77-425: The YIMBY movement (short for " yes in my back yard ") is a pro-housing movement that focuses on encouraging new housing, opposing density limits (such as single-family zoning ), and supporting public transportation . It stands in opposition to NIMBY ("not in my back yard") tendencies, which generally oppose most forms of urban development in order to maintain the status quo . As a popular organized movement in
154-482: A single family detached home on an entire lot. "Middle" housing options like this include duplexes , fourplexes, townhouses , and cottage court apartments which could provide options for lower and middle income individuals who cannot afford single family homes. Advocates for getting rid of single family zoning argue that by allowing housing options outside of only single family homes, more people would be able to stay in their cities without being priced out or relying on
231-593: A 1948 Supreme Court decision in Shelley v. Kraemer made them unenforceable, though they continued to be included on deeds until the 1968 Fair Housing Act deemed that illegal as well. "Single-family zoning became basically the only option to try to maintain both race and class segregation," - Jessica Trounstine (associate professor of political science at the University of California, Merced ) Sonia Hirt , professor of landscape architecture and urban planning at
308-423: A Democrat as mayor leads to increased multifamily housing production. These effects are concentrated in cities where councils have less power over land use changes." A major part of the political coalition aligned with the movement include environmentalists and proponents of sustainability, which support measures to legalize higher density for a variety of reasons. Urban development with higher density levels reduces
385-410: A YIMBY proponent. Pro-housing policies proposed by Kamala Harris during her 2024 presidential campaign were among the first to bring YIMBY ideas to the national political mainstream. During his speech at the 2024 Democratic National Convention , former president Barack Obama stated "if we want to make it easier for more young people to buy a home, we need to build more units and clear away some of
462-594: A certain neighborhood. The goal of limiting certain neighborhoods to only single-family homes meant that only families who could afford to buy an entire house could live in the neighborhood. There was not the option to subdivide housing so that families who could not afford to buy the whole property could live in smaller units. After the US Supreme Court 's 1917 decision in Buchanan v. Warley , which declared explicit race-based zoning statutes unconstitutional,
539-416: A natural incentive for homeowners and the government that likely influences policies seeking to protect property values to be as widely implemented and defended across the country as they are. Single-family zoning both increases housing costs and decreases the number of available units by reducing the number of units that can be built on a piece of land. As an example, an old, run-down, single family home on
616-415: A neighborhood, it merely allows for flexibility in options. For example, changing a single family zoning district to a multifamily residential zoning district would not mandate single family detached homes be converted, nor would it prohibit new single family homes, it would just allow owners of those single family detached homes to subdivide their property, or owners of empty lots to build something other than
693-537: A new height limit of 10 metres to allow for at least three storeys. Multifamily residential Multifamily residential , also known as multidwelling unit ( MDU ), is a classification of housing where multiple separate housing units for residential inhabitants are contained within one building or several buildings within one complex. Units can be next to each other (side-by-side units), or stacked on top of each other (top and bottom units). Common forms include apartment building and condominium , where typically
770-399: A period of decades; the author concluded that newly constructed housing would not become affordable in the near future, meaning that filtering was not a viable method for producing affordable housing, especially in the most expensive cities. A more recent study on the subject of housing elasticity found an opposite conclusion; while newly constructed housing was often purchased at higher prices,
847-521: A professor of city and regional planning at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill , one effect stems from the belief that higher density housing in neighborhoods decreases housing values, and that one role of the government is to keep homeowner's house values high, and because cities have prioritized single-family homeowners above other groups, this has turned city planners into wealth managers when city planners should be concerned with using zoning to prevent harm. Sonia Hirt supports this, stating, "In
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#1732772587939924-430: A proposal to allow fourplexes everywhere would be a more equitable proposal, and that research shows that the housing shortage is so large that limiting new housing to specific areas would not sufficiently address the shortage. In June 2023, Boise City Council unanimously approved a rewrite of the city's zoning code that allowed duplexes and cottage court homes on most of the city's residential land. Small portions of
