Housing prices across the state have been slowly coming down over the past several weeks, but are still very high. And that has put housing out of reach for many prospective buyers and renters. The Show is taking a look at the housing situation as part of an occasional series; today, the role cities play.

The city of Phoenix recently announced steps to help streamline the plan review and permitting processes for single-family residential developments. But former Phoenix mayor Paul Johnson says in general, cities have to do more to help projects get off the ground. 

Johnson served as mayor of Phoenix in the early '90s, and says cities oftentimes don't recognize the direct impact they can have on constraining supply and increasing housing prices. He doesn’t think they do it intentionally, but they still impact supply, because of the amount of time it takes to get through their processes and regulations.

The Show spoke with Johnson before Phoenix’s announcement and asked if cities really make it unnecessarily difficult or long for housing to be built.

More stories from the Out of Reach series

• Out of Reach: Prospective homebuyers are waiting for signs of hope in Arizona's housing market
• Out of Reach: Housing prices have turned this Phoenix family into 'modern nomads'
• Out of Reach: This longtime Sunnyslope resident feels pushed out by rising rents
• Out of Reach: The highs and lows of Phoenix's housing market