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So I have noticed that people who favor zoning laws typically do so because as someone said in another thread
Quote:
A person's home is frequently their most expensive asset. So buying a home in an area that would have certain zoning regulations makes me feel better about my investment.
Here is my position: The belief that housing prices need to be protected (protectionism) is bad for the economy, environment and Americans in general.
Why? Because it causes home prices to skyrocket and pushes many (especially poorer) out of housing. Yes it keeps a smaller, older, wealthier contingent of the American population safe. But it does so at the expense of the younger, poorer and increasingly larger society of America that needs housing. This is located in the west and northeast particularly. We all know this because most of the domestic migration between states is economic migration in search of housing (i.e. Texas).
Second, American cities would be more dense which would aid in walkability and equality. If more Americans could live in highly productive cities like San Francisco, we would be in a much better place right now. Americans would have access to better cities and quality of life.
The arguments in favor of protectionism in general are always the same, yet they never seem to convince a serious majority of economists. The housing affordability crisis is a great example of why protectionism is dumb.
Many will contend about some extreme argument like having chicken factories next to your house. Those arguments don't really work so well in real life (factories generally need land which is very expensive in a city). So let's focus on what people think about, housing as an investment.
That said, would you support a reduction in zoning laws?
These sorts of questions often lead to a rehash of Kelo. The bottom line is that property rights are not absolute and never have been. Governments -- who create and defend property rights to begin with -- plainly have a power to protect their own property interests and those of citizens.
These sorts of questions often lead to a rehash of Kelo. The bottom line is that property rights are not absolute and never have been. Governments -- who create and defend property rights to begin with -- plainly have a power to protect their own property interests and those of citizens.
Governments are not some god. They and their laws are simply what we design. If we want looser regulations on housing we can have it.
Since we can change the laws, we should; towards more lean zoning laws.
These sorts of questions often lead to a rehash of Kelo. The bottom line is that property rights are not absolute and never have been. Governments -- who create and defend property rights to begin with -- plainly have a power to protect their own property interests and those of citizens.
Actually our rights come from God, not government. The purpose of government in the USA is to defend and secure the rights of the people (including private property rights). See The Declaration of Independence.
Wait a minnit...
Are we discussing municipal and/or county zoning laws, or Covenants, Codes, and Restrictions?
There is a HUGE difference!
CCRs are imposed by the land developer, and are enforceable only by said developer or the Home Owner's Association (HOA) created by the developer. They are not city, county, or state law, and no law enforcement agency will make any attempt to enforce them!
Zoning laws, however, are put in place by a government agency, whether it be the city, county, or state level. They usually restrict what type of building can be built on a certain piece of land. That is, it can be single family, or multi-family; industrial; business; agricultural; etc. Variances can be and often are granted by the appropriate agency.
I have no problem with Zoning laws. However, I absolutely would not buy a house in a community that had restrictive CCRs and an HOA. Yes, I did walk away from a couple of them! I will not grant to anybody the right to tell me what truck I can drive, or what tv antenna I can install on my roof, or what amateur radio antenna I can have, or what color I can paint my house, or what fence I can install, or what trees I can plant, or when I have to mow my lawn, or what vegetable garden I can plant. Yes, I have seen all that and more in CCRs in this area! One local development even says property owners can not have an aircraft on the property! (I would like to know the story behind that one!)
It keeps supply lower and therefore causes prices to rise.
How does it keep supply lower? My state has had land use planning for decades. All cities are required to maintain a 20 year supply of buildable land inside their Urban Growth Boundary. There is always plenty of appropriately zoned land for construction.
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