Minneapolis, tackling housing crisis and inequity, votes to end single-family zoning

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | December 13, 2018 | Sarah Mervosh

[artichokegrower]

In a bold move to address its affordable-housing crisis and confront a history of racist housing practices, Minneapolis has decided to eliminate single-family zoning, a classification that has long perpetuated segregation.

[artichokegrower]

They don't have single-family housing in Somalia

[E. Pluribus Unum]

They used to call this block-busting and it was prosecuted.

[riverrunner]

The price of single family home just went through the roof.

[GOPJ]

I’ll chip in so Mansions can be converted in Martha’s Vineyard to house 300 illegals at a time...

[2banana]

I predict mass emigration to the suburbs and a shrinking tax base.

******

“the Minneapolis City Council is made up of 12 Democrats and one Green Party member...:

[ClearCase_guy]

single-family zoning, a classification that has long perpetuated segregation

This seems like a non-sequitur -- unless the journalist is trying to express the opinion that blacks are too stupid or too lazy to ever acquire ownership of a single-family house. Personally, I have see many smart hard-working blacks who bought lovely homes in fine neighborhoods. But perhaps the journalist is unaware that this happens, and somehow finds the concept of single-family homes to be inherently racist.

[Steve_Seattle]

" . . . and confront a history of racist housing practices"

This is a liberal area, so how could there be racist housing practices? Or are they talking about practices that ended more than 50 years ago, and using those as an excuse for current policy changes? At any rate, the "racism" angle is clearly a ruse; it has NOTHING to do with the current proposal.

[Trump.Deplorable]

Zoning is what created this “housing crisis” in the first place, get rid of zoning, gets rid of the need for “affordable housing” because the free market will create the all the housing that is demanded.

What a concept!

[gunsequalfreedom]

Single family zoning does not perpetuate segregation. That is total BS.

[BenLurkin]

Single family homes are racist?

These people are crazed.

[lurk]

25 people, two bedrooms and one toilet.

What could go wrong?

[E. Pluribus Unum]

American Murder Mystery - Why is crime rising in so many American cities? The answer implicates one of the most celebrated antipoverty programs of recent decades.

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2008/07/american-murder-mystery/306872/

Memphis Murder Revisited: Do Housing Vouchers Cause Crime?

https://www.huduser.gov/publications/pdf/ellen_memphismurder_assistedhousingrcr07_v2.pdf

Obama’s last act is to force suburbs to be less white and less wealthy

https://nypost.com/2016/05/08/obamas-last-act-is-to-force-suburbs-to-be-less-white-and-less-wealthy/

[Steve_Seattle]

"The price of single family home just went through the roof."

Maybe, but it cuts both ways. There will be fewer single-family houses for a growing market, but all but the priciest single-family neighborhoods will likely be compromised by crowding and de-gentrified neighborhoods. Why buy a house if it's surrounded by cheap apartments and increasing blight?

[Tzimisce]

Freedom of Association?

That’s just a nice way of saying “racist”.

We don’t do Freedom of Association here.

[jmaroneps37]

They will force White Christians out and move three Muslim families of ten people into these homes. This will be a big improvement over the mud huts in Somalia.

[Steve_Seattle]

"Single family zoning does not perpetuate segregation. That is total BS."

I agree. Back in the day (pre-1975), Seattle had segregated neighborhoods, mostly black, but which were largely zoned for single-family housing.

[Alberta's Child]

Maybe not.

In my suburban area, a typical group of residential real estate listings includes the following:

1. A detached single-family home for $600,000.

2. A two-bedroom condominium for $650,000.

3. A three-bedroom townhouse for $800,000.

Yes, that's right ... the cheapest homes on the market are the detached single-family homes.

[Seaplaner]

“the Minneapolis City Council is made up of 12 Democrats and one Green Party member...:

One is curious about the housing situation for each member.

One suspects that none live in a triplex or among a cluster of tiny houses.

[artichokegrower]

Single family homes are racist?

Don’t you remember watching Ozzie and Harriet and Leave it to Beaver and how those families in their single family homes perpetuated the racist lifestyle and inequality.

[CharlesMartelsGhost]

Houston has no zoning laws, but they have land use regulations which can be used just like zoning laws.