Quick Hits: State Legislation - Increase Housing Opportunities

Original Post: https://www.buildingbullcity.com/2021/03/quick-hits-state-legislation-increase.html

Overall I think this would be a good and surprising move by the state. Personally I think the state government should let individual municipalities govern themselves, but at the same time the housing affordability issues are caused in part due to single-family zoning constricting housing supply in many cities (so-called "middle housing" is not permitted in most areas).

I'd be surprised if this passed though. Charlotte was supposed to have implemented a UDO that would have eliminated exclusively single family zoning, but the moderately left-leaning city council there has dragged its feet and not done a good job of promoting public support for the bill. I don't see a more right-leaning state senate approving this.

Right. I agree with you that I like local control, typically, but NIMBYism is such a problem, local officials need the state to step in, so they can say "my hands are tied".

Housing is so tricky.

That said, the argument for the right is that government shouldn't restrict what you can do on your land. If you want to build a 4-plex on your own property, you should be able to, which is in line with the ideology of the right (though often right-left ideologies do not line up with the political realities).

I want to believe there is a chance given an appeal to both sides, but who knows.