Because Elmendorf surveys find bipartisan majorities back rent controls over supply, YIMBY reforms face electoral headwinds. Misbelief that new supply doesn’t cut prices fuels punitive anti-developer policies.
— This belief-driven policy preference shapes ballot initiatives, city ordinances, and state housing agendas, determining whether affordability strategies prioritize price caps or supply liberalization.
Arnold Kling
2025.08.19
100% relevant
The article quotes Elmendorf et al. showing most respondents reject 'housing is housing' and prefer controls/subsidies, with Kling noting how this folk economics dominates local policy.
2025.08.19
75% relevant
The critique of Cuomo’s rent-control income rule engages the broader rent-control debate that persists despite voter support, highlighting policy design tensions versus popular instincts about affordability.
Nicole Gelinas
2025.08.18
80% relevant
Cuomo’s proposed income cap for rent-stabilized vacancies attempts to reframe rent control’s fairness—targeting affluent occupants in regulated units—within a city where voters overwhelmingly favor rent caps over supply. The article quantifies the stakes (nearly 1 million stabilized units; average regulated rent $1,500 vs. $2,000 market) and shows policy responses designed to sustain rent control’s popularity while addressing perceived abuse.