Residential zoning has long been considered a local issue, but some presidential candidates have started weighing in on zoning and housing. Journalists, pundits, and researchers have plenty of complexity to examine as the debate changes venue.
Housing shortages in many communities are a topic of discussion on the campaign trail. "Candidates in the 2020 presidential campaign are questioning local zoning in neighborhoods, where single-family homes have been protected by law as well as tradition," Warren Olney reports for KCRW. Some candidates, like Elizabeth Warren, have created a pro-housing development platform.
Olney is introducing the topic of discussion on the local radio show, "To The Point," which featured a star-studded roster of participants, including Emily Badger of The New York Times, Jenny Schuetz of the Brookings Institution, and Joel Kotkin of the Center for Opportunity Urbanism.
“Home ownership involves other issues, like residential segregation and suburban sprawl as a contributor to climate change,” Olney explains. While some politicians in the past have avoided those thorny subjects, they may become a key part of this election cycle.
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