1001-499: A shrinking supply of affordable units. Ending single family zoning is a controversial topic. Many residents and NIMBY (Not in My Backyard) advocates do not want development to increase the density of their neighborhood of exclusively single family homes. Some argue that having apartments will decrease the value of their single family homes. Some argue that upzoning initiatives will increase effects of gentrification by increasing
1078-1037: A sign that increasing market-rate housing does not improve affordability. A common misconception is the "supply skepticism" , which claims new housing would draw more migration than it houses and this would worsen the housing crisis further. Right-wing figures such as Donald Trump and Tucker Carlson have historically appealed to preservationists, local power brokers, and homeowners concerned about their property values. Suburban residents often push for new housing developments to be concentrated in other areas with higher proportions of BIPOC populations, rather than in their own neighborhoods. The Bay Area's Regional Housing Needs Allocation process has been found to correlate with cities' white population percentages, resulting in fewer affordable housing allocations in areas with larger white populations. In response, elected officials and planners, seeking to appease these constituents, direct development into downtown areas, where higher and more expensive buildings are constructed, ultimately raising
1155-500: A single family home. In the late 2010s and early 2020s, multiple states including California and Oregon as well as cities like Minneapolis and Charlottesville, Virginia have signed bills, made proposals, or started investigations to effectively eliminate single-family zoning. This includes requiring cities to approve two units and under certain conditions up to four units on single-family lots for example. According to multiple sources, single-family zoning originated in 1916 in
1232-809: A study conducted by the National Bureau of Economic research also estimated that deregulating land use in the United States would lead to productivity gains, with domestic output projected to increase between 3–6% and economic well-being lifted by 3–9%. The free market faction, unlike liberals, believes that while higher-density housing should be allowed, it shouldn't be forced within existing cities solely for environmental reasons, with figures like libertarians, and moderate free-market advocates like Matt Yglesias opposing urban growth boundaries. They argue that restricting development to urban areas contradicts consumer preferences. Conversely, because "NIMBY"
1309-594: A two-thirds majority to pick a design code and allow extensions or replacement buildings of up to five or six stories, allowing suburban homes to be gradually replaced by mansion blocks. This flagship policy has achieved a degree of recognition, being endorsed by former Liberal Democrat MP Sam Gyimah and the former leader of the House of Commons Jacob Rees-Mogg . Other YIMBY groups have been set up in individual London boroughs and in cities suffering similar housing shortages, such as Brighton, Bristol and Edinburgh. Members of
1386-765: A typical lot in Washington, DC, would sell for about $ 1 million, but if it were legal for a developer to build a three-story, six unit condominium building on that lot, those units would sell for about $ 600,000; which is 40% less per unit and 500% more units. In the 1970s, the American suburb became a new battleground for civil rights advocates. The standard American suburb was zoned to limit dense housing and rarely encouraged housing developments attainable for less affluent groups. Activists and scholars argue that these policies were borne out of racist motivations—fears of increased crime and property value degradation, as well as
1463-493: Is "necessary as a first step in undoing a history of racist housing policies." San Francisco , where almost 75% of all land zoned residential allows only single-family homes or duplexes, is scheduled in 2021 to discuss a proposal to allow fourplexes on corner lots, and any lot within half a mile from a train station. David Garcia, policy director of the Terner Center for Housing Innovation at UC Berkeley , said that
1540-442: Is a "lynchpin for the long-term distribution of resources," working in many ways as a replacement for the welfare state. The monetary value of the home is key not only for its own sake, but also for the quality of the education it provides access to. Additionally, home equity credit lines have become a key way for Americans to bear the cost of crises, like covering medical debt. Given the far reaching impacts of home value, this creates
1617-411: Is a community mindset that's open to change and development." An advocacy group called HousingNowTO fights to maximize the number of homes when the government builds housing. Another group, More Neighbours Toronto (MNTO), advocates for policy changes to increase the housing supply. In Vancouver , Abundant Housing Vancouver was formed in 2016 to support more housing. In Ottawa , Make Housing Affordable
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#17327725879391694-483: Is a type of planning restriction applied to certain residential zones in the United States and Canada in order to restrict development to only allow single-family detached homes . It disallows townhomes , duplexes , and multifamily housing (apartments) from being built on any plot of land with this zoning designation. It is a form of exclusionary zoning , and emerged as a way to keep minorities out of white neighborhoods. Single-family zoning both increases
