Housing, transportation and local government — by Shane Phillips, author of The Affordable City.https://www.betterinstitutions.com/https://www.betterinstitutions.com/blog/2026/3/21/initial-thoughts-on-the-measure-ula-analysis-by-bae-urban-economics/https://www.betterinstitutions.com/blog/2026/3/21/initial-thoughts-on-the-measure-ula-analysis-by-bae-urban-economics/The analysis has serious flaws, and advocates are drawing sweeping conclusions from narrow findings.Sat, 21 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.betterinstitutions.com/blog/2026/1/27/comments-in-support-of-councilmember-ramans-measure-ula-reform-proposal/https://www.betterinstitutions.com/blog/2026/1/27/comments-in-support-of-councilmember-ramans-measure-ula-reform-proposal/Measure ULA needs fixing, and these changes will make a real difference.Wed, 28 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.betterinstitutions.com/blog/letter-to-california-senator-supporting-sb-79-and-ab-647/https://www.betterinstitutions.com/blog/letter-to-california-senator-supporting-sb-79-and-ab-647/The state must step in to make multifamily housing legal in more places, and make it faster, simpler, and less expensive to build where multifamily housing is legal.Tue, 29 Apr 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.betterinstitutions.com/blog/why-im-voting-against-californias-rent-control-initiative-proposition-33/https://www.betterinstitutions.com/blog/why-im-voting-against-californias-rent-control-initiative-proposition-33/Proposition 33 opens the door to abuse and misuse of local rent control policies and permanently ties the hands of our elected representatives, and it does all this so that a small number of cities may expand their rent control policies in ways that will unequivocally worsen the state’s housing affoFri, 18 Oct 2024 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.betterinstitutions.com/qanda/2024/10/7/what-do-you-think-of-this-free-market-alternative-to-rent-control/https://www.betterinstitutions.com/qanda/2024/10/7/what-do-you-think-of-this-free-market-alternative-to-rent-control/Zoning reforms, including policies intended to produce deed-restricted affordable housing, serve a different purpose than rent control and other tenant protections.Mon, 07 Oct 2024 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.betterinstitutions.com/qanda/studies-show-rent-stabilization-has-mixed/negative-effects-on-housing-supply-and-affordability-why-do-you-support-it/https://www.betterinstitutions.com/qanda/studies-show-rent-stabilization-has-mixed/negative-effects-on-housing-supply-and-affordability-why-do-you-support-it/Rent control isn't a housing affordability policy, it's a peace-of-mind policy.Fri, 27 Sep 2024 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.betterinstitutions.com/blog/no-such-thing-as-no-growth-community/https://www.betterinstitutions.com/blog/no-such-thing-as-no-growth-community/Every city has one of three futures: A growing housing stock, growing housing prices , or stagnation and decline.Wed, 27 Jul 2022 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.betterinstitutions.com/blog/2021/10/11/why-advocate-market-rate-housing-development/https://www.betterinstitutions.com/blog/2021/10/11/why-advocate-market-rate-housing-development/So many groups and individuals need more people fighting on their behalf — why spend your time advocating for housing that only rich people can afford? Lots of reasons that have nothing to do with making rich people’s lives easier, as it turns out.Tue, 12 Oct 2021 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.betterinstitutions.com/blog/2021/6/13/dont-expand-fire-district-1-eliminate-it/https://www.betterinstitutions.com/blog/2021/6/13/dont-expand-fire-district-1-eliminate-it/Expanding Fire District 1 would make it more expensive to build new homes, increase greenhouse gas emissions, and do nothing to improve safety.Mon, 14 Jun 2021 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.betterinstitutions.com/blog/shared-equity-rental-market-blueprint-regional-coops/https://www.betterinstitutions.com/blog/shared-equity-rental-market-blueprint-regional-coops/With government-chartered regional housing cooperatives and access to attractive federal financing, we could transform the rental market to provide renters