Mark Twain popularized the phrase “lies, damned lies, and statistics.” The essential meaning of the phrase is that statistics can be misrepresented to support a particular position. A recent report from Housing for All Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is an example of abusing statistics. In the Introduction, the authors claim, This report……
Austin has become the latest city to implement a “right to return” policy. Though such policies vary, they give households an opportunity to return to a neighborhood after being displaced by gentrification. Austin will sell twenty-eight homes owned by the city to low-income households. Each property will be operated as a community land trust (CLT)….
Cities across Texas are struggling with a severe shortage of low- and moderate-income housing. One of the primary causes is exclusionary zoning, i.e., single-family zoning, which makes duplexes, accessory dwelling units, and similar types of housing illegal. Fundamentally, the state’s housing shortage is being caused by violations of property rights—restrictions on how property owners can…
If we objectively evaluate government’s involvement in housing over the past century, we will discover a legacy of failed policies. From public housing projects that became breeding grounds for criminal gangs to the subprime fiasco of the 2000s, government has proven to be incredibly inept when it comes to the provision of housing. Despite this…
In the early twentieth century the Good Roads movement successfully framed improved roads as a “public good.” Better roads, the movement argued, would enable food and manufactured products to be more easily distributed and everyone would benefit. Therefore, free, improved roads should be provided by government. Today, housing advocates are making a similar argument. If…
Activists are more than happy to spend money on their pet projects. That money, however, isn’t their own—it comes from taxpayers. So, it is quite easy for them to put your money where their mouth is. An organization in Portland, Taking Ownership, is putting its money and efforts where its mouth is. Taking Ownership is…
Increasingly, housing activists are calling for housing equity. This might seem like a call for justice, but the activists use words like “equity” and “justice” to hide their true agenda. They are not promoting equality before the law. They are promoting the idea that all individuals should enjoy similar results, regardless of their own individual…
The methods for dealing with a supply shortage are well-known. Prices can be increased to curtail demand. Retailers can move inventory to areas with high demand. Manufacturers can increase their production. However, these methods have not been effective in addressing the housing shortage currently afflicting nearly every city in Texas. Price increases have done little…
Those with a political agenda often distort facts to suit their purpose. Opponents of rezoning in New York City are an example. They claim that rezoning displaces people of color and are citing a report published by the Churches United for Fair Housing (CUFFH). That report concluded that, While displacement trends existed before the zoning…
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…
On November 2, voters in St. Paul approved a referendum to enact the nation’s most stringent rent control law. The city government was unprepared, and in the ensuing weeks dissension has been fomenting in the city as developers announce that projects are being put on hold. On one side are tenants and their advocates. They…
Cities and counties in California are required to issue permits for a specific number of houses each year as a part of the state’s Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA). The RHNA is calculated in cycles every four to eight years. There are specific goals for each income category: Very low-income Low-income Moderate-income Above moderate-income The…