site banner

Small-Scale Question Sunday for November 23, 2025

Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?

This is your opportunity to ask questions. No question too simple or too silly.

Culture war topics are accepted, and proposals for a better intro post are appreciated.

2
Jump in the discussion.

No email address required.

we will also have to keep private equity and some other over capitalized entities out of residential housing

Or just make local zoning less restrictive so that more housing can be built.

The local zoning codes are as they are not because of some random accident. They are such because usually people want them as they are - or are ok with them as they are. What would make them change their minds? If housing markets suddenly drops - e.g. because it became harder to get a mortgage - then they are unlikely to say "well, let's make it drop even further by increasing supply now!".

They are what they are because the voters are current homeowners not future homeowners.

I mean to be clear, zoning regulations are almost universally the way they are because people don’t pay attention to them. That’s true both in low-zoning regulation cities like Houston and high-zoning regulation cities.

That could be so, but to change them, you will need to make those people active and on your side. And to make homeowners actively on your side with the message "you home price just dropped, we will make it drop even further!" does not look like a winning strategy.

The problem with doing this is that then more housing is built and the Venn diagram of "reliably votes in municipal elections" and "actually wants more housing to be built" is two unconnected circles.