with greater wealth, stability, and flexibility.Mon, 24 May 2021 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.betterinstitutions.com/blog/2021/5/3/build-homes-prioritize-equity-los-angeles/https://www.betterinstitutions.com/blog/2021/5/3/build-homes-prioritize-equity-los-angeles/Upzone the Westside and strengthen tenant protections everywhere.Mon, 03 May 2021 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.betterinstitutions.com/blog/2021/4/7/why-value-capture-shouldnt-apply-to-parking/https://www.betterinstitutions.com/blog/2021/4/7/why-value-capture-shouldnt-apply-to-parking/There’s a debate happening right now over whether to apply “value capture” to a statewide parking reform bill — California State Assemblymember Laura Friedman’s AB 1401 . As someone who supports value capture in the context of upzoning, and advocates strongly for it in my book, The Affordable City ,Thu, 08 Apr 2021 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.betterinstitutions.com/blog/2021/3/25/what-housing-boom-an-updated-chart-of-housing-units-built-each-year-in-the-city-of-los-angeles/https://www.betterinstitutions.com/blog/2021/3/25/what-housing-boom-an-updated-chart-of-housing-units-built-each-year-in-the-city-of-los-angeles/LA’s “housing boom” is actually a continuation of three decades of very limited housing production.Fri, 26 Mar 2021 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.betterinstitutions.com/blog/2021/2/2/rental-pension-social-housing-compete-with-homeownership/https://www.betterinstitutions.com/blog/2021/2/2/rental-pension-social-housing-compete-with-homeownership/As a wealth-building, publicly-owned housing option, a rental pension program could offer all of the benefits of renting with many of the benefits of homeownership. It could also break the stranglehold that homeowners have on high-demand cities.Tue, 02 Feb 2021 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.betterinstitutions.com/blog/2020/9/20/yes-on-proposition-15-common-concerns-and-responses/https://www.betterinstitutions.com/blog/2020/9/20/yes-on-proposition-15-common-concerns-and-responses/The costs of Prop 15 will be borne by commercial and industrial property owners, not businesses. It won’t discourage residential development and doesn’t apply to residential properties, including multifamily projects. And it makes future reform more likely, not less.Sun, 20 Sep 2020 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.betterinstitutions.com/blog/stability-policies-affordable-city-book/https://www.betterinstitutions.com/blog/stability-policies-affordable-city-book/My new book, The Affordable City , is out on September 15th. This post includes an excerpt from the Stability policies section, making the case for why tenants deserve protection against the whims of the market and individual landlords.Mon, 14 Sep 2020 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.betterinstitutions.com/blog/subsidy-policies-affordable-city-book/https://www.betterinstitutions.com/blog/subsidy-policies-affordable-city-book/My new book, The Affordable City , is out on September 15th. This post includes an excerpt from the Subsidy policies section, exploring the trajectory of federal housing support and the disparity in treatment between renters and homeowners.Mon, 14 Sep 2020 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.betterinstitutions.com/blog/supply-policies-affordable-city-book/https://www.betterinstitutions.com/blog/supply-policies-affordable-city-book/My new book, The Affordable City , is out on September 15th. This post includes an excerpt from the Supply policies section, helping illustrate how affordability is influenced by housing abundance or scarcity.Mon, 14 Sep 2020 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.betterinstitutions.com/blog/supply-stability-subsidy-the-affordable-city-book/https://www.betterinstitutions.com/blog/supply-stability-subsidy-the-affordable-city-book/My new book, The Affordable City , is out on September 15th. This post includes an excerpt from the introduction, explaining why Supply, Stability, and Subsidy must all be priorities for housing advocates and professionals.Mon, 14 Sep 2020 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.betterinstitutions.com/blog/2020/7/28/building-more-equitable-california-transfer-tax-reform/https://www.betterinstitutions.com/blog/2020/7/28/building-more-equitable-california-transfer-tax-reform/The