Proof that it's the permits that matter

Am interesting little statistic from over the Pond:

....in every year since 2007, the combined number of building permits issued for single-family homes in the Dallas and Houston MSAs has outnumbered all of the permits issued for single-family homes in the entire state of California.

The population of Dallas and Houston together is some 12 million. That of California some 39 million. The population density in Dallas and Houston is very much higher than that in California.

The median home price in Dallas is $150,000, in California $400,000.

It would seem that the solution to the problem of creating affordable housing is to issue more permits allowing people to build affordable housing.

It's all so complicated, isn't it? When there's more of something it seems to become cheaper. We'll have to see if we can find someone to codify this idea for us.....far too difficult to just be true in and of itself, surely?