Episode 17: America's Housing Crisis: Everyone's Welcome, Just Not Here

Why are NIMBYs so adamantly against new housing? Are liberals hypocrites on housing? What is a YIMBY? These and other questions are the topics of this episode where we tackle America’s housing crisis. Emily shares what’s wrong with how we build housing with a story from her own street. Trevor shares research into how corporate consolidation has strangled building and turned it into a greed machine, and also explores a strange historical angle: are Americans just not moving anymore, and is that leading to… electing Donald Trump? From zoning laws to rational choice theory, this wonky episode explores America’s broken housing industry and introduces Trevor to this use of the term “wonky.” There’s some good news to share at the end — even some from Idaho’s legislature. In today’s Good Take Corner: Why the Pattie Gonia versus Patagonia trademark fight is probably a coin flip, and why playing a lawyer online is probably a dumb idea. Segments & Timestamps:0:32 - Welcome & Intro: Liberals Are Hypocrites About Housing4:36 - How Emily Became a YIMBY8:01 - NIMBY vs. YIMBY & The Luxury Housing Myth11:14 - A Brief History of Zoning19:19 - Corporate Consolidation & Homebuilders23:46 - The Development at the End of Emily's Street28:37 - Rational Choice Theory vs. Symbolic Politics Theory39:11 - The Conservative NIMBY40:50 - A Challenge to Fellow Liberals42:09 - Good News: Idaho's 2026 Housing Bills47:49 - Americans Used to Move51:39 - Voting by Distance From Home53:47 - Strangers, Trust & Fear57:29 - Does Remote Work Explain It?1:02:53 - Golden Gates & Showing Up for Neighbors You Don't Have Yet1:04:49 - Good Take Corner: Patagonia vs. Pattie Gonia1:19:24 - Closing & CreditsMentioned:Golden Gates: Fighting for Housing in America by Conor DoughertyThe Atlantic: "Why Americans Stopped Moving"The New York Times Opinion: "The Anti-Multiresident Housing"More Perfect Union on homebuilder consolidationStrong Towns: What’s a STROAD and Why Does it Matter?The Leftist Lawyer on Threads: Patagonia v. Pattie GoniaConnect With Us:Produced and Engineered by ⁠Ken Wilson⁠ | Original Music by ⁠Robert Lanterman⁠Website: ⁠thenuancehour.com⁠Instagram: ⁠@thenuancehour⁠Email: [email protected]