1771-434: Is expected to have minimal impact on neighborhoods, as experts estimated that it is only cost effective for 5% of single-family owners to upgrade their property. A study by the Terner Center for Housing Innovation at UC Berkeley estimated that this new law could potentially result in 700,000 new housing units statewide, about 20% of the homes necessary to alleviate the housing shortage of 3.5 million homes. In January 2021,
1848-528: Is higher among renters, Democrats, and Black people, though it enjoys majority support among all groups in California. Upzoning in the absence of additional housing production appeared to raise prices in Chicago, though the author disputed that this could lead to general conclusions about the affordability effects of upzoning. In Auckland , New Zealand, the introduction of upzoning led to a stimulation of
1925-600: Is inversely proportional to vacancy rates in a city, which are related to the demand for housing and the rate of construction. Homelessness rates are correlated with higher rents, especially in areas where rent exceeds 30% of an area's median income. Homelessness is driven by a number of causes, but it is more difficult to address homelessness in areas that suffer from a shortage of housing. A 2023 survey of homeless individuals in California found that among typical causes of homelessness, many people were driven into homelessness due to high rents and low incomes which could not cover
2002-478: Is largely left up to judicial system, a more popular institution among Americans, rather than through municipal officials. Other academics highlight how the nature of zoning undermines the neoliberal values often seen as fundamental to the US. William Fischel, an economics professor at Dartmouth College, asserts that, from the outset of zoning policy, the protection of single-family homes from "incompatible" land use nearby
2079-417: Is often used as a pejorative, self-identified NIMBYs are rare. But opposition to YIMBY policies comes from various sides. Some socialists, and renter advocates concerned about resident displacement and gentrification who reject market-rate housing or disagree with the view among progressive housing economists that displacement is caused by lack of enough housing. In local elections, opposition to YIMBY policies
2156-468: Is particularly pronounced; studies show that voter turnout among landowners nearly doubles when zoning issues are on the ballot. Opposition to market-rate housing has been referred to as "PHIMBY", for "public housing in my backyard". Similarly, requiring a very high inclusionary (i.e., subsidized) percentage for new construction can result in less housing development, as subsidized homes are often more expensive to build than market-rate ones. The origins of
2233-455: Is routinely, as in the United States, considered to be so incompatible with all other types of urbanization as to warrant a legally defined district all its own, a district where all other major land uses and building types are outlawed." In many United States cities, 75% of land zoned for residential uses is zoned single-family, and across the state of California as a whole, that number is greater than 66%. Because this type of zoning reduces
2310-658: Is the answer to the housing shortage, so they see the increase in density of their neighborhood as justified. Prior to 2021, across the State of California as a whole, almost 66% of all residences were single-family homes and almost 75% of all developable land was zoned exclusively for single-family. In September 2021, governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 9 , which effectively eliminated single-family-only zoning, requiring cities to approve two units and under certain conditions up to four units on single-family lots. This law
2387-431: The 15-minute city concept. In October 2022, Ontario announced up to three units could be built on a residential property, known as More Homes, Built Faster Act , which would also prevent municipalities from setting restrictions to limit expansion. In May 2023 Toronto approved new zoning laws to accommodate up to four unit multiplexes in neighbourhoods across the city to ease its exclusionary zoning policy, starting with
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2464-498: The Elmwood neighborhood of Berkeley, California , as an effort to keep minorities, specifically a Black dancehall and Chinese laundries, out of white neighborhoods. Real estate developer Duncan McDuffie was one of the early proponents of single-family zoning in this neighborhood of Berkeley to prevent a dance hall owned by a Black resident from moving into houses he was trying to sell. He worried that families of color moving into
2541-737: The San Francisco Bay area in the 2010s due to high housing costs created as a result of the local technology industry adding many more jobs to the region than the number of housing units constructed in the same time span. California YIMBY, the first political YIMBY group, was founded with the funding of Bay Area tech executives and companies. Dustin Moskovitz ( Facebook , Asana ) and his wife Cari Tuna donated $ 500,000 via their Open Philanthropy foundation; Nat Friedman ( Xamarin , GitHub ) and Zack Rosen ( Pantheon Systems ) donated another $ 500,000. Another $ 1 million donation came from
