US Housing Shortage to Be Solved by Increasing Production, Not Just Finding New Ways to Make Homes Affordable
Ezra Klein, a prominent progressive voice in American housing policy, recently proposed a solution to the country's chronic shortage of new homes. In his column for The New York Times, Klein posits that the government should incentivize jurisdictions to meet ambitious housing production targets by offering $1,000 checks to those who succeed. While this idea may seem like a straightforward way to boost construction, it neglects the deeper issue at play: the outdated and restrictive zoning laws that govern local land use.
As Klein notes, production of new homes has not kept pace with demand since the 2008 financial crisis. The US Census Bureau data he cites shows that housing starts have lagged behind pre-2008 levels despite ongoing consumer demand. However, unless these zoning laws are fundamentally overhauled, modular or manufactured solutions will still be subject to the same regulatory hurdles as traditional site-built homes.
Klein's proposal relies on the idea that by giving local jurisdictions a financial incentive to meet production targets, he can bypass the entrenched interests of homeowners who resist new development. However, this approach assumes that housing subsidies tied to individual ownership won't be enough to overcome the resistance from those with existing properties. In reality, if home prices rise due to increased supply, those already owning homes will see their values decrease rather than benefit from government handouts.
A more effective solution might involve tying subsidies to broader infrastructure projects, such as highway construction, rather than housing specifically. This approach could help create uniformity in local laws and regulations around alcohol sales, for example, by linking funding to legislation that promotes stricter age restrictions.
Ultimately, the key to solving the US housing shortage lies not just in finding new ways to make homes more affordable, but in fundamentally transforming the way housing is produced and regulated. Modifying zoning laws to encourage greater density and diversity of development would require a long-term commitment to policy change – rather than quick fixes or gimmicks like modular construction.
The real challenge will be to create alternatives to ownership that don't rely on long-term debt tied to inflation, which can leave homeowners vulnerable to market fluctuations. By exploring these new approaches and building strong connections between federal subsidies and production targets, we may finally start to see meaningful progress on the nation's housing crisis.
Ezra Klein, a prominent progressive voice in American housing policy, recently proposed a solution to the country's chronic shortage of new homes. In his column for The New York Times, Klein posits that the government should incentivize jurisdictions to meet ambitious housing production targets by offering $1,000 checks to those who succeed. While this idea may seem like a straightforward way to boost construction, it neglects the deeper issue at play: the outdated and restrictive zoning laws that govern local land use.
As Klein notes, production of new homes has not kept pace with demand since the 2008 financial crisis. The US Census Bureau data he cites shows that housing starts have lagged behind pre-2008 levels despite ongoing consumer demand. However, unless these zoning laws are fundamentally overhauled, modular or manufactured solutions will still be subject to the same regulatory hurdles as traditional site-built homes.
Klein's proposal relies on the idea that by giving local jurisdictions a financial incentive to meet production targets, he can bypass the entrenched interests of homeowners who resist new development. However, this approach assumes that housing subsidies tied to individual ownership won't be enough to overcome the resistance from those with existing properties. In reality, if home prices rise due to increased supply, those already owning homes will see their values decrease rather than benefit from government handouts.
A more effective solution might involve tying subsidies to broader infrastructure projects, such as highway construction, rather than housing specifically. This approach could help create uniformity in local laws and regulations around alcohol sales, for example, by linking funding to legislation that promotes stricter age restrictions.
Ultimately, the key to solving the US housing shortage lies not just in finding new ways to make homes more affordable, but in fundamentally transforming the way housing is produced and regulated. Modifying zoning laws to encourage greater density and diversity of development would require a long-term commitment to policy change – rather than quick fixes or gimmicks like modular construction.
The real challenge will be to create alternatives to ownership that don't rely on long-term debt tied to inflation, which can leave homeowners vulnerable to market fluctuations. By exploring these new approaches and building strong connections between federal subsidies and production targets, we may finally start to see meaningful progress on the nation's housing crisis.
. I thought just increasing production would solve it? Like, more homes = happy people, right? But then I read that zoning laws are still a big deal and that's why some new homes can't get built easily. That doesn't make sense to me... 
It seems like just throwing money at it won't fix anything. And Klein's idea about giving homeowners $1,000 checks doesn't really help either... I mean, if home prices go up, that means their house isn't worth as much anymore 
But it's hard to imagine how that would work with all these zoning laws and regulations...
I'm low-key hyped about this article tho! So Ezra Klein is saying we gotta change our zoning laws to increase production 
, not just focus on making homes more affordable 
. It makes sense, but what if the homeowners are like "nope, we're good" 
? Maybe we should tie subsidies to bigger projects like highway construction 
, that way everyone's on the same page 
, maybe something like community land trusts or co-ops? That would be 
. You gotta get to the root of the problem, which is them outdated zoning laws. I mean, if you're gonna give people a handout, make sure it's not just for those who already have a leg up. How 'bout we try makin' housing more affordable for everyone, not just homeowners? 
. We need to be thinking bigger, like tying subsidies to broader infrastructure projects that promote density and diversity 
. What we really need is for politicians to get on board with fundamentally changing the way housing is produced and regulated 
. We can't just keep relying on subsidies that benefit individual homeowners; we need to think about alternatives to ownership that don't tie people's lives to long-term debt 
.
another housing shortage solution that just ignores the real issue 
that would be a game changer... or how about exploring alternatives to ownership like community land trusts? 
like modular construction. the government's gonna give out $1k checks to encourage production targets... meanwhile, homeowners will still resist new development because they're scared of losing their property values