The increased cost of housing is a major driver of inflation. It's even forcing modest change in the restrictive zoning codes that distort and restrict supply. California has now moved to legalize small "accessory dwelling units" on housing lots statewide and Minneapolis has rolled back single-family zoning.
Legal constraints on housing supply still abound, however. But less noticed than the exclusionary impact of 4-acre house lot requirements (as in Greenwich, Connecticut) is the fact that city officials are using thousands of local zoning codes to define what a family is. Doing so encourages inefficient use of the housing stock we have and stands in the way of living arrangements that could help young families and older Americans lower their housing costs.