2618-428: The University of Georgia , states that "In the early 1900s, the racially and ethnically charged private restrictions of the late nineteenth century were temporarily overshadowed by the rise of municipal zoning ordinances with the same explicit intent." Hirt says single-family zoning is a uniquely American phenomenon: "I could find no evidence in other countries that this particular form — the detached single-family home —
2695-506: The "moral corruption" that more diverse cities risked. Additionally, surrounding these homes with more like them prevented the existence of adjacent businesses that might bring types of people—primarily ethnic minorities and the poor—to the suburbs that these residents wanted to avoid. Since those excluded by these policies inherently could not afford to live in these communities, they lacked the franchise and political capital to secure enough influence to change these policies. Scholars argue that
2772-713: The 1980s as a position in opposition to NIMBYism. By 1991, YIMBY was already an established term and had been since the 1980s, understood to mean "Yes-in-many-backyards". A 1993 essay published in the Journal of the American Planning Association entitled "Planners' Alchemy, Transforming NIMBY to YIMBY: Rethinking NIMBY" used 'YIMBY' in general reference to development, not only housing development. The pro-housing YIMBY position emerged in regions experiencing unaffordable housing prices. The Guardian and Raidió Teilifís Éireann say this movement began in
2849-696: The British YIMBY movement have been critical of established planning organisations such as the Town and Country Planning Association and the Campaign to Protect Rural England , accusing them of pursuing policies that worsen Britain's housing shortage. There is growing support for the YIMBY movement within the Labour party following its 2024 electoral success. Prime minister Keir Starmer has described himself as
2926-533: The PBL (Plans and Constructions Act, from 1987) is a major impediment to any new construction, and should be eliminated or dramatically reformed. London YIMBY was set up in 2016, publishing its first report with the Adam Smith Institute in 2017 which received national press coverage. Its members advocate a policy termed 'Better Streets'. This proposal would allow residents of individual streets to vote by
3003-406: The United States . Surveys have shown that white communities are more likely to have strict land use regulations and whites are more likely to support those regulations. Academic research has yielded some generalizable results on the effects of increasing housing supply. Studies show that strict land use regulations reduce housing supply and raise the price of houses and land. Some research into
3080-443: The United States, private profit as a result of zoning ordinances that preserved and enhanced 'investment values' was not only fully expected, it was a major zoning goal." This effect is furthered by the unique reliance of Americans on homeownership and the value of such properties in securing a long-term, stable quality of life according to Monica Prasad, a professor of sociology at Northwestern University. She says that homeownership
3157-841: The United States, the YIMBY movement began in the San Francisco Bay Area in the 2010s amid a housing affordability crisis and has subsequently become a potent political force in local, state, and national politics in the United States. The YIMBY position supports increasing the supply of housing within cities where housing costs have escalated to unaffordable levels. They have also supported infrastructure development projects like improving housing development (especially for affordable housing or trailer parks ), high-speed rail lines, homeless shelters , day cares , schools , universities and colleges , bike lanes , and pedestrian safety infrastructure. YIMBYs often seek rezoning that would allow denser housing to be produced or
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3234-1081: The YIMBY platform RTM XL in Rotterdam was created as a response to rising aversion to the development of the Zalmhaven tower in Rotterdam . RTM XL informs about development in the city, promotes it, but also criticizes policies of the city on development and mobility. In recent years similar platforms EHVXL in Eindhoven, DHXL in The Hague and UTRXL in Utrecht were founded. Yimby is an independent political party network founded in Stockholm in 2007, which advocates physical development, densification and promotion of urban environment with chapters in Stockholm , Gothenburg , and Uppsala . The group believes that
3311-578: The amount of land available for new housing, it pushes development into poor, minority communities or to land beyond the borders of the city. Local public employees like teachers, firefighters, and police officers are often priced out of feasibly living in the communities they serve—even in municipalities that require these workers to do so. These cases are the most consistent exception to these policies that are "acceptable" to affluent residents. Housing developments in these areas designed to be affordable are frequently only granted an exception to zoning rules on
3388-675: The bill in April 2022 and it went into effect July 27, 2022. In October 2024, the Anne Arundel County Council passed Bill No. 72-24, the Housing Attainability Act, legalizing missing middle housing in certain areas zoned for single-family homes. The bill legalizes triplexes, fourplexes, multiplexes, and stacked townhouses, which were not previously defined in the zoning code. The bill is set to take effect on July 1, 2025. In 2018, Minneapolis became
