Hoo boy here it comes - the long-awaited national realignment on yimbyism.
In OR, even with D supermajorities, we needed a few votes of rural market-fundamentalist Rs to get the bill past Ds from rich exclusionary burbs.
If VA's duplex bill passes, I think that door closes.
In OR, even with D supermajorities, we needed a few votes of rural market-fundamentalist Rs to get the bill past Ds from rich exclusionary burbs.
If VA's duplex bill passes, I think that door closes.
That's not to oppose VA's bill, or even national realignment!
In case you haven't noticed, there is a group of smart Rs racing to align their party with this (correct) policy position before Ds embrace it.
In case you haven't noticed, there is a group of smart Rs racing to align their party with this (correct) policy position before Ds embrace it.
If Rs got to a pro-housing-abundance position first, I fear the worst of all worlds:
1) D cities would double down on "if anyone anywhere is making money from physical change, then that change is bad" (ignoring the rivers of gold exclusionary zoning sends into landlord pockets)
1) D cities would double down on "if anyone anywhere is making money from physical change, then that change is bad" (ignoring the rivers of gold exclusionary zoning sends into landlord pockets)
2) R exurbs & R-led state governments would embrace a pro-housing position, but it would manifest as "more housing in R-controlled areas," ie endless freeway & sewer construction to feed sprawl
(this is already where mainstream Rs gravitate in all housing debates)
(this is already where mainstream Rs gravitate in all housing debates)
I'm not sure a D-aligned housing-abundance movement would be any more effective, especially since rich suburbs are among the worst zoning actors.
But if I have to choose either D or R territory to be politically pro-housing, gonna go with the central cities & inner burbs.
But if I have to choose either D or R territory to be politically pro-housing, gonna go with the central cities & inner burbs.
Housing abundance is a more natural fit for the D coalition (younger, more multiethnic, more tolerant of both change & density) so this alignment is probably inevitable, but it's also an issue that might mimic the partisan realignment on race in the wake of Brown v Board.
The housing abundance movement is a hot new idea in politics (like environmentalism in the 70s) & generally the way this stuff works is one party gets associated with it. The party's coalition & ideology shape how the idea gets executed.
But the idea shapes the party, too.
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But the idea shapes the party, too.
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