There’s a whole lot of suspicion that these kinds of zoning laws that are upheld by leftists are cynical—they really just want to protect their property prices. But I think the left really believe what they are doing in blocking liberalization is good for communities. They’ve gotten into this mode of thinking that markets can’t solve problems of resource scarcity. Markets aren’t perfect, but one thing they surely can do (if not impeded) is to efficiently match supply with demand.

If we wanted, homelessness could easily be ended with freer housing markets. Yes, some people would be living in very small, ugly, somewhat unsafe (though far safer than the streets), and fairly uncomfortable spaces, but it would certainly be better for everyone if it were legal to build those kinds of spaces.