In an opinion piece for the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Ronda Puryear argues against a rent-control plan floated by the Federal Housing Finance Agency. Nationwide rent control would worsen, not alleviate, the housing crisis, says Puryear. She also contends that it would lead to inequitable housing outcomes, with affluent residents “crowding out” working-class renters from affordable apartments. […] READ MORE
California’s Department of Housing & Community Development (HCD) has threatened to decertify the City of San Francisco’s housing element if the city doesn’t take steps to make it easier to build new housing. In response, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors advanced legislation this week to reform how the city approves development. READ MORE
Earlier this year, a moderate Colorado State Senator cast the decisive vote to kill rent-control legislation. This month, however, he was removed from the crucial Senate committee that hears housing legislation. READ MORE
San Francisco's housing crisis is the result of its outdated zoning rules. These rules, shaped by the city’s history, are no longer meeting the city's needs. READ MORE
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) is considering a novel legal strategy to enact rent control nationwide. But Don Brunner, President and CEO of BRG Realty Group, explains why such a plan is destined to fail. READ MORE
New research out of New York University’s Furman Center revealed that the rules of supply and demand apply to housing affordability. Researchers found that new housing production can slow rent growth in cities and free up more affordable vacant units in surrounding neighborhoods. – Bloomberg CityLab READ MORE
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey expressed skepticism over rent control, noting that addressing housing shortage is the most effective way to tackle affordability. “We lower rents by building more housing,” Healey stated. “More housing means more supply, means lowering of costs.” She noted that she supports a community’s right to make decisions around rent control for […] READ MORE
The Boston Herald editorial board offered a strong argument against rent control, suggesting that the city of Boston would be better served focusing on policies to spur housing development. With respect to rent control, the editorial board wrote, “Would landlords’ costs be capped as well, or are they expected to eat the cost of stagnant […] READ MORE
