'Democrats Push Bold Housing Initiatives Despite Risks: "America is not a museum"'
Vice President Kamala Harris is working to change the narrative and take charge of an issue affecting many Americans.
TroibNews 
**CHICAGO —** Democrats are attempting to transform a political weakness, housing affordability, into a strong point for the upcoming November elections. However, this strategy poses considerable risks, likely igniting numerous conflicts throughout blue cities and states.
Key party figures are addressing a longstanding issue for the Democratic Party amid growing voter frustration over the tightening housing supply and the escalating prices of homes and rents.
During the Democratic convention, prominent leaders like Kamala Harris and Barack Obama amplified existing momentum in both red and blue states, including California, Harris' home state, by advocating for an overhaul of local zoning laws that hinder the development of new, more affordable housing. However, the federal government has limited control over these regulations.
If their appeals prove effective, it could lead to enthusiastic mayors, city council members, and party chairs returning to their communities to confront Democrat-led planning boards and legislatures in major metropolitan areas and small towns alike, all in pursuit of Harris’ commitment to build three million new homes.
“It was a call to action, but also calling out our local elected officials that are the ones who have the authority to make these changes and are in the trenches in their local communities,” Washington Democratic state Rep. Jessica Bateman remarked. Bateman, who has proposed new housing reform laws in Olympia and is campaigning for state Senate on a pro-housing platform, emphasized the national spotlight on this issue as a response to widespread community impacts across the country.
Confronting housing issues presents a political gamble for Democrats. The topic has previously been a liability, intensified by fierce ‘Not in My Backyard’ (NIMBY) disputes, which Republicans, including former President Donald Trump, have leveraged to highlight Democrats' failures in urban housing. They express concern about the ramifications these failures could have on suburban regions.
Nevertheless, the mounting calls from voters unable to find affordable housing or priced out of buying homes have made it increasingly challenging for Democrats to ignore this issue. They aim to take ownership of a concern affecting a large segment of the American population, positioning it as a central theme of Harris’ campaign.
"Affordable housing 'has to be' top of the agenda," asserted Adrianne Todman, head of the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, during a CNN-PMG event at the DNC. She added, “we need to be doing everything we can to break down those barriers” that have worsened the housing shortage.
The push for reforming zoning and land use, exemplified by Obama’s call to “clear away some of the outdated laws and regulations that make it harder to build homes,” has been gathering momentum at the state level for years.
California, particularly San Francisco, has become emblematic of housing unaffordability, resulting in significant homelessness issues that strain city resources and deter residents and businesses. In response, state lawmakers have enacted measures to expedite permits for affordable housing and have banned single-unit zoning, viewed as essential steps toward increasing construction.
“America is not a museum,” remarked San Francisco Mayor London Breed, who is facing a tough reelection campaign, as Democrats gathered on the DNC's final day. “We build museums for preservation purposes. We protect some places for historical reasons, but cities are valuable because of their people, and in order to serve and protect those people and to make sure they have a safe affordable place to call home, all roads lead to housing.”
Both red and blue states are pursuing similar strategies, with state lawmakers usurping local zoning authority.
Washington state and Vermont have effectively banned single-family zoning. New York's Gov. Kathy Hochul and Colorado's Gov. Jared Polis have made housing reform central priorities. However, they have experienced the politically volatile nature of the issue within their own party: Hochul adopted a more moderate stance on housing this year after facing backlash over her more ambitious proposal that failed in Albany last year, while Polis saw his initial measures blocked by fellow Democrats in Denver before reaching a compromise this year.
Even conservative states like Montana have taken steps to maintain housing affordability for locals, reacting to a surge of homebuyers from liberal regions drawn to lower prices during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The pro-housing movement, often referred to as YIMBY (Yes In My Backyard), has struggled to find a political home due to its appeal spanning both center-left and center-right perspectives. However, with leading Democrats from Obama to Harris to Polis to House Financial Services ranking member Maxine Waters placing considerable emphasis on the issue at the DNC, it is clear that there is a national push for more accessible and affordable housing. This issue resonates widely, from younger individuals disenchanted with the housing market to more conservative voters feeling the pressure.
Nonetheless, backlash is already surfacing.
Trump articulated earlier this year his opposition to Democrats’ plans that he claims would “abolish the suburbs,” and during the 2020 election laid out a vision for “preserving local decision-making” regarding housing.
“The thing is, if you took Trump's name off of that statement and put it in Takoma Park or North Berkeley, you could almost hear a 'progressive' Democrat city council member saying the same thing,” said Matthew Lewis, a spokesperson for California YIMBY. “The crux of why it’s so important for Democrats to hear this housing message is that when they go home to their cities, most U.S. cities are governed by Democrats, most U.S. cities have similar housing shortages and it’s the Democrats who actually are sitting in the seats to solve the problem."
Both parties seem to have a shared understanding of the need to sell off excess federal land for affordable housing development.
