TopicEconomics › Housing

Housing

Why homes cost what they cost. Rents and prices are set by how many homes exist and how many people want them, and rules about what can be built, where and how fast shape both.

12 courses · 84 stories · 6 claim checks

Trending · Our take

City Votes to Cap Rents at 2019 Levels

The cap helps sitting tenants. Here is who pays for it.

Daniel Kovač · Economics desk · 8 min read · 4 sources

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HousingWhy Homes Cost What They Cost

Course · Best first step

Land, building rules and interest rates: what sets the price of a home, and what a rent cap changes.

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Claims Checked

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“Rent control makes housing affordable.”4 sourcesMisleading “New luxury flats push up rents nearby.”5 sourcesUnproven “Zoning rules raise the cost of housing.”6 sourcesHolds up

Thinkers

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Jane Jacobs1916–2006 · CitiesKnown for The Death and Life of Great American Cities, 1961 Henry George1839–1897 · Land and taxKnown for Progress and Poverty, 1879

Books

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The Death and Life of Great American CitiesJane JacobsThe Death and Life of Great American CitiesJane Jacobs · 1961 Progress and PovertyHenry GeorgeProgress and PovertyHenry George · 1879 Triumph of the CityEdward GlaeserTriumph of the CityEdward Glaeser · 2011

Latest

ExplainerWhy It Takes So Long to Build a HomePermits, parking rules and appeals, step by step.7 min read · 5 sources AnalysisThe Hidden Cost of Parking RulesEvery required space is floor area a home cannot use.6 min read · 4 sources EntrepreneurshipThe Builders Making Small Flats Legal AgainA rule change, a narrow plot and a new kind of developer.5 min read · 3 sources