Obstruct growth in deregulated housing (6)

I believe the answer is:

hinder

'obstruct' is the definition.
('hinder' can be a synonym of 'obstruct')

'growth in deregulated housing' is the wordplay.
'housing' indicates a hidden word (part of the clue houses the answer).
'HINDER' is hidden in the letters of 'growth in deregulated'.

(Other definitions for hinder that I've seen before include "Impede, keep back" , "Obstruct, create obstacle" , "Delay progress, obstruct" , "block" , "stop" .)

I've seen this clue in The Independent.

Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.