Jason Sorens
Biden’s Rent Control Proposal Poses a Real Threat to Renters and Housing Providers
“Because rent control will become part of the tax code, Democrats will be able to use the budget reconciliation process to enact it into law. That allows them to skirt the filibuster.” ~Jason Sorens
A Tale of Two States: Idaho and California
“People have continued to move away from California and to Idaho, but the main drivers have probably been less the affordability of housing and more the higher quality of life and better economic opportunities in general.” ~Jason Sorens
Unbundling Zoning
Will zoning powers inevitably be abused, and would they be reconstituted in some other form if zoning were abolished? Evidence and theory both suggest that private land-use governance could be a non-exclusionary substitute for zoning, but transaction costs in setting up alternatives to zoning are significant.
Is Texas Really the Future of Freedom?
“Texas does several big things really well, and I’m rooting for them to improve elsewhere. But let’s not pretend Texas is the free-market archetype for the country.” ~Jason Sorens
Preserve Architectural History with Incentives, Not Bans
“Removing government from the process by changing dated zoning regulations is the best path forward to solving the housing shortage. A small piece of the puzzle should be historic landmarks and district reform.” ~Jason Sorens and Thomas Savidge
Did Government Red Ink Make the US More Dynamic than Europe?
“The new ‘reshuffling’ thesis of American recovery doesn’t make much sense on the evidence. It serves a convenient political purpose, helping to justify massive federal stimulus.” ~Jason Sorens
“Stabilization” Is Just Bad Old Rent Control
“Just about the worst way to ‘help’ renters is by punishing property owners for providing rental housing, which is just what rent caps do.” ~Jason Sorens
Inflation Hit Some States Harder
“States with better regulatory policies enjoy a lower cost of living and attract workers and investment. The most important regulatory policy is the freedom to build, that is, a lack of burdensome zoning regulations that make housing scarce and costly.” ~Jason Sorens
New Hampshire’s Lesson for America
“an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure: Never give government tools it will be tempted to abuse in the first place.
Garbled Economics in the WSJ on Argentina Dollarization
“Dollarization may not be the first-best solution for Argentina, though it’s hard to imagine it will be worse than hyperinflation.” ~Jason Sorens
