Edward Glaeser writes in the Sunday Globe, “Instead of continuing the debt-fueled policies that got us where we are, why not rethink our approach to the housing market?” He suggests that government subsidies be redirected from "wealthy Americans who borrow to buy bigger homes" toward first-time home buyers, so we can build “more housing where it’s needed.” He continues, “Instead of spending federal money to encourage borrowing and keep prices high, it would make more sense to make housing more affordable by eliminating the artificial restrictions that stymie supply.” Like Rybczynski whose Wilson Quarterly essay I referred to in a previous post, Glaeser sees lot size and density as key factors in affordability. Glaeser writes, “In dense states like Massachusetts prices have been kept high by localities that oppose new construction, with large minimum lot sizes, Draconian barriers to subdivisions, and a general hostility to any multifamily housing. If those uses were eased, then housing would become more abundant and affordable.”
by Katie Hutchison for the House Enthusiast