Happy Thursday. Last night, Martin Johnson published three takeaways from Chapel Hill’s report on using expedited review to approve affordable housing. Here’s what we’re reading today.
Half-million dollar homes: Could small homes, small lots solve Durham’s housing crunch?
This high-density is possible because of something called a “small lot option.” The City of Durham started allowing homes on lots as small as 2,000 square feet in 2019. (WRAL.com)
The Story Behind an Outer Bands house that Collapsed into the Ocean
Who owned it? Why didn’t anybody move it or tear it down? Why is it there? And who has to clean it up? We’ve teamed up with the Island Free Press to answer questions big and small about a viral video. (Jeremy Markovich)
Public Comment and Public Policy
“I show that NIMBYism motivates not just opposition but increased likelihood of participation. Finally, I show an effect of comments on the likelihood of approval, with comments opposing development having twice the impact of comments in support.” (Alexander Sahn / Princeton University)
The Housing Divide is Pulling Massachusetts Apart
“State-level solutions are really important for overcoming local aversion to change. There are very few communities who are voluntarily, like, ‘We want to change ourselves!’ It’s human nature for people to like things to stay as they are.” – Katherine Einstein (Kara Miller / Boston Globe)