Housing Crunch Comes to Appalachia

Housing shortages are news in San Francisco and North Dakota, even if for different reasons. But parts of Ohio and Pennsylvania are facing the tough policy questions from their own, less documented fracking boom.

1 minute read

August 5, 2014, 6:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Emily Badger describes the policy questions posed by the Appalachian housing shortage s complex, even if different from the situation in San Francisco, Washington D.C., or New York City. According to Badger, "it's hard to argue unequivocally in east Ohio that rural communities should dole out more new housing permits (and pave new roads and lay new sewer lines) for today's temporary workers who may not be around several years from now."

Badger cites a report by Policy Matters Ohio called "Fracking in Carroll County, Ohio: An impact assessment," to describe the Wild West reality of the housing markets in Appalachian boom towns.

Monday, August 4, 2014 in The Washington Post - Wonkblog

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