YIMBYs and NIMBYs in a democracy

Whether you live in a big city, a suburb,  or a small town, one issue tends to stand out from the rest in local government — housing. This week, we talk with author and New York Times reporter Conor Dougherty about the connections between housing and democracy, particularly at the local level. There can be […]

Whether you live in a big city, a suburb,  or a small town, one issue tends to stand out from the rest in local government — housing. This week, we talk with author and New York Times reporter Conor Dougherty about the connections between housing and democracy, particularly at the local level. There can be immense power in showing up to make your voice heard, but some of the same forces that corrupt and polarize national politics are present locally, too.

Many of us are spending more time at home these days than we ever have before. In the United States, owning a home has come to symbolize the American Dream and homeowners have more political capital than those who don’t. Over the past decade or so, this has led to showdowns at local government meetings between YIMBYs, who want more housing, and NIMBYs, who do not.

Dougherty covers economics and housing for the New York Times and is the author of “Golden Gates: Fighting for Housing in America.” The book focuses on San Francisco, but as you’ll hear Dougherty say, he could have written it about just about any major city in the U.S.

We also discuss the role that ballot initiatives play in the fight for housing, particularly in California. Born during the Progressive era to give more power to the people, Dougherty they’ve become co-opted by money and other influences that plague other areas of our democracy.

The power of local government

Ten thousand democracies

Golden Gates: Fighting for Housing in America

Dougherty’s work in the New York Times