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EconTalk · October 21, 2024 · 60m
Why Housing Is Artificially Expensive
Bryan Caplan on Build Baby Build and why housing costs are artificial. Zoning, permitting, and NIMBYism create artificial scarcity. The solution is simple (build more) but politically difficult because existing homeowners benefit from scarcity.
This summary was generated from show notes and public descriptions, not from a full transcript review. Details may contain inaccuracies.
Canon
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Caplan: housing costs are the single most important environmental factor shaping young people's life trajectories. Expensive housing delays family formation, increases commutes, reduces savings, and constrains career choices.
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Caplan: advocating for more housing requires courage because NIMBYs are politically powerful and personally hostile. Every town council meeting is a lesson in the social cost of speaking economic truth.
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