The Housing Theory of Everything
"Where you live affects nearly everything about your life – where you work, how you spend time off, who your friends and neighbours are, how many kids you can have and when, and even how often you get sick."
What It’s About
Myers, Bowman, and Southwood argue that housing shortages in Western countries extend far beyond merely making homes unaffordable, also contributing to inequality, climate change, and obesity, while damaging productivity and fertility rates.
Upshot
The authors highlight three interrelated impacts:
- Economic and Social Costs: Restrictions on housing supply dramatically reduce productivity and innovation by preventing people from relocating to high-opportunity areas
- Exacerbating Inequality: Housing shortages disproportionately benefit existing property owners, widening the wealth gap and intensifying social division
- Environmental and Health Implications: Urban sprawl driven by housing scarcity raises obesity rates and significantly amplifies carbon emissions
Why It Matters
High housing costs and limited mobility degrade nearly every facet of modern life, contributing to national stagnation and dissatisfaction.
Who Wrote It
John Myers is co-founder of London YIMBY.
Sam Bowman is a founding editor of Works in Progress
Ben Southwood is a founder and editor at Works in Progress