As I point out in my book, The Affordable Housing Crisis: Causes and Cures, for more than one hundred years housing policy has been dominated by the same flawed framework. Each “new” housing policy simply repeats policies that have previously failed. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is an example. He ran on a promise…
In my book, The Affordable Housing Crisis: Causes and Cures, I examine the framework that has dominated government housing policies for the past one hundred years. No matter which party is in power, government housing policies have consistently used a combination of carrots and sticks. Carrots are used to incentivize actions desired by the government,…
With an estimated 75,500 homeless individuals in Los Angeles County, the Los Angeles mayor is calling upon “the most fortunate” to donate to a new housing program called LA4LA. The mayor stated that the program’s success will depend on the “humanity and generosity of the private sector.” The mayor is counting on altruism—self-sacrifice for others—to…
Fox News reports that the International Code Council, an organization that develops model building code policies, is finalizing its codes for 2024. Critics correctly argue that the new codes are a “backdoor climate initiative” and will add to the cost of new housing. As I explain in my book, The Affordable Housing Crisis: Causes and…
Shortly after taking office, Argentina President Javier Milei issued an executive decree that repealed the country’s rent control laws along with a host of other economic regulations. The results were predictable and almost immediate. The supply of rental housing soared, and prices significantly declined. Protecting property rights is moral and practical. Introduced in 2020, Argentina’s…
Progressives Regresssives are renowned for making claims and not providing evidence. Propogandist Patrick Range McDonald provides an example in an article titled “Corporate landlords’ misinformation campaign to stop rent control.” Including the headline, on eight occasions McDonald claims that opponents of rent control are engaged in lies, disinformation, or misinformation. Despite the repetitive claims, he…
In my book, The Affordable Housing Crisis: Causes and Cures, I examine how socialized roads have impacted the affordability of housing. A real-life example is currently taking place as the government attempts to expand Interstate 45 through downtown Houston. The project will result in the displacement of 1,079 homes, 2 schools, 5 churches, and 344…
Journalist Patrick Range McDonald provides an illuminating example of two common tactics used by Progressives Regressives. In an opinion piece at The Hill, he proclaims that rent control saves lives. His “proof”: “There is no legitimate evidence that rent control leads to a reduction in housing supply.” He goes on to state that studies in…
The City Council of Knoxville, Tennessee is considering a property tax freeze for some apartment owners. Property owners who choose to participate in the program will be encouraged to keep rents affordable for low- and moderate-income households. Given that property taxes can be one of a landlord’s biggest expenses, this proposal could provide significant relief…
As energy expert Alex Epstein points out in Fossil Future, before we begin to analyze any idea or policy, we must first establish the proper standard of value. We must identify the goal or value that we seek, and then evaluate alternatives against this standard. Housing activists ignore this sage advice. Instead, they found their…
While city officials in Boston continue to push for rent control, the Boston Herald is calling for the city to treat landlords as allies for solving the city’s affordable housing crisis. Treating housing producers as allies means removing the restrictions and controls that stifle housing production. Fundamentally, the housing crisis is a supply shortage. There…