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Comment by rank0 | Hacker News Reader

> Homeowners don't need to orchestrate and elaborate scheme, they just vote for the politicians who will prioritize increasing home values because that will help them financially.

Or y'know...maybe homeowners don't want to have their neighborhood become overcrowded. Not everyone wants to live in a megacity with traffic, air pollution, constant bustle, and restricted personal liberty.

If financial gain is your only motive as a homeowner, you would actually WANT an increase in density. As you cram more people into a smaller space, the land underneath becomes more valuable. Increased density attracts amenities, restaurants, businesses, nightlife...etc, all of which raise the value of your property.

Homeowners care about things other than net worth.

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> maybe homeowners don't want to have their neighborhood become overcrowded.

Then it’s time to collect your scarcity-generated windfall and move someplace rural you’ll like better! Super-common, and you can even complain self-righteously about the terribly governed crime-ridden hellhole you’re leaving behind.

I live in a duplex the middle of a big city with practically no zoning restrictions. I love it here. You're the one complaining self righteously.

I am quoting my original comment because it seems like you didn't read it:

> Not everyone wants to live in a megacity with traffic, air pollution, constant bustle, and restricted personal liberty.

> If financial gain is your only motive as a homeowner, you would actually WANT an increase in density. As you cram more people into a smaller space, the land underneath becomes more valuable. Increased density attracts amenities, restaurants, businesses, nightlife...etc, all of which raise the value of your property.

Do you have an actual response? Or do you just need to be outraged at something?

>Or y'know...maybe homeowners don't want to have their neighborhood become overcrowded.

Nothing I said here is specific to neighborhoods. It also applies at the city, state/province, and national level. A homeowner in San Diego likely doesn't care about the density of various neighborhood in San Francisco. But they might still vote for Prop 13 which put harsh limitations on property taxes in the state and in turn increased the value of homeownership and the cost of housing. That decision has nothing to do with personal preferences of what type of neighborhood in which people want to live. It is purely homeowners being powerful enough to vote themselves tax breaks which makes homeownership more attractive which makes homeowners more powerful...

Prop 13 is intended to protect homeowners from being gentrified out of their residence. Even if I think it's backfired, I understand the motivation. I would be livid if I was a lifelong CA resident and suddenly could no longer afford my lax liabilities as a result of demand/speculation.

This is just one piece of the puzzle, and frankly its a bit much to chalk it all up to power/greed. Again, if CA homeowners make up the majority of voters what exactly is the alternative?

If I'm being honest, my opinion on CA housing markets means nothing...but it seems pretty sensible to me that when a shitload of people all want to live in a handful of cities, prices HAVE TO increase. Removing prop 13 and zoning restrictions isn't going to double the housing supply.

On a semi-related note, pretty much everything in CA is more expensive. The residents there vote for expensive public services and legislation. When everything is more expensive, you bet your sweet ass houses will be as well.

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