Blame Government Not Landlords For Historic U.S. Housing Crisis?!?

This column is probably the best thing we've seen in the newspaper for days and it merits consideration. 

The crux of the argument . . .

Despite activist talking points, regressive housing policy ALSO deserves blame for the dearth of affordable options. 

Here's the money line and great local info . . .

"According to MARC, 33 companies own 14,000 single-family homes in the Kansas City region — nearly 8,000 of them owned by just five firms. That number might sound alarming, but it doesn’t tell readers how many single-family homes exist overall. This is important to know. It turns out that number approaches 700,000, which makes those 14,000 units seem less meaningful. Does anyone believe that corporate-owned housing stock amounting to only 2% of the market is roiling prices? The idea that institutional investors are the reason for higher housing costs is not only wrong, but it also misunderstands why corporations are investing in homes in the first place. They’re reacting to conditions in the housing market, not creating them.

"The real culprit behind rising prices is policy failure: restrictive zoning, lengthy approval processes and regulations that make it harder to build more housing. Blaming mustache-twirling corporate landlords for high prices ignores the fact that there is a housing shortage in the United States, though less so in Kansas City — one created by government rules preventing the market from responding to demand."

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .

Blaming corporate landlords misses the point. KC's housing issues are policy-driven | Opinion

Blaming corporate landlords for rising costs misses the point. Kansas City's housing issues are due to restrictive zoning and inadequate mortgage policies.