Shopping malls transform into housing communities as developers tackle nationwide shortage

Traditional shopping malls, once bustling centers of commerce, are now being converted into mixed-use communities that incorporate residential housing, adding much-needed housing supply to the market.The move is far from solving the housing affordability crisis – a challenge that requires multiple systemic changes – but some industry experts say it still helps address the housing shortage, particularly in states where the problem is more severe, such as New Jersey and Florida, according to a recent report from Realtor.com.Hannah Jones, Realtor.com's senior economic research analyst, told FOX B