Housing

A letter from the Executive Director

by Josie Faass

Fall is here once again. This change of seasons typically evokes thoughts of colorful leaves; nights by the fire, hot cocoa in hand; and the impending holiday season. This fall, however, larger, more distressing trends are overshadowing these fanciful notions in many people’s minds.

Inflation has us paying more – much more – for everything from the food we feed our families, to the gas we put in our cars, to the insurance policies we purchase to safeguard our assets. And when it comes to our homes (often cited as most Americans’ largest asset) more and more buyers find themselves priced out of a housing market that is increasingly dominated by corporate investors with all cash offers, looking to turn a dual profit as landlords and owners of physical assets that can be borrowed against with ease.

This Tax Makes All Other Taxes Redundant (Part II)

by Rinske Bijl

In the Netherlands, the government is trying to combat the housing crisis with more subsidies for first time house buyers. But this will only make prices go up even more. There is a better solution, which would make housing cheaper for everyone: a land value tax. But as long as homeowners are in the majority, no politician dares to burn its fingers on this idea.

Affordable Housing in America. Will efforts to build more and cheaper work?

by Gabriel Nagy

The financial crisis of 2008-10 illustrated the immense danger of a malfunctioning housing market. According to The Economist, between 2000 and 2007, America’s household debt rose from 104% to 144% of household income, and house prices rose by 50% in real terms. San Francisco and other large metropolitan areas in the U.S. are experiencing rents that represent 40% of the average person’s earnings. Housing is too expensive, which is damaging to the economy and poisoning politics.

Exploring the Possibilities of Land Trusts

by Rich Nymoen

None of Henry George’s books has the word “tax” in the title. This may be because he did not want his ideas to be framed as being mainly about taxes. His central message was that land should be “common property” and that a land value… Read More »Exploring the Possibilities of Land Trusts

Tax Induced Opportunities for Expanding Community Land Trust Housing in Portland, Oregon

by Josie Faass

Article by Tom Gihring, Research Director – Common Ground OR/WA Consequences of Two Property Tax Systems For several years property tax reformers have been calling for a land value tax (LVT) to counteract rapidly rising home prices. A property tax system that raises the tax… Read More »Tax Induced Opportunities for Expanding Community Land Trust Housing in Portland, Oregon

CPTR Mapping Tool: LLCs in New York City

by Josie Faass

LLCs are a way to combine the benefits of a traditional corporate structure with enhanced anonymity and reduced tax-liability, making them the ideal method for limiting risk while at the same time maximizing profits. This incentivizes land speculation rather than reinvestment in the land in… Read More »CPTR Mapping Tool: LLCs in New York City

Dutch Pioneers take their land off the Market

by Josie Faass
1 Comment

In a small village in the Netherlands, 2,220 square meters of land was taken out of the economic system. It cannot be bought nor sold for at least seven generations to come. “Land is a basic resource, just like the air we breathe.” This article… Read More »Dutch Pioneers take their land off the Market

Protecting Local Communities Means Harnessing Land Value and Building Housing

by Matthew Downhour

If you read any comment section or editorial page in Montana, the one sentiment that seems to be endorsed all across the political spectrum, and rarely challenged, is the fear that Montana is going to become ‘like California’. Montanans are proud of our State and… Read More »Protecting Local Communities Means Harnessing Land Value and Building Housing

Is COVID-19 spending fueling speculative vacancies?

by admin

Housing as a human right has become a rallying cry across the United States and in many countries, especially in cities. More and more people are perplexed as to why housing is out of reach for all but the wealthy. Why have the needs of… Read More »Is COVID-19 spending fueling speculative vacancies?

The Fallacy of Accumulation and Wealth

by admin
1 Comment

This article is part of Uncommonwealth, a series of articles that discuss housing affordability, economic justice, and inequality in the United States. A few weeks ago, I was listening to a podcast on NPRon how homeownership in the United States had now become a luxury. There were… Read More »The Fallacy of Accumulation and Wealth