Housing & Urban Policy
Homelessness, rent control, gentrification, and why some cities thrive while others struggle
7 topics“Homelessness is simply a result of not enough affordable housing. If we provide housing, we solve homelessness.”
NewLack of affordable housing contributes to homelessness, but roughly 65% of the chronically homeless population suffers from severe mental illness, substance addiction, or both. Housing-first approaches that ignore these root causes have shown limited success in ending chronic homelessness.
“Rent control protects tenants from greedy landlords and keeps housing affordable for working families. We need more rent control, not less.”
NewEconomists across the political spectrum overwhelmingly agree rent control doesn't work. A landmark Stanford study found San Francisco's rent control reduced rental housing supply by 15%, driving up rents citywide. It helps current tenants at the expense of everyone else seeking housing.
“Gentrification displaces long-time residents, destroys community character, and is a form of economic colonialism that benefits wealthy white newcomers at the expense of communities of color.”
NewResearch consistently shows gentrification's displacement effects are far smaller than assumed. A landmark NYU study found low-income residents in gentrifying neighborhoods were no more likely to move than those in non-gentrifying areas — and those who stayed benefited from improved services, lower crime, and better schools.
“The most successful, innovative, and wealthy cities in America — San Francisco, New York, Seattle — are liberal. That proves progressive policies work.”
NewThese cities thrive despite progressive policies, not because of them — thanks to geographic advantages, elite universities, and legacy industries. Meanwhile, their progressive governance has produced the nation's worst homelessness, highest costs of living, most income inequality, and accelerating population exodus.
“The housing crisis is simple: we just need to build more housing. Remove zoning restrictions and let developers build, and prices will come down.”
NewIncreasing housing supply is necessary — but it's not sufficient. Conservative skepticism isn't about opposing construction; it's about recognizing that eliminating local zoning control, ignoring infrastructure capacity, and letting federal policy override community input creates its own problems.
“NIMBYs — people who oppose new development in their neighborhoods — are the primary cause of the housing crisis. They're selfish homeowners protecting their property values at everyone else's expense.”
NewCharacterizing all local opposition to development as selfish 'NIMBYism' dismisses legitimate concerns about infrastructure, community character, and local self-governance. Homeowners who participate in planning decisions are exercising democratic rights, not obstructing progress.
“Wall Street investors and corporate landlords are buying up all the housing, driving up prices, and squeezing regular families out of homeownership.”
NewInstitutional investors own approximately 3% of single-family rental homes nationally — they're a minor factor compared to regulatory barriers, NIMBYism, and rising construction costs. Blaming 'Wall Street' makes for good politics but poor housing policy.