Reminder: YIMBY Is Non-Partisan

A case study

Thanks

Matthew Yglesias

for the funny tweet, and for recently sharing my piece on tension in the YIMBY movement revealed by YIMBytown. A new op-ed, not mine, offers another window into such tension. Stick with me, folks, the payoff is worth it:

By facing the housing crisis head on, Republicans can show voters they’re committed to expanding and strengthening the middle class and dealing with its most serious concerns. Let’s hope it’s not too late.

The housing shortage has generated deep economic resentment. Meanwhile, wealthy communities from Cupertino, Calif., to Milburn, N.J., have done everything they can to stifle construction, driving up the cost of renting or owning a home. These high prices chip away at paychecks and morale, pushing people into ever longer commutes as well as crowded and substandard housing.

By all the usual measures, the economy is rebounding. Inflation has fallen from the highs of the past few years to near 3%. Wages are growing, and unemployment is low. The pandemic’s worst economic consequences are over.

And yet anyone trying to afford a home is stuck in the mud of high costs. Experts think inflated housing prices are part of the reason 8 in 10 Americans in key swing states see the economy as just “fair” or “poor.” The restricted housing supply keeps workers from feeling the benefits of higher wages and moving to places where incomes are even higher.

Republicans must address the pain that working- and middle-class people are feeling. They are beginning to understand the need for a rallying cry that speaks to economic anxieties and signals that their party is focused on bringing housing costs down. It’s a message that resonates with members of an eroding middle class, many of whom believe the Republican Party isn’t fighting for them. It’s a message that appeals to young people, minorities and every other demographic being locked out of prosperity in America.

By publicly embracing YIMBYism as an ideology and an agenda, Republicans can align themselves with a bipartisan majority of Americans who believe in easing zoning restrictions to allow more housing to be built. And they can signal to those struggling with housing costs that Republicans have their backs.

Housing offers Republicans a chance to talk about rebuilding an America that works for everyone, one with a thriving, growing, expanding middle class.

I have a confession to make. This text is from an op-ed, but I am not quoting it verbatim or in full. Where the original piece referred to Democrats, I inserted references to Republicans. I eliminated most references to President Biden and his advisors, inserting invocations of Republicans in a few instances. Finally, I removed sentences that would only make sense if directed at the incumbent party (though Republicans do have a slim House of Representatives majority). In all of that tinkering, I am pretty sure I did not add any sentences or new phrases.

That was all it took for me to convert an op-ed which is trying to persuade President Biden and Democrats to claim the YIMBY mantel into a pretty solid letter to the editor that a regular person might be able to publish in a conservative magazine.

But “experts” might caution that a zero-sum appeal to one party carries risks, especially amid our hyperpolarization. YIMBYs should not be obsequiously wooing a specific political party. That could alienate potential allies who identify with a different party or, like me, no party.¹

YIMBYs simping for a political party at the national level also diminishes our movement. We are bigger, in a sense, than any political party could ever be, because our appeal is inherently broad. “YIMBYism” is not an ideology. Presidents and other electeds will come and go. The Republican Party might not even exist in ten years. But there is little reason to think the YIMBY movement will not still be alive and well, dramatically stronger and more influential, exerting our own unique political gravity.

I meant what I wrote last week about the need for the YIMBY movement to professionalize. Yet the moments that make me the most nervous are unforced errors we commit, and the risk that we might undermine ourselves. We probably have the most to lose from misunderstanding the sources of our power. Some kinds of damage, like unnecessarily making enemies, are tough to overcome with any amount of money.

In the case of the op-ed I creatively reused, the hook is that President Biden has increasingly embraced YIMBY policies and talking points. When you start on a high, it is hard to build up, and the resulting argument is along the lines of: ‘Dem party leaders, you like us, and you should call yourselves YIMBYs because our brand/we will help you win elections.’ It suggests that we crave their approval.

Contra some news reports, Republicans can read too, and they might get the wrong idea. That would be a shame because the fact is, all kinds of politicians can make a compelling YIMBY pitch. Meet Canadian Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre:

You might call this a smart growth ad, but he also made a 15-minute YIMBY propaganda film. He leans too hard into how much land (tundra) Canada has, but still, come on, just look at this! Conservatism’s future might be YIMBY, eh?

Since I wrote that piece on YIMBY movement tension, a new local Republican candidate emerged in my area with a clear YIMBY platform, such that we will probably make general election endorsements. I also should have acknowledged the one Republican incumbent who recently won reelection to the eleven-member Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. Good thing our local org is non-partisan.

YIMBYs should continue to focus on the state and local levels of U.S. government, where most land use decision-making happens, most power is exerted over housing, and the most reform is needed. Most YIMBYs understand this. How fortunate that the YIMBY movement is bigger than any one political party, organization, or individual.

Thanks to my 322 subscribers, especially my 8 paid subscribers. If you enjoy this blog or want to work together, especially on my concept for a real estate financing startup, please contact lucagattonicelli@substack.com. I would love to write about a reader-suggested topic. Check out YIMBYs of Northern Virginia, the grassroots pro-housing organization I founded.

1. I might further argue the median voter views both major parties as extreme, unserious, and out of touch with middle class concerns about kitchen table issues, including housing.