Comment on Robert E. Lang, Katrin B. Anacker, and Steven Hornburg's “the new politics of affordable housing”

Abstract

This comment offers an alternative explanation of why housing afford‐ability has little political traction and suggests that local zoning and regulations have a significant impact on housing costs. Because the postwar decline of central cities as population centers has made it less imperative for candidates to carry a major city to win a national or state election, few candidates address issues—such as affordability—that are perceived as unique to central‐city environments. Further, Lang, Anacker, and Hornburg fail to discuss an important aspect of affordability. More than two‐thirds of U.S. households own at least one house, and homeowners constitute an even larger percentage in most fast‐growing suburban communities. The already landed have used their political clout to discourage further development. Land use restrictions, zoning, impact fees, farm preservation, and growth boundaries create scarcity, which in turn raises the value of existing housing and significantly enhances owners’ net worth.