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Friday Roundup 6-25-21
City officials in Charleston, South Carolina want to pay homeowners to build accessory dwelling units (ADUs) on their property. Relaxing zoning regulations that limit or prohibit ADUs, also called granny flats or mother-in-law suites, is one way many cities are addressing the shortage of affordable housing. Ending the prohibition on ADUs is a proper step….
Profits Before People
On January 1, in response to rapidly rising housing costs, it became illegal for most foreigners to purchase a home in Canada. Last year, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s website proclaimed that “homes are for people, not investors.” According to Trudeau, investors are nothing more than greedy individuals who put profits before people. Not surprisingly, nothing…
The Siren Call of Altruism
In an opinion piece on Politico, housing advocates Cea Weaver and Paul Williams argue that “democrats would be fools to slash Biden’s housing plan.” At a proposed cost of $327 billion, that housing plan, along with other entitlements proposed by Biden, are part of “long-overdue expansions of the welfare state.” Not surprisingly, the authors do…
Balancing Power with a Gun
Housing advocates frequently talk about the imbalance of power between landlords and renters. Their solution is to use brute force to provide a more “equitable” balance. This policy is founded on the premise that individuals should experience the same results, regardless of their actions or character. As an example, a growing number of jurisdictions are…
Conceding Moral Premises
An Oakland couple was recently forced to pay $6,582 in order to reoccupy their own home. The military couple had been renting the house while stationed in Washington, D.C. An Oakland ordinance, passed in January of this year, requires landlords to pay tenants a “relocation” fee if the landlord wants to end a lease for…
When Bribery doesn’t Work, Try Compulsion
A Senate committee in Florida recently held a hearing about the state’s lack of low-income housing. They are concerned because nearly 900,000 Floridian households pay 50 percent of their income for housing (the standard for housing to be affordable is 30 percent of income). The committee heard testimony blaming several different groups. One blamed out-of-state…