Can Tech Help Turn the Tide on California’s Housing Problem?

“I think a lot of software companies are trying to think about ways to restructure these conversations,” says Katherine Levine Einstein, professor of political science at Boston University. “It helps solve a really fundamental problem at public meetings, which is that you’re presenting a project and asking people if they like it or not — which essentially invites nitpicking.”

Mayors concerned about racial wealth gap, but no consensus on solutions: survey

Boston University’s Menino Survey of Mayors found that 58% of mayors of larger cities expressed significant concern, compared with just 26% of mayors of smaller cities. It found 80% of Democratic mayors were concerned about the racial wealth gap in their community versus 32% of Republican mayors. Further, 22% of Republican mayors were not worried about the issue at all, with no Democratic mayors sharing that view.

Majority of mayors worried about racial wealth gap, survey finds

Based on a survey of 126 mayors of cities with more than 75,000 residents, the 2021 Menino Survey of Mayors: Closing the Racial Wealth Gap (20 pages, PDF), found that 67 percent of mayors are concerned about the racial wealth gap, with leaders of bigger cities significantly more concerned than those of smaller cities (58 percent vs. 26 percent), and those with lower housing costs more significantly concerned than those with higher costs (52 percent vs. 32 percent). The survey revealed a large partisan divide, with 80 percent of Democratic mayors versus 30 percent of Republican mayors expressing concern.

Majority of US Mayors Worried about the Racial Wealth Gap in Their Cities

A strong majority of US mayors (67 percent) say they are worried about the racial wealth gap in their communities, with elected leaders in cities with larger populations and higher costs of living significantly more concerned about the issue.

Those mayors who identify the racial wealth gap as a problem for their cities are close to unanimous in their support for programs designed to benefit small business ownership and homeownership for people of color. But when asked about specific programs targeting these problems, most said they would not back them in their own communities.

‘We’re afraid the building is going to collapse’ – Malden residents can’t get through to housing management, form coalition

Gathered in the parking lot of Malden Towers apartment complex at 99 Florence St., those present witnessed three Malden tenant associations come together. The event, which started at noon, was organized by the City Life/Vida Urbana (CLVU) housing nonprofit. The nonprofit brought together the Malden Towers Tenant Association, the United Properties Tenant Association and the Maplewood Square Tenant Association into a coalition with one mission: dignified housing.

Homeownership can bring out the worst in you

It’s the biggest thing you might ever buy. And it could be turning you into a bad person. “Homeowner” is an identity baked into the fabric of America. From political speeches to articles and advertising, Americans are bombarded with messaging valorizing homeownership.

Katherine Levine Einstein on Neighborhood Defenders

Why is affordable housing in such short supply? Author and political scientist Katherine Levine Einstein of Boston University talks about her book Neighborhood Defenders with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Einstein focuses on the ability of local residents to use the zoning and permit process to prevent development of housing or to reduce the amount of housing that can be built.

The housing wealth effect? Not in the Great Recession

We’ve all heard the story about the exceptionally large “housing wealth effect” that preceded the Great Recession. Homeowners felt increasingly rich as their homes boomed in value, and their newfound wealth encouraged them to spend like never before. “Using homes like they’re ATMs” was the cliché. Demand soared, production surged, and the economy boomed still further.

Neighborhood Defenders and the Capture of Land Use Politics

Many American cities are facing housing crises, with rapidly escalating prices placing homeownership, reasonable commutes, and even safe and secure housing out of the reach of middle- and lower-income Americans. Most economists believe that, to address this problem, we need to increase the supply of market-rate housing in these high-cost cities. Despite widespread consensus on the need to build more housing, housing shortages persist across many urban areas. Why, if most informed observers, and many city leaders, believe that we need more housing, are most cities failing to keep pace with growing housing demand?