Jenny Schuetz
@jenny_schuetz
VP of Housing at Arnold Ventures. Urban economist, author, speaker. Let's make it easier to build housing. She/her.
Three of these neighborhoods would be illegal to (re)build in most parts of the US today. Tell me again how *reforming* single-family-exclusive zoning is "one size fits all"?
I'm hiring a Director of Housing!! Come help us develop creative approaches to increase housing supply. In my completely unbiased opinion, we're doing really exciting & impactful work on one of the most critical policy issues of our time. Join our team! linkedin.com/jobs/view/4265…
What's an economic asset that can't run away from taxes...used as an input in basically every economic activity...🧐
Guys at some point we are going to have to tax SOMETHING I’m just saying
NYC Charter Commission raises fascinating Qs about our willingness to delegate power over land use. Under centralized system, malevolent leaders could do substantial harm. But…so does current system handing 1000 NIMBYs veto power. And we can’t vote them out of office.
Decentralization of land use authority is *the most significant driver* of NYC's affordable housing crisis. A strong state that can make clear, rational decisions with input from the community needs to eliminate hyperlocal governance veto points like this. This is how good…
The Charter Revision Commission just approved the 5 questions that will be on ballots for NYC voters this November! This includes 4 housing questions, which would collectively represent a huge step forward for affordability in New York. 🧵
The Abundance and Growth Fund at Open Philanthropy is hiring! We’re looking for 2-4 people to help expand this new $120+ million program to accelerate economic growth and reduce the cost of living through strategic grantmaking and research. (1/4) openphilanthropy.org/research/annou…
How can housing policy help us adapt to climate change? AV's @jenny_schuetz joins Resources Radio to discuss how smarter housing strategies can reduce climate risks like floods and wildfires — while also tackling affordability and equity. Listen now: resources.org/resources-radi…
The US needs nearly 4 million more homes to address the acute housing shortage. And we need to make homes & neighborhoods more resilient to climate stresses. How can we do both? Listen to my chat w/ Margaret Walls of @rff. resources.org/resources-radi… via @ResourcesMag
But where will small children and older adults in assisted living be able to park?? Truly a win for common sense in Montana’s parking reform. Ditto for Washington state. Congrats to the elected officials who carried the ball & tenacious advocates who showed up in support!
A great day for parking reform in Montana yesterday as well. While this headline won't be as cool as "Montana ends minimum parking requirements," it's still a huge improvement over the status quo...
Neighborhood serving retail should be *allowed* by zoning in most locations but not *required* as a condition to build homes. Less micro-management.
Cities think if they require apartments have ground floor retail, they'll get more cool coffee shops and boutique retail. Great idea in theory. Unrealistic in practice. The coffee shops and retailers don't want to be in 95% of those locations.
Follow the evidence & vote for @jenniferdoleac!
(3) Economist & Criminal Justice researcher @jenniferdoleac vs. (6) Senior writer at Vox's Future Perfect @kelseytuoc
High interest rates are temporary (if more persistent than we’d like). Overly restrictive zoning lasts forever.* * Until local govts muster political will to change it. lots of 1950s era zoning is still on the books.
This debate is important because if we're wasting our time on pushing for zoning reform when everything is just financing... that matters! Here's why I think zoning and other permitting/regulatory constraints are important to focus on /thread
🚨🚨New Paper!🚨🚨"The *State* Capacity Crisis" w/@nicholas_bagley. TLDR: Writing about state capacity in the US is too focused on the federal government, missing that state capacity (and its absence) is really a story about state and local governments and their pathologies
Do we need a whole discourse about why an abundance of votes is good?
(4) VP of Housing at Arnold Ventures @jenny_schuetz vs. (5) Split Ticket Founder @lxeagle17
Write this on my tombstone. Or, you know, in statewide zoning reform.
Continuing to love the energy of the Nation Housing Supply Summit, even at the last panel. Great zoning reform takeaway from @jenny_schuetz: legalize townhouses everywhere!
(Only half joking) The National Mall and Pentagon’s surface parking lots are seriously underutilized federal lands. Perfect for transit-oriented mixed-use development!
We need 7 million affordable homes in America and 20% of America’s landmass is owned by the Department of Interior. Today, @SecretaryBurgum and I are announcing a partnership between @HUDgov & @Interior to identify and open under utilized federal lands for affordable housing.
What if upzoning required 50% + epsilon and downzoning required supermajority?
Things happen in land use that cause me to question whether CA can ever figure it out. Developer buys a site in Rancho Palos Verdes that was upzoned as required by the certified HE. Word got out. Neighbors got angry. Politicians had buyers remorse. City council is now downzoning
BREAKING: Gallatin District Court finally issues order in MAID v Montana case. Fully upheld: SB 323, SB 528, SB 245 legalizing duplexes, ADU's and mixed use in cities. Partially upheld: SB 382 MLUPA. HUGE and consequential decision for pro-housing zoning reform in the…
We asked 820 Marylanders about housing and once again, they said it's too expensive, they want the state government to do something about it, and they’re open to solutions: ggwash.org/view/98610/202…
Watching the Oscar nominated animated shorts at E Street is a lovely tradition this time of year. Reliable mix of poignant, beautiful, and weird.
POLL - When’s the last time you watched a movie at Landmark E street cinema?
Love this! Cambridge has lots of well-paid jobs, great access to parks, retail, restaurants, and other services—but not nearly enough homes for people who want to live there. Legalizing mid rise homes across the city will help more people live near jobs and amenities.
I can’t believe it - after years of advocacy, exclusionary zoning has ended in Cambridge. We just passed the single most comprehensive rezoning in the US—legalizing multifamily housing up to 6 stories citywide in a Paris style Here’s the details 🧵