“Housing justice” activists often claim that landlords rake in the “big bucks.” Such claims usually drop the context, citing a few impressive statistics and ignoring other relevant information. As an example, a recent article on City Watch details the amount of rent collected in several California cities: In 2019, Zillow recently reported, Los Angeles renters paid…
A recent article by the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) correctly noted that those who subscribe to the idea of “not in my backyard” (NIMBYs) often use zoning to stop or impede the construction of affordable housing. Unfortunately, the article accepts the basic premise of the NIMBYs. The author doesn’t question the moral validity…
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…
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…
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…
Housing advocates are promoting two bills before the Texas legislature (HB1470 and SB265) in the name of freedom of choice. But these bills are not about freedom of choice. The two bills would make it illegal for landlords to refuse to accept housing choice vouchers or other forms of financial aid for housing. This, we…
For years, housing advocates have been clamoring for more affordable housing. After the Biden Administration announced a plan that would ostensibly increase the supply of affordable housing by eliminating single-family zoning, also known as exclusionary zoning, many advocates have denounced the plan. Exclusionary zoning isn’t the problem, they say. The problem is the gang that…
A new “pro-choice” movement is being promoted by Leftists. As is often the case, the stated goals of this movement are a masquerade. While the policies advocated by the movement are presented as promoting freedom of choice, those policies are an attack on that freedom. As one example, housing advocates and their political supporters are…