There’s no silver-bullet solution to our housing crisis. It’s going to take a lot of big and small ideas to move the housing-construction needle here. With that in mind, here are two rather simple ideas to help build and preserve housing in these parts and across the U.S. … First, Jesús Fernández-Villaverde, senior fellow at University of Texas and economics professor at the University of Pennsylvania, writes that deleting just five words (“built on a permanent chassis”) from the Mobile Home Construction and Safety Standards Act of 1974 would “unlock vast” modular home construction and ownership potential in the U.S. – and not mobile-home potential. Think smaller modular homes in general. …  I’m not sure about the ‘vast’ potential part. Certainly not here in Massachusetts, home to some of the most fanatical and snobby NIMBY species in the country. But it’s an idea that could move the needle a bit. … I briefly addressed the modular-home issue last week. … Fernández-Villaverde piece via RCM. …

… The second idea comes via Jonathan Berk at B&T, who bemoans the loss of historic buildings and historic neighborhoods across the state and nation. The culprit: parking requirements. … Parking requirements hobble new housing construction in general. New Hampshire recently addressed this issue by passing legislation that prohibits towns from requiring more than one parking space per unit for residential construction. It’s one of many smart housing-related items recently passed by lawmakers up north. Massachusetts lawmakers, take note.