Housing policy, but make it British

The Weeds

America’s housing market is failing to meet the needs of most Americans. Rents have skyrocketed, homeownership is slipping out of grasp for young and other first-time homebuyers, and policymakers have struggled to meet the moment. But we’re not alone. The UK is also facing a dire housing shortage, one that is leading to skyrocketing rents and home prices. Usually, the solution to this problem is pushing higher levels of government to step in where local government has failed, but today’s guest, John Myers, the co-founder of London YIMBY, thinks his country should go in the opposite direction: more local.

References:

More Housing? YIMBY, Please (Bloomberg)

Strong Suburbs: Enabling streets to control their own development (Policy Exchange)

Seoul searching – does the Korean capital have the solution to the housing crisis? (CapX)

How Houston Achieved Lot Size Reform (Planetizen)

California is ending a rule that helped cause its housing crisis (Vox)

Hosts:

Jerusalem Demsas (@jerusalemdemsas), policy reporter, Vox

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer & engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

Amber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

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