Category Archives: Housing

Whose Backyard Is It?

Posted on February 22, 2024 by mikethemadbiologist

The Washington Post has a story about the possible plans for replacing a parking garage and a fire station with housing at 1617 U Street NW. Here’s what the site looks like: The two ugly square things in the foreground … Continue reading →

Posted in DC, Housing | Comments Off on Whose Backyard Is It?

The Rent Is Too Damn High: The D.C. Rent Stabilization Edition

Posted on December 4, 2023 by mikethemadbiologist

A few weeks ago, some asshole with a blog discussed how landlords in D.C. are engaged in algorithmic collusion to jack up rental prices. While that’s a new trick those gonifs have learned, the old ones–which target lower income people–are … Continue reading →

Posted in DC, Housing | 3 Comments

The Rents Are Too Damn High–And Democrats Should Do Something About It

Posted on November 29, 2023 by mikethemadbiologist

But why do people think the economy is not good? (boldface mine) It now requires $119.27 to buy the same goods and services a family could afford with $100 before the pandemic. Since early 2020, prices have risen about as … Continue reading →

Posted in Democrats, Economics, Housing | 3 Comments

BuT wHy Do PeOpLe ThInK tHe EcOnOmY sUcKs? A Personal Angle on Some Justice for D.C. Renters

Posted on November 2, 2023 by mikethemadbiologist

D.C.’s Attorney General Schwalb is bringing a lawsuit against fourteen D.C. landlords and the ‘tech’ company Real Page, who are accused of price fixing (boldface mine): The rent is too damn high in D.C., and Attorney General Brian Schwalb claims … Continue reading →

Posted in DC, Housing | 6 Comments

The Problem with D.C.’s Downtown Is the Private, Not Federal, Sector

Posted on October 10, 2023 by mikethemadbiologist

Because D.C.’s current leadership, despite years of high rates of office vacancies downtown, did nothing to address the problem, they have been calling for federal workers to return to the office in a desperate attempt to jump start downtown businesses, … Continue reading →

Posted in Bidness, Boston, DC, Housing | 1 Comment

The Weirdest (and Freakiest) NIMBY Argument Yet

Posted on October 9, 2023 by mikethemadbiologist

Recently, the Boston Globe described the reality of trying to build denser housing in Boston suburbs with access to mass transit*. The typical arguments against increasing density are made by the opponents, and there are the usual local officials who … Continue reading →

Posted in Fucking Morons, Housing | 3 Comments

Housing and Economic Anxiety

Posted on September 19, 2023 by mikethemadbiologist

Ned Resnikoff makes a very important point about the Hollywood strikes (boldface mine): But one of the most important background conditions for these two strikes is the housing crisis. As labor historian Nelson Lichtenstein recently noted, dizzying housing costs in … Continue reading →

Posted in Housing, Music | 1 Comment

It’s All About Housing Prices

Posted on July 21, 2023 by mikethemadbiologist

Well, obviously, not everything. But Ned Resnikoff makes a good point about the context in which the entertainment industry strikes are occurring (boldface mine): Characteristically, I’d like to dedicate the rest of this post to discussing the last issue: the … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Housing, Unions | Comments Off on It’s All About Housing Prices

Cities Are DOOOOMED!!

Posted on March 17, 2023 by mikethemadbiologist

That’s what the NY Times would have us believe anyway*. Yes, cities right now are suffering some revenue shortfalls–though why the NYT led with D.C., when D.C. will be immune to declines in income tax revenues due to people working … Continue reading →

Posted in Housing, Urban Planning | 1 Comment

What to Do with D.C.’s Downtown

Posted on January 27, 2023 by mikethemadbiologist

We start with this quick hit from Axios (boldface mine): Driving the news: Bowser and Mendelson spoke last night at an event hosted by the planning advocacy group Committee of 100. Bowser reiterated her support for raising the federal Height … Continue reading →

Posted in DC, Fucking Morons, Housing | Comments Off on What to Do with D.C.’s Downtown