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Great piece on the lackluster effects of California’s new housing laws. Legislators have finally challenged anti-density NIMBYism, but by loading on inclusionary zoning and wage requirements, they’ve made newly legal housing too costly to build www.theatlantic.com/economy/2026...

theatlantic.comThe Real Reason California Can’t BuildIn trying to accomplish every objective and accommodate every interest, all at once, the state set up its housing agenda to fail.

Stephen Jacob Smith

@stephenjacobsmith.com

17 Aug

I will say though that the piece leaves you with the impression that the YIMBYs miscalculated in accepting these added costs. I don’t think they did – I think they had to accept them to prove to legislators that they wouldn’t work. I would have liked to hear from inclusionary zoning proponents like…

Stephen Jacob Smith

@stephenjacobsmith.com

…Anya Lawler, the building trades, and their champions in the state legislature why they think housing production is still too low, and whether they feel there’s any need to compromise on all of this everything bagel stuff.

17/8/26, 6:42 pm0 reposts48 likes

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