3465-508: The city council of Sacramento voted to permit up to four housing units on all residential lots to help the city reduce its housing shortage and to achieve equity goals by making neighborhoods with good schools accessible to people who cannot afford to purchase homes there. In February 2021, the City Council of Berkeley, California , voted unanimously to allow fourplexes in all neighborhoods, with Vice Mayor Lori Droste saying that this
3542-571: The city were excluded from the upzoning. The new code took effect on December 1, 2023. In April 2022, the Maine Legislature passed LD 2003, requiring cities and towns to increase housing density. It requires municipalities to allow additional units on lots zoned for single-family homes, and to allow at least one accessory dwelling unit on lots with existing single-family homes, hence ending single family zoning in Maine . The Governor signed
3619-522: The condition that they gave priority to those either living or working there. Even then, local concerns over affordability for existing town residents and public employees often fails to effect changes in zoning laws or the approval of new, denser, more-affordable developments due to local resistance. However, evidence suggests that larger, more heterogenous suburbs are more responsive to calls for change, likely due to an already-existing local population harmed by these policies. According to Andrew Whittemore,
3696-524: The cost of housing units and decreases the supply. In many United States cities, 75% of land zoned for residential uses is zoned single-family. Beginning in the late 2010's and early 2020's many cities across the United States have started looking at reforming their land-use regulations, particularly single-family zoning, in attempts to solve their housing shortages and reduce the racial inequities which arise from housing segregation . These upzoning efforts would not require that new housing types be built in
3773-533: The cost of rent. YIMBY proponents would seek to lower rents by expanding the supply of housing. California's high housing prices are directly tied to a lack of housing supply. In Toronto , a self-styled YIMBY movement was established in 2006 by community members in response to significant development proposals in the West Queen West area, and a YIMBY festival, launched the same year, has been held annually since. The festival's organizer stated that "YIMBYism
3850-591: The cost per housing unit. Evidence from California suggests that support for development is often higher when the development is less local. For example, a statewide upzoning bill will have more popular support statewide than a new apartment building will have from the immediate neighbors. This can vary by state. While the national Sierra Club is in favor of infill development, local Sierra Club chapters in California oppose making development easier in their own cities. A 2019 poll conducted by Lake Reach Partners for California YIMBY found that support for more infill development
3927-637: The court in 1926 decided in Euclid v. Ambler that it was a legitimate use of the police power of cities to ban apartment buildings from certain neighborhoods, with Justice George Sutherland referring to an apartment complex as "a mere parasite" on a neighborhood. This enabled the spread of single-family zoning as a means to keep poor and minority people out of white neighborhoods. In many cases, homeowners and neighborhood associations adopted covenants to prevent homes in their neighborhood from being sold to buyers of color. Restrictive covenants were legal until
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#17327725879394004-652: The economic and racial diversity of neighborhoods. On July 2, 2019, the State of Oregon passed House Bill 2001 , requiring medium cities (more than 10,000 people) to allow duplexes in areas zoned for single-family homes and large cities (more than 25,000 people or more than 1,000 people if they are in the Portland metropolitan area ) to allow duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, cottage court apartments, and townhouses in areas zoned for single-family homes. It went into effect on July 30, 2021, for medium cities and will go into effect July 30, 2022, for large cities. Almost 70% of
4081-419: The economic segregation of living spaces deprives those in poor locales of economic opportunity and condemns them to being stuck in areas of concentrated poverty. At the same time, suburban residents get separated from racially-diverse urban areas and thus feel a decreased sense of responsibility for the issues contained there. A 2020 study from UC Berkeley stated "The greater proportion of single-family zoning,
4158-480: The first major city in the US to end single-family zoning (which had covered almost 75% of their residential land), by allowing duplexes and triplexes in every neighborhood, as well as higher-density housing along transit lines. By allowing triplexes in all neighborhoods their intention is to give all people opportunity to move to neighborhoods with good schools or jobs, as well as to increase affordability, reduce displacement of lower-income residents, and increase both
4235-560: The free flow of people and ideas. In their view, deregulated housing markets enable more efficient land use, reduce housing costs, and enhance individual property rights. A 2019 study by Chang-Tai Hsieh and Enrico Moretti in the American Economic Journal found that liberalization of land use regulations would lead to enormous productivity gains. The study estimated that strict land use regulations "lowered aggregate US growth by 36 percent from 1964 to 2009." Similarly,
