Across the country, a coalition of property owners and political activists are trying to stop economic development in certain neighborhoods. They believe that investment in their community will do more harm than good. In many cities, neighborhoods close to downtown are being transformed from being economically depressed to vibrant hubs of commerce. New homes and…
When cases of COVID-19 began to rise in March, governments responded to the crisis by ordering businesses to close. When millions lost their job and were unable to pay the rent, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) responded to that crisis by imposing a moratorium on evictions for non-payment of rent. But the…
Material values must be created. And to create material values, individuals must be virtuous. They must adhere to certain moral principles if they are to successfully create the values that we want and need. Morally, those who create material values are the rightful owners of those values. Those values are their property, to use, trade,…
Reform Austin recently published a story chiding state officials for interfering to “delay, postpone or outright stop the construction” of affordable housing by local governments. The article goes on to claim that “cities all across the Lone Star State are using every tool in the toolbox to crack the housing problem.” Interestingly, the article makes…
The Austin Historic Landmark Commission recently ruled against designating the former home of a Texas Supreme Court justice an historical landmark worthy of government protection. According to the Austin Monitor, While commissioners determined that the house in question, 3204 Bridle Path, could be repaired, they did not find it architecturally significant enough to encourage that…
In early December, Minneapolis enacted an extensive reduction in the city’s zoning laws by eliminating single-family zoning. Developers will soon be able to build more densely, thereby reducing housing costs. Economically, zoning is a disaster. Zoning designates a particular use for each parcel of land. By its very nature zoning reduces the supply of land…
A recent story in the Texas Tribune details the difficulties that the holders of Section 8 vouchers have in locating landlords who will accept the federal housing subsidies. (The federal government pays a portion of the monthly rent for those with a Section 8 voucher.) Under Texas law, landlords are not required to accept the…
An Oakland couple was recently forced to pay $6,582 in order to reoccupy their own home. The military couple had been renting the house while stationed in Washington, D.C. An Oakland ordinance, passed in January of this year, requires landlords to pay tenants a “relocation” fee if the landlord wants to end a lease for…
Daniel Hertz, writing on CityLab.com, presents an interesting idea. The title of his article, “Housing Can’t Be Both Affordable and a Good Investment,” summarizes his position. And, while he makes a compelling argument, he misses the fundamental issue. Hertz acknowledges that the real estate lobby exerts political pressure to maintain laws, such as deductions for…
Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson has launched an initiative aimed at making housing more affordable. He has correctly identified zoning and land-use regulations as a major factor in soaring housing costs in many locales. Zoning and land-use regulations arbitrarily restrict the freedom of builders and developers. Minimum lot sizes, prescribed land…
Rent control has long been presented as a way to keep housing affordable. By forcing landlords to charge below market rates, rental housing is supposedly more affordable. But like any form of price cap, rent control ultimately leads to a lower supply of housing. However, this fact is irrelevant to many. Indeed, next week voters…
Mismatched Curtains Sometimes, the inanity of government regulations knows no bounds. As an example, Mildred Bryant, a resident of Pagedale, Missouri, was fined for having mismatched curtains. This might seem absurd, and it is, but in principle it is no different from hundreds of other regulations that control how individuals use their property. For example,…