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BY Hunter Schwarz

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One state is preapproving a whole neighborhood’s worth of home designs in advance, and it’s a step that a growing number of local governments across the U.S. are taking to build more homes—and fast.

In Vermont, state officials are preparing a 10-home catalog called 802 Homes that’s named after the state’s sole area code and is expected to be released early next year. Once it’s out, the catalog’s blueprints will be free to use for home builders and developers, and since those designs have already been approved, they can expect to zip through the zoning and approval process.

The U.S. is short 10 million homes, the White House estimated in April, especially starter homes. To fill that gap, local governments have taken to preapproving building plans to get the ball rolling and reduce costs.…