City council members in Denver recently became the latest legislative body to demonstrate that a basic knowledge of economics is not necessary to hold an elected office. The council is considering a proposal to require that all new housing developments include below market-rate units in the project. The proposal would also increase the “affordable housing…
The Justice Department has announced that it is investigating instances of “digital redlining”—the use of algorithms to determine which loans to approve and which to reject. The department also announced that it has settled a case against Trustmark Bank for its treatment of blacks and Hispanics in Memphis. The bank will “contribute” $3.85 million to…
In 2019, California legalized accessory dwelling units (ADU), commonly called a granny flat or mother-in-law apartment. When a resident of Malibu wanted to build an ADU for her ailing mother, the city denied a permit. The daughter wanted her mother nearby, but there wasn’t space in her house for her mother. For her and her…
Charlie Simms, the owner of a development company in Ohio, makes a point that needs to be included in discussions regarding affordable housing. Housing advocates consider affordable housing to mean below market rate housing. However, as Simms writes, “When builders and developers speak of affordable housing we’re talking about how to build homes that the…
It is easy to find things about California’s government to criticize. While the legislature hasn’t done a U-turn and reversed all of its rights-violating laws, they have recently taken steps in the right direction. SB9 and SB10 restored a little freedom to property owners by allowing for greater housing density. And on October 1, Gov….
In September, California passed SB 10, which allows cities to “upzone” and permit greater housing density in neighborhoods previously zoned for single-family homes. A “housing justice” organization, AHF, has filed a lawsuit that asserts “allowing legislators to override zoning restrictions violates the constitutional right of initiative by allowing local government to repeal or disregard initiative…
This summer, Oregon passed a law that prohibits the transmission of love letters. Love letters are written by a prospective home buyer to the owner, and they explain why the buyer loves the home. Oregon lawmakers concluded that “these letters can be a tool of discrimination by including identifying information concerning race, sex or familial…
In early September, New York extended its eviction moratorium to January 15, 2022. The state’s largest landlord group quickly challenged the law. The group said that the new moratorium made only superficial changes to a previous law that “crumbled” after a Supreme Court ruling. That ruling took issue with a part of the law that…
In April, Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez unveiled the Green New Deal for Public Housing Act. The bill would “invest” $172 billion over 10 years to upgrade over 950,000 public housing units. When the bill was announced, Sanders said, “It is unacceptable that our nation’s public housing is in a state of chronic disrepair and…
Ardent Residential wants to build a 275-unit apartment building in Austin. The company plans to set aside 10 percent of the units for low-income families. But the project requires rezoning to allow for higher density housing. When the Austin Zoning and Platting Commission (ZAP) recently heard the case, commissioners were deadlocked on approving the rezoning….
The Ford Foundation and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation recently committed $1.6 million to the HouseUS Fund. The fund, according to one of the co-directors, is not about building housing or building homes, it’s about building power. We are looking at the broader definition of housing and approaching it as a right rather than a commodity….
A Los Angeles apartment developer is suing the city for losses incurred as a result of the city’s eviction moratorium. He correctly claims that the moratorium is a “taking” per the Fifth Amendment and compensation is due to him. He is asking for $100 million. Sadly, the courts usually defer to legislators during a crisis,…