Housing Policy

Christian Britschgi | 8.13.2024 5:15 PM

Tim Walz is riding high on some stolen valor. By that, I don't mean to refer to the false or otherwise deliberately misleading statements the Democratic vice presidential candidate made about his war record (or lack thereof) over the years.

Rather, I'm referring to the unearned enthusiasm he's receiving from housing activists, lawmakers, and the media who somehow have concluded that Walz is a sterling champion of YIMBY (yes in my backyard) zoning reforms.

Business Insider called him a "YIMBY" in a recent headline. California Sen. Scott Wiener (D–San Francisco), a prolific author of state-level zoning reform legislation, applied the label to him as well. YIMBYs for Harris is happy to claim him as one of their own.

Tim Walz is a @yimbysforharris pic.twitter.com/h41uGKpAf0

— YIMBYs for Harris ???????????????? (@YIMBYsforHarris) August 9, 2024

What exactly has Walz done to earn this reputation as a YIMBY housing champion? As best I can tell, as governor of Minnesota, he signed a 1,400-page Democratic-passed omnibus bill that contained two policies of interest to zoning reformers in the state.

One requires state officials to study and recommend code changes that would allow apartment buildings up to 75 feet tall to be built with one staircase. The other exempts local comprehensive plan updates from the state's environmental review laws.

Single-stair reform supporters say allowing more apartment buildings to be built with a single staircase (as opposed to the current two-staircase........

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