New York City is considering a law that would prohibit landlords from considering most criminal convictions while screening prospective tenants. One ex-convict told a reporter, “Just think of the worst thing you’ve ever done, and suppose someone held that against you for the rest of your life.” Context matters. There is a huge difference between…
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…
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…
City council members in Boulder are pushing for more housing. At a recent meeting, they demonstrated that they are a major obstacle to that occurring. A developer wants to build fifty-nine new homes on a parcel of land. Fourteen will be townhomes with a price tag of $2.4 million. The developer is required to include…
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…
NBC news reports that in early 2020 the Trump administration gave $100 million to a federal agency for the purpose of fixing the supply chain of COVID medical supplies. At the time, the agency was run by a college friend of the President’s son-in-law. As of the time of the report in mid-November, no money…
The city council in Ithaca, New York is considering a “good cause” (often called “just cause”) eviction ordinance. The bill lists nine “good causes” for landlords to evict a tenant. One is failure to pay rent. However, if the landlord imposes an “unconscionable” rent increase, the tenant will be able to legally withhold the rent….
A recent article on The Conversation asserts that “building more homes won’t solve the affordable housing problem for the millions of people who need it most.” While the authors acknowledge that we need more housing, they don’t believe that this is a sufficient solution. The authors present numerous facts to bolster their argument, but these…
A recent article on The Conversation asserts that “building more homes won’t solve the affordable housing problem for the millions of people who need it most.” While the authors acknowledge that we need more housing, they don’t believe that this is a sufficient solution. The authors present numerous facts to bolster their argument, but these…
A recent article on The Conversation asserts that “building more homes won’t solve the affordable housing problem for the millions of people who need it most.” While the authors acknowledge that we need more housing, they don’t believe that this is a sufficient solution. The authors present numerous facts to bolster their argument, but these…
An essay in the Houston Chronicle argues that the best way to stop displacement while revitalizing impoverished neighborhoods is through cooperative ownership of a community’s assets: All of the programs that now lace through a distressed neighborhood like Third Ward should be controlled by the low-income people who live there, and all the assets should…
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…