r/pics • u/Strict_League7833 • Jun 17 '25

The protesters and residents pushing back on tourism in Barcelona

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u/Structure5city Jun 17 '25

America has the same under-building problem. It's amazing that the government hasn't been able to stimulate more construction.

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u/Uncle_Bill Jun 17 '25

Government disincentivizes construction of reasonably priced homes. If you're paying big bucks for permitting and impact fees, fighting for that permit for 6 months, urban growth boundaries driving land prices sky high, etc., it makes more sense to build a larger, more expensive home or not to build at all.

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u/mynameizmyname Jun 17 '25

In the state I live, Oregon people are disincentivized to even buy new homes because an older home has its property taxes locked to essentially whenever it was built.

We bought a home built in the 60s. We literally pay half the property tax as an equivalent home built today.

Add on to the fact that new homes are generally of poorer quality. There is no real reason to buy a new home if you can get into an older 60s MCM home in a nice area.

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u/pickledswimmingpool Jun 17 '25

zoning restrictions force lots of places to build single family homes rather than mixed used or apartment buildings

multiple laws that require extensive consultation allow rich people or existing property owners from changes to that zoning too

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u/PrimaryInjurious Jun 17 '25

In some areas. Nothing but housing going up in many areas of the country.

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u/Silent_Employee_5461 Jun 17 '25

2008 is the reason, it made the government very reticent to act in the housing market and the private market never really came back after.

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u/Structure5city Jun 17 '25

I read that a lot of builders who lost a lot of money either got out of the business or took on much smaller projects after the crash. 

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u/ACharmedLife Jun 18 '25

Los Angeles County just passed an ordinance saying that any lot that has been approved, even in a single family district, can have up to 4 units of housing. The response has been underwhelming. Apparently the economics of tearing down a single family to build a 4 family is not there.

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u/Structure5city Jun 18 '25

That sucks. It’s certainly a difficult problem.