Home prices nationwide keep skyrocketing, despite continuous hikes in interest rates by the Federal Reserve, writes Andrew Van Dam for The Washington Post.

While the simplest solution would be to boost supply, that has not been happening and available homes remain at a record low.

When it comes to Pennsylvania, a look at the number of building permits issued recently shows that the Keystone State is among the ones adding the least amount of new housing inventory.

A look at where the most permits were issued nationwide shows an interesting political element: the majority of permits were issued in Republican counties.

One explanation is the availability of land. Bigger cities, such as Philadelphia, which are usually Democratic, do not have as much land available for new construction.

Meanwhile, the nation’s rural parts, which skew Republican, still have plenty of land that can be developed.

Additionally, the lack of land in urban areas can lead to stricter development regulations and higher building costs.

In Philadelphia, from 2013 to 2018, zoning and related restrictions added $76,672 to the cost of a quarter-acre lot.

Read more about the issue in The Washington Post.

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