However, even if such actions are taken, experts believe it will likely have a minimal impact on the broader housing crisis since much of the land is located far from metropolitan areas and unsuitable for development.
Harris has proposed housing policies that may be challenging to advance in Congress, including up to $25,000 in federal down payment assistance for first-time homebuyers, a $40 billion “innovation fund” to encourage localities to build more housing, and measures to curb rent hikes. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a nonpartisan organization, projected that Harris’ economic agenda could raise deficits by $1.7 trillion over the next decade.
“We welcome Kamala Harris’ excitement about allowing more housing to be built and easing some of the onerous zoning requirements that have created an artificial scarcity of housing,” Polis, who has enacted several housing reform laws this year, commented last week, noting his willingness to endorse some federal measures that impose conditions on localities accessing housing vouchers and funding.
A significant portion of the issue relates to state and local zoning and land-use regulations, which can render it prohibitively expensive — and often impossible — to construct affordable units. Regulations from various government levels typically account for 25 percent of the cost of building a new single-family home and approximately 30 percent of the cost of constructing a new apartment building, according to the National Association of Home Builders.
Economists and housing advocates are skeptical about a solely incentive-based approach: Many localities have a history of resisting the construction of new affordable housing within their boundaries, and mayors often prefer to avoid federal intervention.
Yet, “the impediments are often political, not economic, and it’s hard to use economics to overcome something that’s economically nonsensical,” stated Jim Parrott, a fellow at the Urban Institute and a former senior White House economic adviser during the Obama administration.
Even with limited federal tools available, Rosemarie Hepner, vice president at the Urban Land Institute’s Terwilliger Center for Housing, argued that the rhetoric from top Democrats provides local officials with “political cover” to tackle the issue.
Ben Metcalf, managing director of the Terner Center for Housing Innovation at UC Berkeley, noted that housing currently represents a relatively “depolarized and bipartisan” issue, where both parties recognize the urgency of the problem, allowing politicians “more room to run” compared to more contentious matters like immigration or trade, which tend to be more divisive.
For Democrats, this situation serves as a litmus test of whether they can overcome their own internal obstacles. Wealthy homeowners, some of whom identify as liberal, have historically acted as a formidable force against changes in zoning or affordable housing initiatives.
Now, pro-housing Democratic candidates have the opportunity to align themselves with influential leaders like Barack Obama. “If you're a mayoral candidate, are you suddenly not on the side of Barack Obama?” questioned Bobak Esfandiari, a YIMBY activist in San Francisco who attended the DNC. “It sets up a very healthy contrast.”
Katy O’Donnell contributed to this report.
Anna Muller contributed to this report for TROIB News
Key party figures are addressing a longstanding issue for the Democratic Party amid growing voter frustration over the tightening housing supply and the escalating prices of homes and rents.
During the Democratic convention, prominent leaders like Kamala Harris and Barack Obama amplified existing momentum in both red and blue states, including California, Harris' home state, by advocating for an overhaul of local zoning laws that hinder the development of new, more affordable housing. However, the federal government has limited control over these regulations.
If their appeals prove effective, it could lead to enthusiastic mayors, city council members, and party chairs returning to their communities to confront Democrat-led planning boards and legislatures in major metropolitan areas and small towns alike, all in pursuit of Harris’ commitment to build three million new homes.
“It was a call to action, but also calling out our local elected officials that are the ones who have the authority to make these changes and are in the trenches in their local communities,” Washington Democratic state Rep. Jessica Bateman remarked. Bateman, who has proposed new housing reform laws in Olympia and is campaigning for state Senate on a pro-housing platform, emphasized the national spotlight on this issue as a response to widespread community impacts across the country.
Confronting housing issues presents a political gamble for Democrats. The topic has previously been a liability, intensified by fierce ‘Not in My Backyard’ (NIMBY) disputes, which Republicans, including former President Donald Trump, have leveraged to highlight Democrats' failures in urban housing. They express concern about the ramifications these failures could have on suburban regions.
Nevertheless, the mounting calls from voters unable to find affordable housing or priced out of buying homes have made it increasingly challenging for Democrats to ignore this issue. They aim to take ownership of a concern affecting a large segment of the American population, positioning it as a central theme of Harris’ campaign.
"Affordable housing 'has to be' top of the agenda," asserted Adrianne Todman, head of the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, during a CNN-PMG event at the DNC. She added, “we need to be doing everything we can to break down those barriers” that have worsened the housing shortage.
The push for reforming zoning and land use, exemplified by Obama’s call to “clear away some of the outdated laws and regulations that make it harder to build homes,” has been gathering momentum at the state level for years.
California, particularly San Francisco, has become emblematic of housing unaffordability, resulting in significant homelessness issues that strain city resources and deter residents and businesses. In response, state lawmakers have enacted measures to expedite permits for affordable housing and have banned single-unit zoning, viewed as essential steps toward increasing construction.
