re: The Atlantic: the great affordability crisis breaking America

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Because about a third of the US lives in the top 10 major cities in the US

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Then two thirds of the US doesn’t gaf about their housing “crisis”.

Well, the government is part of the difference. Their tax structure attracted the massive investments by industry to have so many jobs locate in and around the Woodlands, causing more demand for housing.

In addiTion, the Woodlands has very strict property regulations with regards to road offsets, single family verses multi-family dwellings, landscaping and aesthetic architecture. Those make developing property in the Woodlands more expensive than in Mandeville, contributing to the higher prices per square foot.

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You can't seriously think that housing would be cheap in New York if only New York had a "conservative" mayor and electorate

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the point isn't that it would be cheap because obviously wouldn't be. The point is that the government piles on

As you pointed out. Incomes are generally higher in these places. This means the same taxation rate would yield higher revenue and yet most of these locations have higher rates. Not Justin income taxes but in every kind of tax.

Then they do stupid stuff like rent control which actually makes the problem worse

These places would already be more money in terms of cost of living but their local governments exacerbate the problem.

Local zoning laws were considered unconstitutional at the national level up until Village of Euclid, Ohio v. Ambler Realty Co. in 1926.

Also, there is a big problem in New York and San Francisco with unused residential space taken by foreign investors (mainly the Chinese) who own the houses and apartments but leave vacant and that lowers the supply.
Lower supply/higher demand means higher prices.

Yes, because what most of these regulations prevent is demolishing existing buildings to make way for bigger, taller buildings. This prevents population density from increasing. More density means more supply for both the urban core AND the suburbs. This would push some lower income people out of the urban core, but would bring in a lot of suburban people, and prices would be substantially lower in the suburbs and outlying urban areas that are presently expensive as well.

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. You think suburban Texans are gonna vote for building huge apartment towers in their backyards? We’ll see.

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This

That’s why Houston has no zoning laws.

Those middle class families should leave if they can.

Many already have fled Boston, NYC, and San Francisco for Atlanta, Houston, or Dallas. Their lives are better for it.

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And what do New York, Boston, Seattle, and San Francisco have in common? Liberal hotbeds with liberal leaders and ridiculous taxes...but the author fails to address that.

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Also.... the big one... they have price controls.

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Move to where you can afford a house or share a house with another family.
I can’t afford a place on the beach in Malibu so I don’t live on the beach in Malibu. Crazy concept I realize.

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But what if, like, you really wanted to live in Malibu? That isn't fair.
-AOC, probably