Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Monday signed three bipartisan measures aimed at easing the state’s housing shortage and lowering costs for homebuyers and renters. The bills—Senate Bill 15, Senate Bill 840 and House Bill 24—were enacted at a ceremony at the Capitol in Austin on 18 August. Senate Bill 15 bars cities from imposing large-lot requirements on five-acre or bigger tracts and limits setback, parking and other design mandates on small lots, paving the way for denser single-family construction. Senate Bill 840 permits mixed-use and multifamily development in areas currently zoned for offices, retail or warehouses and curbs municipal fees that can delay or raise the cost of projects. House Bill 24 overhauls Texas’s “valid petition” process, making it easier to approve zoning changes needed for additional housing supply. Abbott said the legislation “takes large steps to make the American dream of affording a home a reality,” crediting lawmakers and housing advocates for the package. Texas joins a growing number of U.S. states revamping zoning codes to address record population growth and soaring real-estate prices that have strained inventories, particularly in fast-growing urban centers such as Austin, Dallas and Houston.