Noah Smith, Columnist

Zoning Reform Alone Won’t Make Housing More Affordable

Allowing greater density is fine, but cities will have to prod developers.

What’s not to like?

Photographer: Brianna Soukup/Portland Press Herald/Getty Images
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During the past few years, it has become clear that housing affordability is a major challenge facing the U.S. Rent is consuming an increasing percentage of consumers’ paychecks:

The problem has become especially acute in big cities and technology hubs like San Francisco: