The city council wants to reduce the lot size,parking, and setbacks required for duplexes and triplexes all over the city. They want to increase density for about 100 units along a transit corridor from single family to 4 units, up to 6 with affordable housing.
The nimbys are going crazy, talking about lawsuits, protests etc. Many posts talk about flooded schools, huge traffic increases, and gigantic duplexes on every lot. The reality is people can already build duplexes and they dont at a huge frequency. People have even posted articles written by NIMBYs in other cities how housing pricing doesnt follow supply and demand.
It is all about "neighborhood character". Im a hardcore conservative and believe upzoning is the best way to solve the affordability problem.
Removing zoning restrictions is arguing for the free market, and for reducing government intervention and in this case, as a liberal, I couldn't agree more. This is an example of government being used as a cudgel of the wealthy to beat back the poor. That's not what I want the role of government to be.
I have friends who work on housing (and related) policies. The stereotype of "Liberal Seattle" simply isn't true. One of our biggest intraparty food fights is the upzoners vs the nimbys. The tortured logic and hypocrisy of the nimbys is maddening. Yes, homelessness and affordability are acute problems, govt should do something, but increasing supply couldn't possibly work.
I can't prove it, but I know it's true: Ok Boomer. All the nimbys I know (active in policy, politics) are my age and older.