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When Tenants Become Vigilantes
When cases of COVID-19 began to rise in March, governments responded to the crisis by ordering businesses to close. When millions lost their job and were unable to pay the rent, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) responded to that crisis by imposing a moratorium on evictions for non-payment of rent. But the…
When Principles are Absent
Rent control hasn’t even taken effect in Boston, and already the consequences of rent control are being felt. Banker and Tradesman reports that building permits in Boston declined 94 percent between 2021 and 2022. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and others have claimed that rent control will not lead to less new housing construction, despite what…
Racism and Housing
Housing advocates frequently claim that racism explains the large gap in home ownership between whites and non-whites. To overcome this racism, they call for government programs to help non-whites purchase homes. It is true that past racism did deter home ownership among non-whites, but that fact must be considered in the full context. The source…
The Latest Fashion in Zoning
It has become fashionable among housing advocates to attack exclusionary zoning—zoning that that prohibits or excludes multi-family housing. While these attacks correctly point out that exclusionary zoning contributes to higher housing costs, advocates are calling for increased inclusionary zoning—zoning that compels developers to include housing for low-income families in new projects. Because these advocates are…
The Chickens are Coming Home
Throughout the pandemic, government officials have made policy decisions founded on short-term thinking. They have made decisions to solve an immediate problem while failing to consider the full context. It was inevitable that eventually the chickens would come home to roost. For example, when government forced businesses to close, tens of millions lost their jobs…
In Defense of Discrimination
In a previous post, we examined a Maryland law that prohibits landlords from asking prospective tenants about certain types of criminal convictions. Now, both Savannah, Georgia, and New Jersey are considering similar laws. Supporters claim that those with a criminal history face difficulties finding work and housing and this constitutes discrimination. Damn straight it is…