Should Taxpayers Be on the Hook for All Rental Debt Accrued During the Pandemic?
A new lawsuit from landlords argues that the CDC's eviction moratorium was a taking, and that they're entitled to compensation.
Housing Policy
Federal Appeals Court Sneaks in One Final Ruling Against the CDC's Expiring Eviction Moratorium
Circuit Judge John K. Bush accuses the federal government of laying claim to "near-dictatorial powers."
Thoughts on the Sixth Circuit Ruling Against the CDC Eviction Moratorium
The ruling is unsurprising. But it does further strengthen the case against the moratorium, and increases the odds the issue might eventually make it to the Supreme Court.
Sixth Circuit Concludes CDC Eviction Moratorium Is Unlawful
The Sixth Circuit's decision is at odds with that of the D.C. Circuit, and features a Judge Thapar concurrence on delegation.
Housing-Starved San Francisco Fines Developer $1.2 Million For Building Too Many Units
The city approved developers' plans for a 10-unit complex. They built 29 homes instead. Now some of those illegal units could have to be dismantled.
11th Circuit Refuses to Issue Injunction Against CDC Eviction Moratorium - but Doesn't Rule on the Moratorium's Legality
The decision is based on the conclusion that the landlords failed to prove they suffered an "irreparable" injury. It upholds a trial court ruling denying a preliminary injunction to landlords challenging the moratorium.
Antiquated Zoning Laws Are Worsening the Housing Crisis
Ending single-family zoning doesn't ban single-family homes from neighborhoods. It merely allows more freedom for people to build what they want.
The U.S. Has Strayed Far From Its Founding Ideals
Governments at the state, local, and federal levels can obstruct our pursuit of happiness and at times even jeopardize our safety.
Los Angeles Is Squandering $1.2 Billion While Homeless Face a 'Spiral of Death'
Federal Judge David O. Carter says Los Angeles' “inaction" is "so egregious, and the state so nonfunctional" that it's likely "in violation of the Equal Protection Clause."
New Treasury Data Shows That the Rollout of Emergency Rent Relief Continues to Be a Hot Mess
Congress approved $25 Billion in emergency rental assistance in December. Only 6 percent of that money has been spent so far.
The Deeply Flawed Studies Behind the Eviction Moratoriums
The government and media relied on studies plagued by shoddy statistics to make the case for blocking evictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
At Least 5 Justices Seem To Think the CDC's Eviction Moratorium Is Illegal. SCOTUS Left It in Place Anyway.
Brett Kavanaugh, who provided a crucial fifth vote, said he agrees that the CDC does not have the authority to override rental contracts.
Did Congress Give the CDC More Authority Than the President?
The agency’s legal defense of its eviction moratorium implies that it has vast powers to order Americans around.
Supreme Court Refuses to Block CDC Eviction Moratorium - But also Signals Majority of Justices Believe the Moratorium is Illegal
A majority refused to lift a stay of a district court injunction against the order, but five justices indicated they believe the order is illegal.
Seattle Is Proposing to Get Rid of Single-Family Zoning In Name Only. Literally.
More and more cities have taken preliminary steps toward allowing "missing middle" housing options in once exclusive single-family neighborhoods, but the devil is in the details.
Critics Warned the Largest Tax Increase in San Francisco History Would Be Ill-Spent. It's Now Funding $60,000 Tents for the Homeless.
San Francisco politicians are raising eyebrows at the high costs of an emergency program that provides secure camping sites to the city's homeless.
The CDC Eviction Moratorium Is Extended for a 4th Time
The federal government's ban on the removal of non-paying tenants was supposed to expire on June 30. It'll now run through July 31.
Harvard Housing Researchers Confirm That Supply and Demand Are Real
Plus: Hong Kong police raid a pro-democracy newspaper, Fed officials change their tune on inflation, and more...
The Federal Government Has Spent $46 Billion on Emergency Rental Assistance. The Rollout Has Been a Hot Mess.
Crashing website and impenetrable government bureaucracy greet the tenants and landlords trying to access billions in federally funded rent relief.
California Politicians Craft Nifty New Idea To Increase Housing Costs
Lawmakers are proposing to create a "California Dream Fund" that would subsidize up to 45 percent of the costs of a new home.
A Badly Flawed DC Circuit Ruling in Favor of the CDC Eviction Moratorium
The dubious decision breaks a streak of wins for plaintiffs challenging the legality of the CDC order.
