1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:02,920 Speaker 1: Got an idea around land zoning, So what would happen 2 00:00:03,000 --> 00:00:05,760 Speaker 1: of local streets and neighborhoods were given the choice of 3 00:00:05,800 --> 00:00:08,440 Speaker 1: what's allowed to be built and where? Texas does it? Houston? 4 00:00:08,840 --> 00:00:11,120 Speaker 1: Are their claiming success so much so that housing's becoming 5 00:00:11,160 --> 00:00:13,200 Speaker 1: more accessible and more affordable. How does this work? The 6 00:00:13,200 --> 00:00:16,600 Speaker 1: Maximum Institute researcher Thomas Scrimger is, Well, it's Thomas, very 7 00:00:16,600 --> 00:00:17,280 Speaker 1: good morning to you. 8 00:00:18,120 --> 00:00:19,560 Speaker 2: Good morning, Mike Cay. It did very well. 9 00:00:19,560 --> 00:00:22,000 Speaker 1: Indeed, how locals local Is it a street, is it 10 00:00:22,040 --> 00:00:24,400 Speaker 1: a block, Is it a neighborhood, is it a community? 11 00:00:24,440 --> 00:00:25,360 Speaker 1: How do they work that out? 12 00:00:26,720 --> 00:00:28,800 Speaker 2: Yeah, so there's a bit of a variety in how 13 00:00:28,800 --> 00:00:31,639 Speaker 2: they work it out, depending on the kinds of neighborhoods 14 00:00:31,640 --> 00:00:34,960 Speaker 2: that were already there in the city. But it's crucial 15 00:00:35,000 --> 00:00:37,320 Speaker 2: to kind of point out this isn't something they've done recently. 16 00:00:37,600 --> 00:00:40,800 Speaker 2: This goes back to nineteen ninety eight. They were trying 17 00:00:40,800 --> 00:00:43,400 Speaker 2: to get smaller lot sizes. Specifically, you know, they had 18 00:00:43,400 --> 00:00:48,040 Speaker 2: these big, sprawling, suburban, massive American houses and they're like, oh, 19 00:00:48,240 --> 00:00:49,920 Speaker 2: we're going to identify people need to be able to 20 00:00:49,920 --> 00:00:53,240 Speaker 2: build smaller. So back in nineteen ninety eight they shrunk 21 00:00:53,240 --> 00:00:57,680 Speaker 2: the minimum lot size, but different streets or subdivisions could 22 00:00:57,720 --> 00:01:01,680 Speaker 2: opt out. But that means that people actually signed up 23 00:01:01,680 --> 00:01:04,440 Speaker 2: to it and they got twenty five thousands more houses 24 00:01:04,480 --> 00:01:04,840 Speaker 2: out of it. 25 00:01:05,240 --> 00:01:07,119 Speaker 1: Okay, so that you'd have to agree that you want 26 00:01:07,120 --> 00:01:10,240 Speaker 1: twenty five thousand more houses. What about the overarching stuff 27 00:01:10,280 --> 00:01:13,240 Speaker 1: that councils can't keep their noses out of far lest governments. 28 00:01:13,640 --> 00:01:15,000 Speaker 1: How do they deal with that? 29 00:01:16,520 --> 00:01:19,080 Speaker 2: Well? I think you kind of have to start by assuming, Mike, 30 00:01:19,120 --> 00:01:22,880 Speaker 2: that the people at local council don't always know what's best. 31 00:01:23,520 --> 00:01:25,000 Speaker 2: You know, you might be able to get on board 32 00:01:25,040 --> 00:01:28,240 Speaker 2: with that, but really, you know, the standard things councils do. 33 00:01:28,360 --> 00:01:30,760 Speaker 2: Councils have to do, but in terms of should we 34 00:01:30,800 --> 00:01:33,400 Speaker 2: have more houses in this neighborhood or on this street, 35 00:01:34,400 --> 00:01:36,600 Speaker 2: streets could be able to sign up for that themselves. 36 00:01:36,760 --> 00:01:39,680 Speaker 2: In Houston, what they did is say we're getting more houses, 37 00:01:40,120 --> 00:01:43,680 Speaker 2: but streets can opt out with a sixty percent supermajority, 38 00:01:43,840 --> 00:01:46,120 Speaker 2: and it expires after twenty five years and you'd have 39 00:01:46,160 --> 00:01:48,560 Speaker 2: to go sign up again. So there's a bias in 40 00:01:48,600 --> 00:01:51,520 Speaker 2: favor of more housing, but the most committed opponents could 41 00:01:51,560 --> 00:01:52,160 Speaker 2: opt out of it. 42 00:01:52,520 --> 00:01:55,640 Speaker 1: What's literally the mechanism as a member of that community. 43 00:01:55,680 --> 00:01:58,400 Speaker 1: Do I have to attend these meetings and go number 44 00:01:58,440 --> 00:02:01,440 Speaker 1: forty seven here, I vote four X? Is that literally 45 00:02:01,440 --> 00:02:04,520 Speaker 1: how it works? Everyone's actually involved in the process. 46 00:02:05,280 --> 00:02:07,480 Speaker 2: I think what it'd be is simply there'd be a 47 00:02:07,960 --> 00:02:10,520 Speaker 2: petition voting format where you could have a few committed 48 00:02:10,560 --> 00:02:12,320 Speaker 2: people who go and sit in the meetings. But if 49 00:02:12,360 --> 00:02:15,760 Speaker 2: you get the signatures of people in the community, that's 50 00:02:15,880 --> 00:02:18,400 Speaker 2: enough years or no. So a few diehards have to 51 00:02:18,440 --> 00:02:20,920 Speaker 2: do that the shoe leather politics and go and doorknock 52 00:02:21,040 --> 00:02:23,000 Speaker 2: get to know their neighbors, but most people don't have 53 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:23,680 Speaker 2: to attend the meeting. 54 00:02:23,800 --> 00:02:26,200 Speaker 1: Interesting. Good to talk to you, Thomas. Thomas Scrimshier, who's 55 00:02:26,240 --> 00:02:28,800 Speaker 1: with the Maxim Institute. Have a look at Houston if 56 00:02:28,800 --> 00:02:29,919 Speaker 1: you want to see how they do it. 57 00:02:30,280 --> 00:02:33,160 Speaker 2: For more from the Mic Asking Breakfast, listen live to 58 00:02:33,280 --> 00:02:36,360 Speaker 2: news talks. It'd be from six am weekdays, or follow 59 00:02:36,400 --> 00:02:37,960 Speaker 2: the podcast on iHeartRadio.