used to reduce building costs, with one company claiming its process can cut costs by a third and deliver homes three times faster. AI models can also identify properties at risk of loss due to financial distress or deferred maintenance, allowing intervention. Los Angeles County used a predictive model to identify residents at high risk of homelessness, connecting them to prevention services and reducing shelter entry by 71%.