Upzoning Might Not Lower Housing Costs. Do It Anyway.

Americans need housing relief imminently. Despite what you may have heard, upzoning isn’t likely to be the thing that delivers that—but here's why it’s still worth pursuing.

Incremental Housing, Herriges, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesApril 26, 2023Incremental Housing, upzoning, zoning, housing cost, housing affordability, rent, renters, housing crisis, housing, housing policy

High-Income Earners Are Renting Instead of Buying Homes

High-earning Americans are saying they might choose to rent indefinitely. Why?

Podcast, Upzoned, Incremental Housing, Top StoryStrong TownsMarch 22, 2023Podcast, podcast, Upzoned, rent, renters, housing, housing cost, Housing, housing crisis, Housing Crisis, Incremental Housing

In This Housing Fight, It’s Conservative Politicians vs. Conservative Policies

One would expect a Republican governor to endorse free-market solutions on a local level, yet housing and zoning tend to scramble traditional political debates in unexpected ways.

Incremental Housing, News, Top StoryBen AbramsonJanuary 12, 2023Incremental Housing, housing, housing affordability, housing crisis, Housing Crisis, Housing, housing cost, politics, Florida

There’s No Such Thing as Affordable Housing

Los Angeles lost a hundred thousand affordable homes in a decade. Don’t look to bulldozers to explain how.

Herriges, Housing, Incremental Housing, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesJanuary 4, 2023Incremental Housing, housing, housing cost, housing affordability, housing crisis, Los Angeles, poverty

Seattle Has 800,000 Problems

The Seattle area is growing fast, and the suburbs are not going to be exempt from change. Data on the true costs of development is helping local advocates develop a vision for a more prosperous—and, yes, populous—future.

Housing, Urban3, Top StoryKerry HayesDecember 8, 2022Incremental Housing, housing, housing affordability, housing crisis, housing cost, Housing Crisis, Housing, housing policy, Seattle, Washington, Urban3

Reminder: The Place You Live Is Not New York (Unless It Is)

Discourse about affordable housing is dominated by a handful of extremely unrepresentative places, and the solutions that might be applicable in those places don't translate in the rest of the U.S.

Herriges, Housing, Top Story, Incremental HousingDaniel HerrigesDecember 1, 2022housing, housing affordability, housing activism, housing cost, Incremental Housing, Housing, housing policy, YIMBY, NIMBY

This Man Overcame Homelessness by Building His Own Tiny Home…on Hollywood Boulevard!

This LA resident has gone viral after taking matters into his own hands to deal with the housing crisis.

Upzoned, Podcast, Housing, Top Story, Incremental HousingStrong TownsNovember 9, 2022Podcast, podcast, Upzoned, airbnb, rent, housing, housing cost, Housing, housing policy, housing market, housing crisis, Incremental Housing, Tiny House, Los Angeles

What Does the "Airbnbust" Mean for the Housing Market?

Airbnb owners have voiced concerns over plummeting bookings in the last few months. Are we witnessing the “Airbnbust,” and if so, what does this mean for the housing market, as a whole?

Upzoned, Podcast, Housing, Top Story, Incremental HousingStrong TownsNovember 2, 2022Podcast, podcast, Upzoned, airbnb, rent, housing, housing cost, Housing, housing policy, housing market, housing crisis, Incremental Housing

We Need More Housing—But Also More People Who Can Build More Housing

The Ontario government has stated that the province will need 100,000 new construction workers and 1.5 million homes over the next decade…and industry leaders aren’t feeling optimistic about it.

Upzoned, Podcast, Housing, Top Story, Incremental HousingStrong TownsOctober 19, 2022Podcast, podcast, Upzoned, housing, housing crisis, housing affordability, housing cost, Housing Crisis, Housing, construction

What Will Housing Prices Be a Year From Now?

If one thing’s clear about the housing market, it’s that it’s currently more sensitive to factors outside of your community—outside of your control—than anything within.

Finance, Housing, Marohn, Top Story, Incremental HousingCharles MarohnSeptember 26, 2022housing, housing cost, housing affordability, housing market, Housing, housing policy, housing finance, Incremental Housing, homeowners, Homeownership, homeownership, finance

The Suburbs Are a “One-Life-Cycle” Product

A recent CNBC documentary features Strong Towns insights from Charles Marohn about why suburban development is so risky.

Housing, Quednau, Top Story, Transparent AccountingRachel QuednauSeptember 20, 2022suburban development pattern, suburban experiment, suburbs, incremental development, incrementalism, incremental, Incremental Housing, housing cost, housing, housing affordability, housing crisis, Housing Crisis, Housing

Suburbia Was a Housing Program

Suburbia was an experiment—an experiment in the service of building lots of housing very quickly.

Housing, Suburban Experiment, Top Story, Incremental Housing, Transparent AccountingAddison Del MastroSeptember 12, 2022Addison Del Mastro, suburban experiment, suburbs, suburban development pattern, housing, housing policy, housing cost, housing crisis, Housing Crisis, housing affordability, NIMBY, Incremental Housing

The Starter House Is Nearly Extinct

Increasingly, for entire cities in the U.S., buying a starter home on a modest income is no longer an option.

Housing, Herriges, Top Story, Incremental HousingDaniel HerrigesSeptember 8, 2022housing cost, housing, housing affordability, housing crisis, Housing, Incremental Housing, housing market, housing policy

You Don’t “NEED” More Space

We often speak to the “good old days” as a measure of the U.S. at its best…but in 1950, the average American home was 983 square feet, as opposed to the 2,300 square feet of today.

Horbovetz, Top Story, Incremental HousingArian HorbovetzSeptember 6, 2022housing, housing cost, Housing, cars, car culture, urbanism, capitalism

Is Wall Street Actually Taking Over the Housing Market?

Are Wall Street-backed investors the reason you can’t afford a house? The truth is a bit more complicated than that.

Housing, Herriges, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesJuly 27, 2022housing, housing cost, housing crisis, Housing Crisis, housing market, homeowners, Homeownership, homeownership

Affordable Housing in Oregon Is About To Catch a Big Break From Parking Mandates

Finally, homes for people will no longer be conditional on car parking.

Housing, Parking, Top StoryCatie GouldJuly 13, 2022parking minimums, parking, End Parking Mandates and Subsidies, affordable housing, housing, housing cost, housing crisis, Housing Crisis, Housing, housing policy, housing affordability, zoning, Oregon

Love the One You’re With

When you’re not allowed to build the kind of housing you want, sometimes you have to work with what’s already here.

Housing, Sanphillippo, Top StoryJohnny SanphillippoJuly 7, 2022housing, housing affordability, housing cost, housing crisis, Housing, housing market, housing policy, Homeownership, homeownership, home, Wisconsin, Granola Shotgun, zoning, Incremental Housing

A Parallel Option: Social Housing (Part 3)

Social housing is not a silver bullet, but can be part of a broader vision for a fairer and more responsive housing market.

Herriges, HousingDaniel HerrigesJune 15, 2022housing, housing cost, housing affordability, housing crisis, Housing Crisis, Housing, housing policy, co-housing, social housing series

Legalizing Incremental Change—Everywhere—To Meet America’s Housing Needs

For too long, our housing policy has put investor returns and macroeconomic goals over the universal human need for shelter. The Strong Towns approach to incremental housing is a badly needed corrective.