California YIMBY

California YIMBY Statement on LA City Council Vote on SB 79

LA City Council Votes Against Angelenos Council Opposition to SB 79 Continues Years of Anti-Housing Policies LA’s leaders are demonstrating their cowardice — the state legislature needs to act Los Angeles, CA — Today the Los Angeles City Council voted to…

Construction Costs Should Predict Housing Prices Across Cities. They Don’t. Here’s Proof.

The “hard costs” of building new homes — materials, labor, and builder profit margins — have a weak relationship to home prices across American cities. New research analyzing 75 years of data reveals that the cost of building new housing…

This One Weird Trick Could Could Cut NYC Rent by 18%

New York City could add 71% more residential floorspace by 2060, and reduce rents by 18% over the next 40 years, if it removed certain restrictions on home building. In “Can We Rebuild a City? The Dynamics of Urban Redevelopment,”…

America’s Highway to Hell (And Poverty)– How We All Lose from Road Spending

Cities across America spend billions expanding highways and building parking lots, believing more driving equals more prosperity. However, new research suggests the opposite: regions with the highest car dependency tend to exhibit lower economic productivity, while walkable areas with good…

How California’s Sky-High Rents Cancelled Out $11 Billion in Food Stamp Benefits

California’s 17.7 percent poverty rate—more than double Minnesota’s 7.4 percent—stems almost entirely from housing costs that have spiraled beyond what typical families can afford. In San Jose, a family of four needs $57,673 just to meet basic needs, compared to…

California YIMBY Statement on SB 79 Passing Assembly Local Government Committee

“Today is a landmark moment – for California, for the YIMBY movement, and for everyone fighting to keep the California Dream alive,” said Brian Hanlon, CEO of California YIMBY. “With the Assembly Local Government committee advancing SB 79, the Legislature…

Why is Building Slowing Down in America’s Boomtowns?

Texas has long been America’s poster child for more affordable housing, thanks to its minimal regulations and abundant land. However, this hasn’t prevented Texas cities like Austin from developing the same cost pressures as California’s metro areas, which built far…