Affordable Housing
Housing has become increasingly expensive for Americans across the country. Leadville is no different. Low interest rates and abundant cash due to government stimulus spending increased people's ability to spend on houses. And spend they did, which has bid up the price of houses just about everywhere.
Leadville has a few unique dynamics. Its attractiveness to tourists, outdoors folks, and retirees ahs led to an influx of money from people wanting a second home to investors looking to profit from operating a short-term or vacation rental.
While some people want to curtail liberty by restricting short-term rentals or adding more rules and obstacles for the purchase of homes, those approaches are ultimately self-defeating. They create special interests and favoritism for those with political connections, they reward people not based on merit or productivity but on luck and who got in line first. And most importantly, they do little to increase the quantity or the quality of housing.
What we need to deal with the high prices and housing shortages in Leadville is more housing. Single family, multi-family, apartments, condos, adding any and all of these will bring prices and rents down, increase the number and the quality of housing options for Leadville residents, and increase prosperity by generating more jobs and business.
To increase the supply of housing, we must reduce regulations and rules from zoning to permitting to minimum lot sizes to required parking to exorbitant public service fees. This need not mean a wild west free for all. Instead, it means we need simple and clear rules that are easy to understand and follow and that don't drive up the cost of building new housing.
That's the only way we can truly have widespread, affordable, quality housing.
Housing has become increasingly expensive for Americans across the country. Leadville is no different. Low interest rates and abundant cash due to government stimulus spending increased people's ability to spend on houses. And spend they did, which has bid up the price of houses just about everywhere.
Leadville has a few unique dynamics. Its attractiveness to tourists, outdoors folks, and retirees ahs led to an influx of money from people wanting a second home to investors looking to profit from operating a short-term or vacation rental.
While some people want to curtail liberty by restricting short-term rentals or adding more rules and obstacles for the purchase of homes, those approaches are ultimately self-defeating. They create special interests and favoritism for those with political connections, they reward people not based on merit or productivity but on luck and who got in line first. And most importantly, they do little to increase the quantity or the quality of housing.
What we need to deal with the high prices and housing shortages in Leadville is more housing. Single family, multi-family, apartments, condos, adding any and all of these will bring prices and rents down, increase the number and the quality of housing options for Leadville residents, and increase prosperity by generating more jobs and business.
To increase the supply of housing, we must reduce regulations and rules from zoning to permitting to minimum lot sizes to required parking to exorbitant public service fees. This need not mean a wild west free for all. Instead, it means we need simple and clear rules that are easy to understand and follow and that don't drive up the cost of building new housing.
That's the only way we can truly have widespread, affordable, quality housing.
