Nightclubs can make for very poor neighbors. Loud noise, traffic, and drunken patrons can be disruptive to the residents of nearby homes. These types of nuisances are the basis for a controversy brewing in Abilene. A developer wants to build housing for low-income families near a nightclub. The club’s owner fears that the residents of…
A character in George Bernard Shaw’s play “Man and Superman” utters a sentence most of us have heard: “Those who can, do; those who can’t, teach.” That statement, of course, is not true. However, an adaptation of that statement is perhaps much more accurate: Those who can produce values, do; those who can’t, become a…
No solution to the housing crisis is without pros and cons. This is true of the myriad schemes proposed by government officials as well as free market solutions. Government programs do help some low-income families, but the demand for that assistance far exceeds the supply. As an example, over 20 million families are cost burdened…
In this series, we have examined many of the practical issues regarding the housing crisis. We have seen how market-oriented solutions can address many of the problems associated with that crisis. And while the free market is eminently practical when it comes to producing the values that humans want and need, the free market is…
Much of the discussion of housing policies for low-income families involves expanding government policies and programs. Expanding policies such as inclusionary zoning and rent control, along with increasing funds for housing vouchers, are among the policies most commonly advocated by housing activists. These policies are funded by taxpayers, and many individuals disagree with these types…
If we truly want to solve the affordable housing crisis, then we cannot look at each issue in isolation. We must consider the full context. The affordability of housing involves more than simply the cost of housing. It also includes an individual’s income. And, just as there are many restrictions on housing producers to build…
As rents soar in many parts of the country, government officials and housing advocates are increasingly looking to rent control—caps on what landlords may charge—to moderate prices. However, rent control ignores a basic principle of economics. One of the fundamental principles of economics is the law of supply and demand. This principle holds that if…
Across the nation, individuals want to live closer to the central city. They want easy access to restaurants, retail stores, and entertainment. They want shorter commutes to work and “walkable” communities. In response to this growing demand, developers and entrepreneurs are investing in neighborhoods, many of them impoverished, near the central city. As these investments…
Housing vouchers are a subsidy provided by the federal government and administered by local government housing officials. Vouchers allow low-income families to obtain better rental housing than they could otherwise afford. However, many landlords do not accept vouchers. Housing advocates say that “source of income” discrimination should be outlawed and landlords should be required to…
For a century, zoning has been used to segregate “incompatible” land uses. In most cities, each area of the city mandates that land be used for residential, commercial, or industrial purposes. And in most cities, much of the land (often over 60 percent) is zoned for single-family homes. Defenders of segregating land uses have long…
Across the nation, low-income families face a severe shortage of affordable housing. (Housing is considered affordable if it consumes 30 percent of less of a family’s income.) While there is widespread agreement that a problem exists, there is little agreement on the proper solution. Indeed, many of the proposed solutions conflict with one another and…
Writing in the Washington Times, George Mason University law professor Ilya Somin addresses the issue of “just compensation” required under the Fifth Amendment when eminent domain is used to seize property. Somin notes that courts typically equate “just compensation” with “fair market value.” However, many owners attach a value to their property far above what…