Zoning and affordability: A reply to Rodríguez-Pose and Storper.

Abstract

Would increasing allowable housing densities in expensive cities generate more housing construction and make housing more affordable? In a provocative article, Andrés Rodríguez-Pose and Michael Storper survey the evidence and answer no. Restrictions on housing density, they contend, do not substantially influence housing production or price. They further argue that allowing more density in growing metropolitan areas would only improve housing outcomes for the affluent, and most likely harm the poor. We take issue with both of these contentions. While uncertainties remain in the study of housing prices and land use regulation, neither theory nor evidence warrant dispensing with zoning reform, or concluding that it could only be regressive. Viewed in full, the evidence suggests that increasing allowable housing densities is an important part of housing affordability in expensive regions.