It’s time for the YIMBY movement’s moment
A piece of pending state legislation could eventually have national consequences.
Nowhere is American opportunity more abundant than inside of its greatest cities. The best universities, the finest minds, the shrewdest business people, the most lucrative jobs, America’s best talent all reside in the Urban core of America’s metros. With all of that opportunity comes droves of people seeking it. The cities can only carry so many people which leads to a crisis in housing. Housing is one of the most basic human needs and is the source of heated debate in America’s cities.
It’s a simple case of supply and demand. The lower the supply, and higher the demand; the higher the price. In some cities the prices have gone out of control. In San Francisco, the median rent for a one-bedroom apartment is $3460/month and the median home price is $841,600 compared to the national average of $188,900. In some parts of the Bay area, a family of four making $100,000/year is considered “low-income” by HUD. While San Francisco is an extreme example it’s not too different in major cities across the country. This arises the question of why? Why is housing so expensive in cities such as San Francisco and others? The answer is bad policies and stubborn residents.
The map of San Francisco above by Business Insider, is of the zoning height restrictions of the city. The red areas are where buildings are allowed to be built over 40 feet. As you can see, there are very few areas that allow higher buildings. If the city allowed higher buildings, there’d be a larger supply of housing. Housing affordability is a simple case of basic economics. Cities across America, especially on the coasts need to loosen their zoning and building regulations to allow more development.
Aside from legal and regulatory fixes, there is also another obstacle to affordable housing and increased development. Established and influential residents that are wary of change. They are commonly known as NIMBY’s. (Not in my backyard) They use their political influence to stop any developments that may change their neighborhoods in any way. This leads to higher rents due to strained supply. It also increases inequality and poverty by making jobs in the urban core inaccessible to low income people. This is often referred to as “opportunity hoarding”
Countering the powerful NIMBY’s is a rising grassroots movement across the country with the appropriate countering name of “YIMBY” (Yes in my backyard). YIMBY’s advocate for more housing development in large metro areas as a way to lower housing costs. They seek to loosen building regulations provided by city governments and lobby them in their interest. In the YIMBY movement, interesting coalitions of strange bedfellows have been formed, with leftist advocates of the poor and working class working with right-leaning corporate developer groups. In California, the YIMBY movement is on the cusp of its first legislative victory. California state senator, Scott Weiner proposed SB 827, A bill that would require that all areas within a half-mile of a high-frequency transit stop, or within a quarter-mile of a bus or transit corridor, allow heights of at least 45 or 85 feet. If passed the law would apply in broad majorities of the state’s major cities. The goal of the law is to override counterproductive building regulations and the wishes of (often wealthier and whiter) residents to keep out developments that would house new (often poorer and more diverse) residents. There is a strong coalition developing behind this bill with housing advocates and developers working together to advance the bill. California is in a crisis of affordability and this bill will allow market forces unencumbered by needless regulations to serve the needs of their communities. The bill is currently in committee and its fate won’t be clear for several months. If successful this effort could be recreated across the country by housing advocates to make American cities livable for the working and middle class once more.
