Unlocking homeownership with JD Zogg, AIA

JD Zogg, AIA, is a California-based architect who co-founded and co-chairs the AIA Orange County Housing Committee. On June 12 at AIA26, Zogg spoke about models of homeownership that don’t involve traditional single-family homes—yet may help more people become homeowners. His session was titled “Unlocking Homeownership: Alternative Models and the Housing Typologies of Tomorrow.”

For years, statistics about the housing industry have grown more alarming. Labor shortages, rising material costs, and increasing unaffordability have all played a role in depressing the homebuying market. 

The median age of a first-time homebuyer has risen to 40, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). That means “those buyers could still have a mortgage when they retire,” Zogg points out. “Building faster won’t fix it. We need more creative systems of ownership.” 

The desirability and challenge of homeownership

According to studies by NAR, people want to own homes for reasons ranging from the freedom that comes with owning something, to the stability and predictability homeownership offers, to the financial advantages of appreciation and equity. Other studies have shown that communities with higher homeowner rates are more stable, have higher civic engagement, and show more positive economic outcomes.

In the U.S., “our system of homeownership is very rudimentary. [You either] rent or own,” Zogg says. Most homeowners go the traditional route on their homebuying journey, featuring steps like trying to save money, getting gifts from family, and applying for a mortgage. 

But a 2025 Consumer Affairs report showed that in California, where the median household income is $100,149 and the median home price is $832,400, it would take a typical buyer 25 years to save for a 10% down payment. Even in Oklahoma, where household incomes and housing costs are lower, it would take nearly 11 years. 

But there are other paths toward homeownership, Zogg says. He highlights the following examples.

Community land trusts (CLTs)

In a CLT, a nonprofit entity holds the land and leases it to residents. Homeowners purchase their homes but lease the land beneath them, keeping costs lower. When residents sell, they retain some equity, while much of the land’s appreciation stays with the trust. Over time, the nonprofit owners reinvest in the community with new housing, infrastructure, and schools. Zogg says there are CLTs in Burlington, Vt., and in Belgium that show how architecture, planning, and community design tie together. 

Limited equity cooperatives

Limited equity cooperatives allow residents to buy into a collective ownership structure with restricted equity growth. This setup limits windfalls but keeps housing prices stable for future buyers.

Zogg admits there’s not a lot of love from developers, lenders, and private capital for these arrangements, but “we’ve gotten to a place where you can’t really do anything else because it’s so incredibly expensive that you have to limit equity growth and bring down the affordability table to where an average employee in a certain city can afford a home.” 

He says these models are common in Europe and are often located along transit corridors or in mixed-use contexts, encouraging walkable, community-focused design. They nudge architecture toward denser, more socially connected mixed-use spaces rather than single-family suburban sprawl.

Co-housing and co-living

Co-housing and co-living involve shared spaces and amenities, reshaping architecture at the unit level. For example, instead of each unit containing its own full kitchen and living room, residents might share common spaces for cooking, dining, and recreation. That shrinks both the building’s footprint and individuals’ footprint, which in turn boosts affordability through resource sharing.

Projects like Capitol Hill Urban Cohousing in Seattle and the Tomo House co-living development in Vancouver, British Columbia, show that these environments can foster strong social connection, especially among families raising children, who gain built-in community.

The challenge for architects lies in balancing privacy with shared spaces. For residents, there are challenges to ensuring healthy governance, Zogg says. Co-housing often requires more active resident participation than does a typical homeowners’ association.

Smaller standalone homes

Smaller home styles have lower material costs and are ultimately less expensive. And according to the National Association of Home Builders, “After a brief increase during the post-COVID building boom, home size has trended lower due to declining affordability conditions.”

Technologies such as 3D printing and modular construction are making smaller homes more feasible and affordable. For instance, companies like ICON are pioneering 3D-printed housing communities in Texas. Tiny homes and modular structures also reinforce affordability by reducing footprints and allowing for scale and speed in production. 

While smaller, repeatable designs save on materials and labor, “early developments can feel uniform or ‘fake,’” Zogg says. However, that concern fades once “landscaping matures and neighborhoods gain identity.”

Challenges ahead

Zogg acknowledges there are obstacles associated with each of these pathways. For instance, traditional lenders resist unproven models, and architects are under pressure to not just design structures but to help to create community identity, shared spaces, and other, sometimes intangible things that can keep residents in a neighborhood long-term. 

The most difficult sticking point may be Americans’ attachment to single-family houses and individual homeownership. But experimentation is needed to help address affordability and reshape housing culture.

How can architects respond, and where do they fit in with this constellation? “We can’t point the finger at others. We need to create the world we want to see by engaging earlier in the housing conversation not just as designers but as collaborators and advocates,” Zogg says, adding that architects may have to get involved in things they “didn’t go to school for like financial models. But if that makes communities better, then we should learn about them and take advantage of all the resources.”

Stacey Freed is a freelance writer focusing on architecture and design. She lives in Western New York.