Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by David Youngberg
“Los Angeles needs more housing. Now, more than ever.
The fires that roared through the city in January 2025 were nothing short of devastating, with over 16,000 structures destroyed and an estimated 150,000 people displaced. In the wake of the disaster, victims scoured the still-hot wreckage for scraps of their former lives. The immensity of their loss was only dwarfed by its suddenness. And then there’s the rent. The mass destruction of homes exacerbated L.A.’s already pricey housing market. Rents substantially shot up, sometimes more than doubling. As is often the case in the aftermath of disaster, the public demanded that the government freeze prices. Disasters create the political will necessary to enact sweeping reforms, but rent control is the wrong approach because it discourages construction and causes more harm than good. Fortunately the city has not (yet) gone down this route.” (02/24/25)
https://fee.org/articles/now-is-the-time-for-l-a-to-end-single-family-zoning/