Yes In My Backyard: The Case for Housing Deregulation

I would be the first to argue that if an economist claims to know of a cure-all policy -- a reliable way to relieve a long list of social ills in one fell swoop -- common sense tells you to stop listening. So it is awkward for me to declare that I know of something close to a panacea policy: one big reform that would raise living standards, reduce wealth inequality, increase productivity, raise social mobility, help struggling men without college degrees, clean the planet and raise birth rates. It's a sweeping reform that Democrats and Republicans, progressives and conservatives could all proudly support. The panacea policy I have in mind is housing deregulation. Research confirms that there are large benefits in saying yes to tall buildings, yes to multifamily structures, yes to dense single-family development and yes to speedy permitting. The growing YIMBY (Yes In My Backyard) movement already has high-profile wins in Minnesota, Oregon, California and beyond, but even YIMBY devotees rarely appreciate the scope of the merits of loosening rules on housing.