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Property Wrongs
A neighborhood association in Boise is fighting a proposal to develop a 226-unit subdivision. The Northwest Neighborhood Association (NWNA) contends that the development would prejudice its “substantial rights to ‘open space and rural character.’” Rights pertain to freedom of action. If one desires to live in a neighborhood with open space and a rural character,…
Get Out of Their Way
Cities across the country are relaxing their zoning regulations, and particularly single-family zoning, to address the affordable housing crisis. Some cities, such as Minneapolis, have completely done away with single-family zoning. And the Biden Administration has suggested that local governments will be required to relax their zoning regulations if they want to receive certain federal…
Unleashing a Gusher of Affordable Housing
In the late nineteenth century, self-taught geologist Patillo Higgins concluded that a salt dome in Beaumont contained oil. Geological experts scoffed at Higgins’ claim and publicly urged investors to avoid him. When Spindletop erupted as the world’s first “gusher” in January 1901, Higgins proved the experts wrong. In helping to launch the Texas oil industry,…
The Forgotten Victims of the Lockdowns
Since early in the pandemic, we have heard countless stories of the hardships faced by renters due to the lockdowns. Thrown out of work, many tenants were unable to pay their rent. In response, the federal government, along with many state and local governments, imposed eviction moratoriums. We heard virtually nothing about the hardships that…
A State of Denial
In November 2021, voters in St. Paul approved one of the nation’s most stringent rent control laws. The law was later amended to loosen the controls slightly. However, that did little to motivate the construction of new housing. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) reports that building permits in St. Paul fell…
Rights are not a Privilege
An opinion piece in the San Bernardino Sun essentially claims that zoning is an application of property rights: When someone “owns” property, they own a “bundle” of ancillary rights. Bundle of rights is a term for a group of legal privileges granted to the owner at the time of purchase. The bundle contains ownership. Right…