Neighbors Won't Let Decaying L.A. French Restaurant Die, Despite Owner's Wishes
Cruel NIMBYism hides in call for historic preservation.
The White House Offers More Money, Less Detail on Its Idea for 'YIMBY Grants'
The Biden administration wants to give $5 billion to jurisdictions that deregulate their housing markets.
A Town in New Jersey Tried To Seize This Property To Block a Housing Development, Which Has Still Not Been Built
If politicians want lower housing prices, they need to let people build more housing.
Land-Use Restrictions Cause Housing Shortages in Britain, too
As in the US, they often block the building of new housing in response to demand.
Is 2021 the YIMBY Movement's Time to Shine on Capitol Hill?
A crop of bipartisan bills in Congress aims to reduce local and state regulations on new housing.
San Francisco Honors Early Lesbian Activists by Preventing Redevelopment of Their Home
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted to landmark the longtime home of gay rights activists Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin.
Yet Another Federal Court Rules Against the CDC Eviction Moratorium
This ruling has some distinctive elements, and may have a broader impact than previous decisions.
A Cross-Ideological Case for Ending Exclusionary Zoning
A recent Century Foundation report highlights reasons why breaking down barriers to building new housing should appeal to left, right, and libertarians alike.
Ayanna Pressley Wants To Cancel the Rent. She's Also Made at Least $15,000 As a Landlord.
The Massachusetts Congresswoman is a two-time supporter of the Rent and Mortgage Cancelation Act.
Scott Wiener Is California's 'YIMBY' State Senator
The YIMBY Democrat wants to make it easier to build more housing in California's densest and most expensive cities.
Exclusionary Zoning is Even Worse than Previously Thought
Fixing a calculation error in a leading academic article on the subject shows that zoning has a far bigger negative impact on the economy than was previously realized.
Joe Biden's $2 Trillion Jobs Plan Endorses 'YIMBY Grants'
The president endorses a competitive grant program that would reward localities for loosening their restrictive zoning codes.
NIMBY Group Asks Residents To Donate Poop
A Philadelphia activist wants some stool samples, so he can prove a link between "irresponsible development" and colorectal cancer.
First Appellate Court Ruling on CDC Eviction Moratorium Goes Against the Government
A unanimous Sixth Circuit decision upheld a lower court ruling holding that the moratorium is illegal.
The CDC Keeps Extending Its Illegal Eviction Ban
The agency will be extending its controversial eviction moratorium through the end of June.
These San Francisco Condo Dwellers Are NIMBY Hypocrites
Residents of a building that sailed through the city's approval process want to stop a building next door because it would shade a senior center, alter a "historic" gay bar
L.A.'s Plan To Save Old Affordable Units Could Mean No New Ones
Freezing rents at existing affordable housing will eliminate developers' incentive to build more of it.
New Hampshire Towns Turn Out Tiny-Home Dwellers
The regulatory pursuit of quality housing means some tiny-home residents actually end up with no housing.
London NIMBYs and YIMBYs Unite To Build More Housing
Could allowing blocks to upzone themselves end the most intractable feud in urban development?
CDC Can't Force Landlords To Provide Free Housing, Says Court
Plus: Mexico moves closer to legalizing marijuana, Facebook fights monopoly allegations, and more...
Federal Court Strikes Down CDC's Controversial Eviction Ban as Unconstitutional
A nationwide ban on evictions is well outside the congressional power to regulate interstate commerce, ruled U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker on Thursday.
In the Middle of a Pandemic, San Francisco NIMBYs Sue To Stop a New Hospital From Being Built
The lawsuit argues a 2,100-page environmental impact report for a major expansion of the University of California, San Francisco's Parnassus campus wasn't thorough enough.
The Victims of the Eviction Moratorium
A coalition of Chinese immigrant landlords in New York say they're on the verge of losing everything because of tenants who have stopped paying rent.
California's YIMBYs Forgo Big State Upzoning Bill In Favor of Wonkier, More Modest Reforms
New bills in the legislature would make it easier for cities to allow more housing on their own, and crack down on places that try to cheat their way out of permitting development.
California Massively Increased the Amount of Housing the Bay Area Has To Allow. YIMBY Lawsuit Says 'Eh, Could Be More.'
A new lawsuit from two YIMBY groups argues that the state failed to incorporate a jobs-housing balance when calculating the number of new homes the San Francisco Bay Area has to plan for.
