California YIMBY

How Cities Use Government Housing Subsidies for … Parks and Roads?

Across the state of California, cities, school districts, and utility agencies levy “impact fees” on new housing construction to pay for roads, parks, sewers, and other public services. These fees are often applied equally to both market-rate and government-subsidized affordable…

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…

Building Beautiful Homes

The Next Phase of California’s Pro-Housing Reforms By Eduardo Mendoza California is finally making it easier to build more housing – but the next fight is whether people like what gets built. Ugly and cheap-looking buildings can turn housing-neutral voters…

California’s Climate Progress – Snarled in Traffic?

Since it first passed landmark climate legislation in 2006, California has been focusing on squeezing climate pollution out of every sector of its economy – and much of this has been successful. But California’s relative success in areas like electricity…

Pay More, Get Less: When Rising Home Prices Mean Declining Living Standards

Rising home prices appear to be a boon to many, but the same mechanism that leads to higher property values – severe constraints on home building – reduces real living standards by forcing families to pay more for worse housing…

The Family Premium: America’s Missing Bedrooms

Young families are willing to pay a premium for apartments with more bedrooms, yet a significant share of developers are overlooking this profitable market in favor of smaller, one-bedroom homes, according to new research. In “Homes for Young Families Part…

Building Babies? Baby, Build

New research reveals that rising U.S. housing costs may be responsible for an 11% drop in children being born between 1990 and 2020, compared to a scenario in which rents had remained constant at 1990 levels. This decline, which accounts…