biggest beneficiaries of Proposition 13 would pay higher transfer taxes when they sold their homes.Wed, 29 Jul 2020 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.betterinstitutions.com/blog/2019/8/27/the-many-benefits-of-mass-timber/https://www.betterinstitutions.com/blog/2019/8/27/the-many-benefits-of-mass-timber/Learn more about the cost, schedule, economic, and environmental benefits of mass timber in a white paper I worked on earlier this year, including recommendations for how cities and states can speed its adoption.Tue, 27 Aug 2019 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.betterinstitutions.com/blog/housing-book-deal-mailing-list/https://www.betterinstitutions.com/blog/housing-book-deal-mailing-list/I’m officially partnering with Island Press on a book about housing affordability and the need to make strong tenant protections, abundant housing supply, and big public subsidies co-equal priorities for advocates and policymakers. Please join my mailing list for updates!Wed, 07 Aug 2019 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.betterinstitutions.com/blog/2019/7/10/single-family-homes-are-luxury-housing/https://www.betterinstitutions.com/blog/2019/7/10/single-family-homes-are-luxury-housing/In neighborhoods across the country, it’s single-family homes, not new condos and apartments, that command the highest prices.Wed, 10 Jul 2019 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.betterinstitutions.com/blog/2017/3/2/post-measure-s-housing-priorities-los-angeles/https://www.betterinstitutions.com/blog/2017/3/2/post-measure-s-housing-priorities-los-angeles/Measure S won't fix the affordable housing crisis. When the vote is over, win or lose, what can we do that will actually move the needle?Fri, 03 Mar 2017 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.betterinstitutions.com/blog/2017/3/2/election-update-los-angeles-voters-older-whiter-conservative-wealthy/https://www.betterinstitutions.com/blog/2017/3/2/election-update-los-angeles-voters-older-whiter-conservative-wealthy/About 40% of registered voters in LA receive vote-by-mail ballots, but the people actually returning them are heavily skewed.Thu, 02 Mar 2017 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.betterinstitutions.com/blog/2017/2/20/los-angeles-complete-no-on-measure-s-reference-guide/https://www.betterinstitutions.com/blog/2017/2/20/los-angeles-complete-no-on-measure-s-reference-guide/Bear with me; there are a lot of them.Mon, 20 Feb 2017 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.betterinstitutions.com/blog/2017/2/14/1300-affordable-homes-wont-be-built-if-measure-s-passes/https://www.betterinstitutions.com/blog/2017/2/14/1300-affordable-homes-wont-be-built-if-measure-s-passes/In just the past three weeks, 1,300 homes for low-income residents and the formerly homeless were proposed in Los Angeles. Measure S would block them all.Wed, 15 Feb 2017 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.betterinstitutions.com/blog/2017/2/13/ballot-initiative-voter-guide-los-angeles-march-7th-2017/https://www.betterinstitutions.com/blog/2017/2/13/ballot-initiative-voter-guide-los-angeles-march-7th-2017/There's a local election coming up for the City and County of Los Angeles on March 7th, 2017. Here's how you should vote on the 5 ballot measures.Tue, 14 Feb 2017 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.betterinstitutions.com/blog/2017/2/8/los-angeles-housing-projects-banned-by-measure-s/https://www.betterinstitutions.com/blog/2017/2/8/los-angeles-housing-projects-banned-by-measure-s/At least 19,000 desperately-needed homes, including thousands of affordable units, could not be built if Measure S passes in the March 7th Los Angeles election.Thu, 09 Feb 2017 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.betterinstitutions.com/blog/2017/1/11/top-7-reasons-to-oppose-measure-s-los-angeles/https://www.betterinstitutions.com/blog/2017/1/11/top-7-reasons-to-oppose-measure-s-los-angeles/Measure S is an ego trip masquerading as a social justice crusade. It's the Donald Trump of ballot initiatives, and these are 7 of the most important reasons that Los Angeles can't allow it to pass.Thu, 12 Jan 2017 00:00:00 GMT