When I started a housing advocacy group in Washington, D.C.’s educated, affluent, politically progressive northern Virginia suburbs, I hoped residents would be able to have a respectful civic dialogue about loosening zoning laws that make housing expensive. But by the time one of them challenged my city’s mayor to a fistfight, I knew that housing reform opponents had no interest in compromise. I witnessed many attempts by reform opponents to intimidate elected officials, as Arlington County and Alexandria opened up single-family neighborhoods to new duplexes and other denser housing.
During a public meeting in Arlington, I watched a crowd of zoning reform opponents shout down a county board member while she was pleading for civility. Five days later, an anonymous anti-reformer posted a picture of another Arlington County Board member’s house online.
Alexandria’s zoning reform debate was no less toxic. One housing opponent began her public testimony by telling City Council members, “You deserve to be spanked.” Another yelled obscenities at the police officer escorting him from the council chamber.
This lowlight reel captures reform opponents’ consistent message that they would not accept any increase in density. As more state legislatures consider housing reform bills, the average person concerned about excessively high housing costs might understandably wish for some kind of grand compromise.
Fortunately for newcomers to this national conversation, there is plenty of respectful disagreement within the growing YIMBY (“yes in my backyard”) movement to fix the housing shortage and affordability crisis.
The broad swath of policy goals that unites housing advocates, and the handful of issues they disagree about, are both healthy signs that the movement is vibrant, welcoming, and capable of helping our country find common ground on this difficult, emotional issue.
Many housing advocates grew up in a single-family home (myself included) or live in one today. None of us wants to restrict that type of home or any other. We do want to expand the variety of available homes, including more affordable options such as town houses and small apartment buildings, letting more folks live near good jobs and other opportunities. That will require changing exclusionary zoning laws that hamper young families and seniors trying to downsize.
In general, YIMBYs support strong legal protections for renters. However, they internally debate rent control and rent stabilization, which limit how much landlords can charge. Some housing reformers argue that rent control is a vital safe haven for low-income residents in exorbitantly expensive cities. Others worry these policies hurt the low-income folks they are meant to help. My housing advocate friends have a variety of opinions. By keeping our minds open, we are able to learn from each other, change our own thinking, and leave room for future agreement.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
After spending hours absorbing zoning reform opponents’ angry arguments from online comments and at public meetings, I empathize with them. As their rage grew, it became clear their primary motivation was fear, specifically fear of change. Perhaps some of them privately worried about lower property values, but many argued that upzoning would increase their property values and property taxes. Fear easily turns to anger, leaving little room for compromise. Reform opponents could not bear losing the control they had for decades over where other people live.
There is an undeniable generational divide in housing debates. Young renters literally cannot afford to accept the current housing market, though I worked with many older advocates (some, including pastors, started calling themselves YIMBYs!). Whatever your age or background, there is someone like you already in this movement. We have a bewildering range of political beliefs and shared optimism that we can welcome new neighbors. I am confident, because of our differences, that we will find common ground and ultimately succeed together.
Luca Gattoni-Celli is a Young Voices contributor and founder of YIMBYs of Northern Virginia. Read more at lucagattonicelli.substack.com and follow him on X @TheGattoniCelli.