Nolan Gray, author of Arbitrary Lines, keynotes at AEI Housing Conference in Fresno

WASHINGTON, Sept. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Have onerous zoning laws been a driving force behind massive housing shortages in our biggest cities, impeding economic growth and encouraging widespread sprawl? According to Nolan Gray's Arbitrary Lines: How Zoning Broke the American City and How to Fix It, the answer is an emphatic yes. A city planner and Research Director at California YIMBY, Nolan Gray will give the keynote address at the American Enterprise Institute's Increasing Housing Supply with California Senate Bill 9 and Senate Bill 10 in Fresno on Wednesday, September 21^st at 9:00 a.m.

As housing affordability has become a more salient issue for buyers and renters, the hyperlocal politics of housing have taken hold as a national conversation playing out across the country in state legislatures, in editorial pages, and in the White House. In California, the state assembly responded by passing SB-9 to legalize duplexes and lot splits on formerly single-family zoned parcels. This restores property rights to homeowners—particularly those strapped for cash-- who can now unlock the value of their land. Neighborhoods can boost economic growth and innovation, lower the cost of living, while improving municipal services.

California won't find a way out of its 4.6 million unit shortage without building more homes.¹ SB-9 and SB-10 open the door to make this new construction through Light Touch Density possible. By modestly raising the average number of units per acre from 6.7 to 8.9, Light Touch Density could increase yearly housing construction in Fresno by 72%. Through building more duplexes, more townhomes, more condos, and more single-family homes on smaller lots, the lower rungs of the housing ladder can be restored for families and workers struggling to keep up with housing costs.

Join AEI and Nolan Gray in Fresno on September 21^st to discuss how to do just that.

Registration is open for 6 conferences to be held the week of September 19th, 2022 that will feature discussions and conversations on the most pressing housing issues facing Californians. These conferences are free and open to the public.

Visit aei.org/california-housing-conference to register

¹ Joint Economic Committee, "The Houses Act: Addressing the National Housing Shortage by Building on Federal Land."

AEI Housing Center Conference Schedule:

Monday, Sept. 19, 2022
San Francisco
Hotel Nikko
222 Mason Street
9:00am–1:00pm PDT (Incl. Lunch)

Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022
Sacramento
The Citizen Hotel
926 J Street
9:00am– 1:00pm PDT (Incl. Lunch)

Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022
Fresno
The Doubletree by Hilton Fresno Convention Center
2233 Ventura St
9:00am–1:00pm PDT (Incl. Lunch)

Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022
Riverside
Mission Inn Hotel & Spa
3649 Mission Inn Avenue
8:30–12:30pm PDT (Incl. Lunch)

Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022
Los Angeles
The One Hotel
8490 West Sunset Boulevard
3:00–7:00pm PDT (Reception)

Friday, Sept. 23, 2022
San Diego
Westin San Diego Gaslamp Quarter
910 Broadway Circle
9:00am–1:00pm PDT (Incl. Lunch)

Media Contact Details:

Arthur Gailes
American Enterprise Institute Housing Center
Washington, DC
aei.org/california-housing-conference
[email protected]
804-662-0874

SOURCE AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC POLICY RESEARCH