The New York Times provides an in-depth exploration of the politics and personalities behind the YIMBY organization known as the SF Bay Area Renters' Federation (BARF).
Conor Dougherty writes a feature exposé, of sorts, on the ideas and context behind the rise of the SF Bay Area Renters' Federation (BARF), with local activist Sonja Trauss at the helm. According to Daugherty,
Ms. Trauss is a self-described anarchist and the head of the SF Bay Area Renters’ Federation, an upstart political group that is pushing for more development. Its platform is simple: Members want San Francisco and its suburbs to build more of every kind of housing. More subsidized affordable housing, more market-rate rentals, more high-end condominiums.
Dougherty presents Trauss as the effect of a lengthening tradition of twists housing politics in San Francisco and the Bay Area. But the politics of Trauss's organization have found solidarity elsewhere in the Bay Area. According to Duagherty, " Ms. Trauss’s group is one of several pro-housing organizations (GrowSF and East Bay Forward are others) that represent a kind of 'Yimby' party, built on the frustrations of young professionals who feel priced out of the Bay Area."
The in-depth, lengthy article includes video testimonials from more voices on the issue, such as a Jennifer Fieber, from the San Francisco Tenants Union, San Francisco Supervisor Scott Wiener, and a fellow anarchist YIMBY that goes by the name of Starchild.
The article even credits the famously in-depth report by Kim-Mai Cutler on the genesis of the Bay Area housing crunch as the inspiration behind Trauss's activism. Though Trauss is the central figure of the article, the article is really about the politics of housing in the Bay Area—a singular politics for a singular place.
FULL STORY: In Cramped and Costly Bay Area, Cries to Build, Baby, Build
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A recent survey found young people are more likely to support development in their neighborhood than their older counterparts in the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area region.
Lack of Multi-Family Zones Contributes to Nashville’s High Housing Costs, Study Says
Nashville and surrounding communities allow for a relatively small amount of multi-family housing, according to a new zoning atlas of Middle Tennessee. A regionally focused nonprofit is using the atlas to push for zoning reforms.
Where Pro-Development Groups Are Gaining Traction
The YIMBY movement seems to be gaining steam as more the country deals with growing housing prices and increasing numbers of people experiencing homelessness. Recent research reveals where pro-development forces are most likely to call home.
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A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
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California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Google Maps Introduces New Transit, EV Features
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Ohio Lawmakers Propose Incentivizing Housing Production
A proposed bill would take a carrot approach to stimulating housing production through a grant program that would reward cities that implement pro-housing policies.
Chicago Awarded $2M Reconnecting Communities Grant
Community advocates say the city’s plan may not do enough to reverse the negative impacts of a major expressway.
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