One of the latest trends in the “tenants’ rights” movement is to provide free legal representation for tenants facing eviction. Washington state has passed such a law and other states are considering doing so. As with nearly everything associated with “housing justice,” these laws will ultimately create a host of new problems. As one example,…
When government moves beyond its proper purpose of protecting individual rights, the law often becomes a morass of confusion and contradiction. A law recently passed in Montgomery County, Maryland illustrates this point. The Housing Justice Act was unanimously approved by the county council in an effort to reduce homelessness in the county. The law prohibits…
Politicians are often exhorted to follow the “will of the people”—to take those actions that are supported by a majority of citizens. This is a very dangerous idea because it can justify virtually any kind of injustice. To illustrate this, consider a recent article in the Summit Daily in Colorado. The article states that “most…
Like many cities in America, St. Paul, Minnesota, is suffering from a severe shortage of affordable housing. And, as happens in many cities across the nation, some neighborhood groups in St. Paul are opposing a project that would provide homes for 144 low-income families. Opponents to the project would prefer a vacant lot rather than…
Companies like Airbnb and Vrbo have captured a lot of business that would have previously gone to hotels and resorts. Unable to compete with short-term rental (STR) companies like Airbnb, hotels and resorts are using their political connections to ban, regulate, and/or tax STRs. Nevada is the latest state to consider regulating and taxing STRs….
In February 2021, Dr. Zeena Shelal’s husband, Sam, was diagnosed with COVID-19. His condition soon deteriorated and in mid-February he was admitted to the hospital. Over the next two weeks, Sam’s condition grew worse. Zeena was told that his condition was critical and that Sam might not survive. On March 9, Sam was discharged from…
Housing advocates are increasingly talking about the imbalance of power between landlords and tenants. To provide a better “balance” of power, these advocates are calling for laws that restrict landlords and give more power to tenants. These advocates fail to distinguish between economic power and political power. Ayn Rand explained the difference between economic power…
A movement is underway to pressure the Biden Administration to waive global intellectual property (IP) rights to COVID vaccines developed in the United States. Such a waiver, the argument goes, would allow facilities around the world to begin making vaccines and saving lives. According to one commentator on the issue, “The only argument against lifting…
Given my vehement opposition to zoning, one might think that I would be cheering a plan from the Biden Administration aimed at reducing single-family zoning. But there is little reason to cheer this plan. Biden has not suddenly become an advocate of property rights. The stated goal of Biden’s plan is to allow greater housing…
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…
In recent years we have heard a great deal of criticism regarding the economic and racial segregation of America’s cities. While much has been written on the subject, The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America by Richard Rothstein provides an illuminating explanation as to why this has occurred. Much…