4312-508: The government, and environmentalists who believe land use reform will slow down exurban development into natural areas. Some YIMBYs also support efforts to shape growth in the public interest such as transit-oriented development , green construction , or expanding the role of public housing . YIMBYs argue cities can be made increasingly affordable and accessible by building more infill housing, and that greenhouse gas emissions will be reduced by denser cities. The term started being used in
4389-905: The granular effects of additional housing supply shows that new housing units in hot markets may not raise the rates by which rents increase in nearby market-rate units. This has been observed in outer boroughs of New York City (though not within 3.14 miles of the Empire State Building), in San Francisco (looking at housing units next to burned-out properties which were rebuilt), in Helsinki, and across multiple cities. Additionally, in California, new market-rate housing reduced displacement and slowed rises in rent. These studies do not show overall rent decreases from new housing units; in each study cited above, all housing became less affordable over time. The income elasticity of housing demand
4466-500: The higher the observed level of racial residential segregation." According to Sonia Hirt, zoning, as opposed to centralized city planning favored by most other countries, grew popular in the US because of the opposition to state intervention prevalent in American politics. Zoning limits the need for bureaucrats by creating broad land-use guidelines for the private market to follow, rather than directing specific developments under centralized planning. Additionally, arbitration of disputes
4543-491: The housing construction industry and an increase in the city’s supply of housing. In Portland , Oregon, an analysis of 17 years of land use deregulation policies found that individual land parcels in upzoned areas had significantly higher probabilities of development, density creation, and net additions to the Portland housing supply. Research shows that strict land use regulations contribute to racial housing segregation in
4620-429: The housing costs in that area. Their argument is that homeowners will have a higher incentive to sell their properties at even higher rates because buyers or developers might be willing to pay more for houses they know they can convert into multiplexes. Those who are proponents of ending single family zoning call themselves YIMBYs (Yes in my Backyard) as a counter-movement to NIMBY sentiments. They argue that more housing
4697-797: The idea of reducing some of their exclusionary zoning rules (particularly single-family zoning) to allow for more housing affordability, where working-class Black residents have been disproportionately displaced to surrounding communities. On April 21, 2023, the State of Washington Senate passed HB 1110, which banned single-family zoning in medium to large cities statewide. The bill was signed into law by governor Jay Inslee on May 8, 2023. Gentle densification has been proposed in cities including Edmonton , where zoning laws have been unchanged for over 60 years. Upzoning would allow for different forms of development with greater density and height including semi-detached, row housing, backyard houses, and three-storey apartments. The proposed revisions help to idealize
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#17327725879394774-484: The increase in supply at the high end of the market drove down prices everywhere else, leading to material benefits for people across all income groups. Competition between real estate developers can affect timing of real estate development and real options valuation . Improved price elasticity of new housing supply reduces the typical increases of local rents and house prices due to immigration . Immigration affects demand and supply of housing. The change in rent
4851-423: The late 2010s, cities across the nation have started looking at reforming their land-use regulations, particularly single-family zoning, in attempts to solve their housing shortages and reduce the racial inequities which arise from housing segregation. A growing concern over " missing middle housing " developed in the United States housing market. This term refers to options in between renting apartments and buying
4928-410: The modern YIMBY movement are separate from existing tenants' rights groups, which are suspicious of their association with young, white technology workers and may be wary of disrupting the status quo, which allows incumbent groups to use discretionary planning processes to negotiate for benefits while slowing development in general. Some have cited high vacancy rates and high rents in high-demand cities as
5005-408: The neighborhood would decrease the desirability of the neighborhood and decrease property values. By advocating for single-family zoning, McDuffie and other developers at the time were attempting to price out social groups whom they deemed to be less desirable for the neighborhood. This makes single-family zoning one of many exclusionary zoning policies intended to limit who was able to afford living in
5082-470: The online payments company Stripe . The YIMBY movement consists of various factions with differing motivations, the debate over YIMBY policies is not limited to a single political line, with YIMBY activists aligning from across the political spectrum. Surveys of both the mass public and of elected officials show that Democrats are more likely than Republicans to support dense, multifamily housing . A 2024 study of mayors and city councils shows that "electing
