Category Archives: Housing

Stalled Rents And Income Inequality

Posted on January 25, 2017 by mikethemadbiologist

One of the missing elements in the discussion over rising urban rental costs is the role of income inequality. People will pay high prices to live somewhere–until they can’t (boldface mine): David J. Maundrell III, the executive vice president of … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Housing | Comments Off on Stalled Rents And Income Inequality

More D.C. Housing Market Insanity

Posted on November 24, 2016 by mikethemadbiologist

Read this section from an article about some new apartments near George Washington University, and find what doesn’t make sense: Like the idea of moving to your new apartment with just your laptop and clothes? Welcome to Varsity on K, … Continue reading →

Posted in DC, Housing | Comments Off on More D.C. Housing Market Insanity

Unusual Housing Porn

Posted on November 12, 2016 by mikethemadbiologist

I’m not talking about porn that’s filmed in houses, but media that covers houses (online and in print). Here’s the oddball–see if you can find what’s weird! Did you see it? Here’s a hint: That’s right: there are books in … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Housing | 4 Comments

You Can’t Have Gentrification Without A Gentry

Posted on October 21, 2016 by mikethemadbiologist

Pointing out the obvious yet neglected component of gentrification (boldface mine): But why Brooklyn, and why now? There’s no one answer. Rather, several interlocking factors have helped bring about the New Brooklyn: Inequality. To have $4,000-a-month rents, you need renters … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Housing | Comments Off on You Can’t Have Gentrification Without A Gentry

The White House Housing Development Toolkit And Democracy

Posted on October 3, 2016 by mikethemadbiologist

A couple of weeks ago, the White House released a ten-point “Housing Development Toolkit” plan (pdf) to address the housing problem (which, by the way, does little to address the long-term fiscal instability of the suburbs. But I digress). I … Continue reading →

Posted in Housing | 1 Comment

There Goes The Neighborhood

Posted on September 2, 2016 by mikethemadbiologist

You know, when those people move in. I mean, of course, right-wing think tank the American Enterprise Institute. Work is finally finishing up on their new digs at the corner of 18th and P Streets NW: Leaving aside my political … Continue reading →

Posted in DC, Housing | 1 Comment

Yes, New Construction Can Raise Housing Prices (And Rents)

Posted on September 1, 2016 by mikethemadbiologist

What triggered this post was a tweet by Noah Smith: https://twitter.com/Noahpinion/status/767481124159229952 And another one by Brendan Nyhan: Insane SF polling data on what effects people think a 10% increase in housing supply would have on prices https://t.co/jRhMDFTsDF — Brendan Nyhan … Continue reading →

Posted in Boston, DC, Housing | 3 Comments

These Micro-Units Aren’t Helping

Posted on August 13, 2016 by mikethemadbiologist

As a response for the need to help the poor, I’m all for ‘micro-units’, which are essentially very small apartments, often with a communal space. Without the political will to build subsidized housing, we need something to replace what used … Continue reading →

Posted in DC, Housing | 5 Comments

You Can’t Have Gentrification Without A Gentry Class

Posted on August 4, 2016 by mikethemadbiologist

I’ve made this point before, but it bears repeating in light of a new study: One of the things that always seems to go missing in discussions of gentrification and its effect on housing prices is, well, the existence of … Continue reading →

Posted in Housing | 1 Comment

Urban Housing Policy And Those Stupid Natural History Facts: The DOPA And TOPA Edition

Posted on July 25, 2016 by mikethemadbiologist

Attempts to lower urban housing costs seem to come in two flavors: 1. BUILD MOAR. 2. Rent control. However, D.C. has two pretty good alternatives, known as DOPA: Here’s the thing–D.C. has a very good legal structure to preserve affordable … Continue reading →

Posted in DC, Housing | Comments Off on Urban Housing Policy And Those Stupid Natural History Facts: The DOPA And TOPA Edition