The YIMBY Ruse
ruse
/rooz/
(noun)
a deceptive, crafty trick, stratagem, or maneuver intended to mislead someone
The Ruse
YIMBYs (“Yes In My Back Yard,” a clever twist on NIMBY or “Not In My Back Yard”) have made headlines by forcefully advocating for widespread land-use deregulation that, in their eyes, would solve the state’s ongoing housing affordability crisis. Unleash an unregulated private market, build as much as possible, and housing will become affordable for the masses through a “trickle down” process. YIMBYs claim that they are somehow making amends for past racist redlining practices, where blacks and some ethnic groups were prevented from living in certain areas. YIMBYs like to portray themselves as a grassroots organization, and those who question their agenda are pejoratively called NIMBYs, unreasonably implying that all opposition to growth is driven by concerns about home values, gentrification, race exclusion and wealth preservation.
The Reality
Building more housing will not magically make that housing affordable. YIMBY “trickle down, or “filtering”, as they prefer to call it, if it happens at all, will take decades.
YIMBYs actively fight against preserving existing affordable housing.
The YIMBY movement is more like an industry, and is largely funded by Big Tech, Real Estate interests, and small donors who either want more luxury housing or “believe” the YIMBY disinformation.
The opposition to YIMBY-supported high-density residential rezoning is based on the many deleterious effects of the rezoning, none of which are race or ethnicity related. Those who stand to gain are not idealistic anti-racists, but rather real estate development and corporate interests.
Learn More
Housing “trickle-down”
New study shows that deregulation is not the answer to the affordable housing crisis, by Tim Redmond, 48 Hills
The article writes about an in-depth academic study by top researchers that concludes that YIMBY deregulation strategies will not solve the housing affordability crisis. “…[It] is it is unrealistic to think that we can deregulate and build our way out of the affordability crisis with market rate housing...in any reasonable time frame." The study argues that the upzoning can make gentrification and displacement worse. This shows the hollowness of the YIMBY claim that they are somehow making amends for past racist redlining practices. As is concluded in the study and by others, the housing affordability crisis is a result of growing economic inequality.
Are Big Real Estate and YIMBYs Totally Wrong About How to Solve the Housing Affordability Crisis?, Patrick Range McDonald
This article covers the same in-depth academic study mentioned above that makes a very strong case that “just deregulating zoning laws and then building as many luxury apartments as possible isn’t going to solve anything.” UCLA Planning Professor Michael Storper (one of the study authors) is quoted: “To put it bluntly, in America we haven’t actually been underbuilding. The problem is demand is now split in a very unequal society. The supply you get is the wrong kind of supply.”
New study makes clear: The Wiener-Lurie plan will NOT bring down housing prices, by Tim Redmond, 48 Hills
This San Francisco economist's report concludes that even if developers are allowed to build all they want everywhere they want, it is unlikely to bring down housing prices, contradicting the central thesis of the Yimby agenda. In the best-case scenario it would lead to reductions of only 2.5 to 4.2 percent, which is not enough to make a dent in affordability.
Does Upzoning Boost the Housing Supply and Lower Prices? Maybe Not. Bloomberg.com
Rezoning for high density market rate housing, referred to as “trickle-down housing policy”, is pushed by the real estate industry, YIMBYs, big tech, and politicians. It has been a colossal failure. This article reflects research findings showing mixed or limited results: while upzoning can enable more housing, studies in places like Chicago found it could increase local prices, not lower them, due to speculation and market forces. “The notion that increasing housing supply will magically fix our problems is one of those things that is simply too good to be true.”
New study by Fed economists directly contradicts Yimby narrative on housing prices, Tim Redmond, 48 Hills
Development constraints, including zoning and environmental rules, have little or no impact on housing prices. This was the conclusion of a study from Federal Reserve economists in San Francisco, directly contradicting the fundamental economic thesis that has driven housing policy in the state for years: That development constraints have created high housing prices.
The Filtering Fallacy, Council of Community Housing Organizations
Filtering, the trickle down theory of housing affordability, is the theory, as stated by CA-YIMBY, that costly new homes will create affordable old homes. This infographic shows the fallacy of filtering in San Francisco.
YIMBYs fight against affordable housing
Big Real Estate's Money Trails to Kill the Expansion of Rent Control in California, Patrick Range McDonald
This enormously long, but fascinating dive into the world of corporate ownership of housing, shows how corporate landlords and the California Apartment Association spent $135M in 2024 to defeat a proposition to remove statewide rent control restrictions. It exposes the money trail between the largest corporate landlords and elected officials, candidates, and political groups, including the YIMBYs. (Go straight to the shorter YIMBY section)
Does elimination of regulations create affordability? See this FAQ from Build a Better Berkeley. A central belief of the YIMBY ideology is that we remove regulations, developers will be happy to begin building again, and housing will become affordable through housing “trickle-down”.
YIMBY funding
The Real Dirt: Capital Realty Group, Billionaire Steve Schwarzman, Corporate YIMBYs, Patrick Range McDonald
A short article showing why billionaires find it necessary to make gazillions of dollars on the backs of tenants.
Inside Game: California YIMBY, Scott Wiener, and Big Tech’s Troubling Housing Push, Patrick Range McDonald
Housing Is A Human Right advocacy journalist Patrick Range McDonald reveals the financial ties and behind-the-scenes connections between Big Tech, California YIMBY, and State Sen. Scott Wiener. This investigation shows that these powerful forces have banded together to push a troubling, pro-gentrification housing agenda in California. Read the whole article or go directly to Part IV: Big Tech Pushes Trickle Down Housing.
YIMBY — Grassroots or Astroturf?, Pamela Nagler, The Pomonan
Shows just how non-grass roots the multitude of California YIMBY organizations are. (Yes in My Backyard, California YIMBY, California YIMBY Action, California YIMBY Victory Fund, YIMBY Law, YIMBY Education Fund, and a number of others without YIMBY in the name.)
Current housing policy does make amends for past racist redlining
Does high-density zoning fight racism? See this FAQ from Build a Better Berkeley.
The Middle Housing Proposal in Berkeley is Discriminatory. A letter to the City Council from a group of organizations and individuals representing South Berkeley who explain how Middle Housing will destroy the already impacted South Berkeley communities, and debunk the claims that:
1) Middle Housing will generate market rate housing
2) With Middle Housing, Berkeley would end racist single family zoning