5159-408: The outdated laws and regulations that made it harder to build homes for working people in this country." The YIMBY movement has been particularly strong in California, a state experiencing a substantial housing shortage crisis. Since 2017, YIMBY groups in California have pressured California state and its localities to pass laws to expedite housing construction, follow their own zoning laws, and reduce
5236-704: The passage of Senate Bill 35 (SB 35) , which streamlines housing under certain criteria, among other "housing package" of bills. From 2018 to 2020, the lobbying group California YIMBY joined over 100 Bay Area technology industry executives in supporting state senator Scott Wiener 's Senate Bills 827 and 50 . The bills failed in the state senate after multiple attempts at passage. California YIMBY received $ 100,000 from Yelp CEO Jeremy Stoppelman , $ 1 million from Irish entrepreneurs John and Patrick Collison through their company, Stripe , and $ 500,000 raised by Pantheon Systems CEO Zach Rosen and GitHub CEO Nat Friedman . Single-family zoning Single-family zoning
5313-409: The population’s need to travel by automobile, and thus, cities’ need to develop car-based infrastructure, which in the United States accounts for 29% of all greenhouse gas emissions. Proponents of free market economics back zoning deregulation from a different perspective. They see increased housing density as a way to stimulate economic growth, foster innovation, and improve productivity by encouraging
5390-413: The preservation of "community character" were core rationales of suburbanites for these policies. These fears align with some of the driving cultural forces behind White Flight and suburbanization, with industrialization making cities more dangerous. According to Sonia Hirt, zoning for detached single family homes in the suburbs provided upwardly mobile Whites more space to raise children in, and prevented
5467-447: The repurposing of obsolete buildings, such as shopping malls, into housing. Cities that have adopted YIMBY policies have seen substantial increase in housing supply and reductions in rent. The YIMBY movement has supporters across the political spectrum, including left-leaning adherents who believe housing production is a social justice issue, free-market libertarian proponents who think the supply of housing should not be regulated by
5544-404: The state (approximately 2.8 million people) lives in a city affected by the bill, and most of those live in a city affected by the provisions for large cities. In December 2023, Austin, Texas ' city council voted to allow up to three homes on every lot, effectively ending single-family zoning in the city. In August 2021, Charlottesville, Virginia 's planning commission started investigating
5621-878: The stringency of zoning regulations. YIMBY activists have also been active in helping to enforce state law on housing by bringing law-breaking cities to the attention of authorities. Since 2014, in response to California's housing affordability crisis , several YIMBY groups were created in the San Francisco Bay Area . These groups have lobbied both locally and at the state level for increased housing production at all price levels, as well as using California's Housing Accountability Act (the "anti-NIMBY law") to sue cities when they attempt to block or downsize housing development. The New York Times explained about one organization: "Members want San Francisco and its suburbs to build more of every kind of housing. More subsidized affordable housing, more market-rate rentals, more high-end condominiums." In 2017, YIMBY groups successfully lobbied for
5698-410: The units are owned individually rather than leased from a single building owner. Many intentional communities incorporate multifamily residences, such as in cohousing projects. Housing units in multifamily housing have greater per capita value than single family homes. Multifamily housing has beneficial fiscal externalities, as their presence reduces property tax rates in the community. Before
5775-427: Was "paramount." While many suburbanites would identify the class mobility represented by a move out to the suburbs as a manifestation of success in the free market, they sought legal protection of their neighborhoods from commercial or high-density residential developments. He notes that early legal court cases regarding zoning policies led to anti-regulation judges ruling strongly in favor of empowering zoning laws. In
5852-621: Was estimated by one review in USA around 0.8 to 1.0 for renters and around 1.1 to 1.5 for owners. The price elasticity of housing demand was estimated between −0.2 to −1.0 with variations for location, time delay and between renters and owners. Supply can be constrained due to topography and regulations. A study published in Urban Studies in 2006 observed price trends within Canadian cities and noted very slow price drops for older housing over
5929-493: Was formed in 2021 to advocate for YIMBY policies. In 2014, the blog YIMBY Bratislava was created as a response to rising aversion to development in Bratislava , the capital of Slovakia . The blog informs about development in the city, promotes it, but also criticizes it. In 2018 it was renamed to YIM.BA — Yes In My Bratislava. It is a private blog of one author with the fan group of its readers and fans on Facebook. In 2012,
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