Rent Check
John Hunt has an analysis of one of the boldest statewide reforms in the U.S.: Oregon’s effective ban on single-family zoning.
News and Commentary
As the 2020 primaries begin to heat up, a large number of Democratic candidates, such as Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker, and Julian Castro, have done something unseen in decades: made serious and far-reaching proposals to address the housing affordability crisis, albeit with varying degrees of focus on the supply side nature of the problem.
John Cochrane provides an excellent analysis of why the demand-side approach to the affordability crisis, namely through providing Kamala Harris-style rental subsidies, is counterproductive when it comes to making the rents less damn high.
Jenny Schuetz covers the various ways in which high housing costs translate into various forms of stress for low-income Americans living in both coastal “superstar” cities and those in the heartland. These stresses include longer commute times, the poor paying far above 30% of their income to housing costs, and living in older housing units that generally have lower-quality amenities.
New Research
A new paper from Jesse Yoder confirms findings from a previous paper of his: homeowners are more likely to engage in “costlier” forms of political engagement, such as attending local meetings and contributing to political candidates.
A new NBER paper examines the frictions inherent in finding affordable (particularly rent-stabilized) housing in New York City. The paper finds that access to rent-stabilized housing can improve household welfare by up to $65,000, with a 10% increase in affordable housing supply overall increasing welfare by $20,000.
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