I’ve noted a number of times now how the housing affordability issue, and the perception that local land use policies and regulations (single-family zoning, parking requirements, design standards) have worked up into the mainstream social- and media-consciousness, to the point that there will be pressure to do something, anything! Cities and states around the country are taking actions, while there has been some limited and measured response in Utah. I’m pretty sure it hasn’t been enough, as the pressure continues to build.
As evidence – here are several more pieces from national and local media aimed directly at this, even to the point of where, when my wife saw one of these, she said, “isn’t that what you work on?” Yes, indeed! And Susie is, for me, the canary in the coal mine – if she’s noticing, well, it has definitely gone mainstream.
On National Public Radio’s Morning Edition yesterday: How To Solve the Nation’s Housing Shortage
Maybe the biggest thing, he says, is states and towns desperately need to change their zoning rules. Back in Atlanta, Ernest Brown heads up the local chapter of a nonprofit called YIMBY Action.
Brown says in many places, we still have outdated zoning rules that allow for some big apartment buildings downtown, surrounded by single-family homes on big lots but nothing in between, like townhouses or smaller starter homes closer together that are more affordable. Brown hears people complaining all the time about not being able to afford a house. He tries to get them to go to zoning meetings and call their representatives.
On our own local Radio West program yesterday: America’s Zoning Problem
City planner Nolan Gray argues that zoning has failed to address the most basic concerns about urban growth, exacerbating housing shortages, worsening racial and economic segregation and making us even more car-dependent. In a new book, Gray explains what zoning is, where it comes from and says that if we want to improve our cities, we need to re-evaluate zoning policy and possibly even scrap it altogether. Gray’s book is called “Arbitrary Lines” and he joins us to talk about why zoning is actually pretty interesting, especially if you care about where you live.
On Utah State University’s Utah Public Radio last week: Cache County addresses housing crisis in new report
Solutions on the state level include limiting what cities and counties do with their zoning, but there is still a more drastic solution Zook and his task force have identified.
“One specific recommendation was that they limit local referendums. That indicates a significant issue. But it’s unfortunate that it’s gotten to this point where a task force is recommending extreme action, like the state coming in and telling people what they can and cannot have in their community. But the only reason that’s happening is because too many communities are not allowing growth, they’re not allowing growth to happen. And that’s causing a problem that’s causing a problem in our community, because there’s not enough housing.”
In The Montana Free Press yesterday: Gov. Gianforte announces housing affordability task force
In a release announcing the task force’s creation, the governor acknowledged that housing has been a long-term affordability issue for Montanans and blamed the state’s housing shortage on burdensome regulations.
“Owning a home is part of the American dream, but for more than a decade, it’s become harder and harder for Montanans to afford to own or rent a home,” Gianforte said in a statement. “Burdensome, restrictive, and unnecessary regulations have left Montana with a longstanding shortage of housing that continues to drive up the prices Montanans pay for their home.”
It’s gonna blow, folks. The question just is, in what manner, what will the “damage” be, and how do we maybe channel it in positive directions instead?