While zoning and permitting delays get much of the blame for high housing costs, building codes are an oft-overlooked contributor. These codes set minimum construction standards, such as for structural and electrical safety, and fire protection. And most U.S. apartment…
Shining a Light on the Black Box of Building Codes
Modern building codes are designed to ensure the safety and comfort of the residents of new buildings. By regulating issues such as building materials, fire safety, stairway design, and other common building elements, building codes help make sure that our…
California YIMBY Statement on Future Proposed Draft Recommendations for the State Fire Marshal Single-Stair Study
October 2025 On behalf of California YIMBY, I respectfully submit the following comments on future proposed draft recommendations for the State Fire Marshal’s Single-Stair Study. California YIMBY is a statewide housing policy and advocacy organization that focuses on making our…
New Apartments Are Safer Than Detached Houses—And It’s Not Even Close
In 2023, four people died in apartment fires in buildings constructed since 2010, out of 8.3 million Americans in those buildings. That’s 0.5 deaths per million. Compare that to single-family homes: 7.6 per million, fifteen times higher. In “Modern Multifamily…
Movin’ On Up? The Low Ceiling of North American Elevator Standards
Why do we have so many walk-up apartment buildings without elevators in North America, and why are buildings with elevators so expensive compared to the rest of the world? In a new report simply titled “Elevators”, Stephen Smith, from the…