“America is not a museum,” remarked San Francisco Mayor London Breed, who is facing a tough reelection campaign, as Democrats gathered on the DNC's final day. “We build museums for preservation purposes. We protect some places for historical reasons, but cities are valuable because of their people, and in order to serve and protect those people and to make sure they have a safe affordable place to call home, all roads lead to housing.”
Both red and blue states are pursuing similar strategies, with state lawmakers usurping local zoning authority.
Washington state and Vermont have effectively banned single-family zoning. New York's Gov. Kathy Hochul and Colorado's Gov. Jared Polis have made housing reform central priorities. However, they have experienced the politically volatile nature of the issue within their own party: Hochul adopted a more moderate stance on housing this year after facing backlash over her more ambitious proposal that failed in Albany last year, while Polis saw his initial measures blocked by fellow Democrats in Denver before reaching a compromise this year.
Even conservative states like Montana have taken steps to maintain housing affordability for locals, reacting to a surge of homebuyers from liberal regions drawn to lower prices during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The pro-housing movement, often referred to as YIMBY (Yes In My Backyard), has struggled to find a political home due to its appeal spanning both center-left and center-right perspectives. However, with leading Democrats from Obama to Harris to Polis to House Financial Services ranking member Maxine Waters placing considerable emphasis on the issue at the DNC, it is clear that there is a national push for more accessible and affordable housing. This issue resonates widely, from younger individuals disenchanted with the housing market to more conservative voters feeling the pressure.
Nonetheless, backlash is already surfacing.
Trump articulated earlier this year his opposition to Democrats’ plans that he claims would “abolish the suburbs,” and during the 2020 election laid out a vision for “preserving local decision-making” regarding housing.
“The thing is, if you took Trump's name off of that statement and put it in Takoma Park or North Berkeley, you could almost hear a 'progressive' Democrat city council member saying the same thing,” said Matthew Lewis, a spokesperson for California YIMBY. “The crux of why it’s so important for Democrats to hear this housing message is that when they go home to their cities, most U.S. cities are governed by Democrats, most U.S. cities have similar housing shortages and it’s the Democrats who actually are sitting in the seats to solve the problem."
Both parties seem to have a shared understanding of the need to sell off excess federal land for affordable housing development.
However, even if such actions are taken, experts believe it will likely have a minimal impact on the broader housing crisis since much of the land is located far from metropolitan areas and unsuitable for development.
Harris has proposed housing policies that may be challenging to advance in Congress, including up to $25,000 in federal down payment assistance for first-time homebuyers, a $40 billion “innovation fund” to encourage localities to build more housing, and measures to curb rent hikes. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a nonpartisan organization, projected that Harris’ economic agenda could raise deficits by $1.7 trillion over the next decade.
“We welcome Kamala Harris’ excitement about allowing more housing to be built and easing some of the onerous zoning requirements that have created an artificial scarcity of housing,” Polis, who has enacted several housing reform laws this year, commented last week, noting his willingness to endorse some federal measures that impose conditions on localities accessing housing vouchers and funding.
A significant portion of the issue relates to state and local zoning and land-use regulations, which can render it prohibitively expensive — and often impossible — to construct affordable units. Regulations from various government levels typically account for 25 percent of the cost of building a new single-family home and approximately 30 percent of the cost of constructing a new apartment building, according to the National Association of Home Builders.
Economists and housing advocates are skeptical about a solely incentive-based approach: Many localities have a history of resisting the construction of new affordable housing within their boundaries, and mayors often prefer to avoid federal intervention.
Yet, “the impediments are often political, not economic, and it’s hard to use economics to overcome something that’s economically nonsensical,” stated Jim Parrott, a fellow at the Urban Institute and a former senior White House economic adviser during the Obama administration.
Even with limited federal tools available, Rosemarie Hepner, vice president at the Urban Land Institute’s Terwilliger Center for Housing, argued that the rhetoric from top Democrats provides local officials with “political cover” to tackle the issue.
Ben Metcalf, managing director of the Terner Center for Housing Innovation at UC Berkeley, noted that housing currently represents a relatively “depolarized and bipartisan” issue, where both parties recognize the urgency of the problem, allowing politicians “more room to run” compared to more contentious matters like immigration or trade, which tend to be more divisive.
For Democrats, this situation serves as a litmus test of whether they can overcome their own internal obstacles. Wealthy homeowners, some of whom identify as liberal, have historically acted as a formidable force against changes in zoning or affordable housing initiatives.
Now, pro-housing Democratic candidates have the opportunity to align themselves with influential leaders like Barack Obama. “If you're a mayoral candidate, are you suddenly not on the side of Barack Obama?” questioned Bobak Esfandiari, a YIMBY activist in San Francisco who attended the DNC. “It sets up a very healthy contrast.”
Katy O’Donnell contributed to this report.
Anna Muller contributed to this report for TROIB News
