Half of U.S. renters pay more than 30 percent of their income on housing. 30 percent of American households overall are cost burdened. We are facing a housing affordability crisis that impacts our ability to pay for the goods and services we need to survive. It is becoming harder than ever to live in homes that meet our needs and are located near loved ones. Our nation's rising housing costs are ultimately negatively impact our quality of life. But it doesn’t have to be this way.
The housing affordability crisis we are facing is caused by a shortage of homes. Estimates say the U.S. has a shortage of 4 to 7 million homes. The YIMBY movement exists to solve our nation’s housing shortage.
In the U.S., 75% of residential land is designated as single-family-only. This means it has been made illegal to have apartments, townhomes, condos, duplexes, fourplexes, and other housing on 75% of land used for homes. YIMBYs are fighting to change the status quo of saying no to homes like apartments, townhouses, and condos. We want people to say yes to new people in their neighborhoods and yes to new homes. By saying yes to new homes, we can build a future where there are abundant housing options available for all of us!
Building more homes, especially in areas with high opportunity, is critical if we want to build a more equitable and sustainable world. There are various barriers to building new housing that are within our ability to remove. Now more than ever, we need to advocate for change in American housing policy.
A future of abundant housing is a future where everyone has access to opportunity and upward mobility. Allowing more housing in our neighborhoods lets people have the chance to live in walkable communities near higher-paying jobs and amenities like great schools and hospitals. YIMBYs want to make it easier for everyone to have an opportunity to live where they can thrive.
So, how do we get there? We fight for pro-housing policies that will transform our communities.
YIMBY Action spoke with The New York Times’s Ezra Klein about how pro-housing laws can make communities across the country more affordable, abundant, and liveable – as long as they are implemented
Check out Ezra Klein’s conversation with Sonja Trauss, co-founder of the YIMBY movement and the Executive Director of YIMBY Law (the legal enforcement arm of the pro-housing movement).
Ezra and Sonja discussed housing law implementation and how we can transform housing policies into real homes for people.
Amidst a national crisis of housing affordability and accessibility, understanding the path from legislation to livable communities has never been more crucial. This conversation covers multifaceted challenges of housing law implementation, from navigating bureaucratic hurdles to fostering community support and overcoming political and economic barriers.
Ezra Klein also touches on the need for abundant housing in his new book, Abundance, co-written by Derek Thompson.
If you’d like to see more communities with abundant homes and amenities, it’s time to join the YIMBY movement. You will join a community of folks across the country who believe in making opportunities abundant for everyone.
