• cygnus@lemmy.ca
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    6 hours ago

    It sure would be nice if folks on the left stopped using the term “neoliberal” as shorthand for “something I don’t like”. Words have meanings. A neoliberal housing policy would be a bunch of 5-over-1 in mixed zoning. The housing crisis is caused by many factors:

    • sky-high construction costs
    • restrictive zoning
    • lack of co-op condos due to insufficient startup finding
    • protectionist policies designed to shield homeowners from any drop in property value
    • too-low interest rates for the past few dacades
    • lack of other good investment options
    • increased prominence of REITs and real estate holdings in pension funds etc
    • spector@lemmy.ca
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      36 minutes ago

      Their premise is that the free market drove up the price of houses. Deregulation that is to say end of social housing programs led to this. Is that not neo-liberal? High construction costs come mainly from high cost of labor. The market driving up costs isn’t free market? What protectionist policies are there? When have property values been under threat of dropping. They’ve been ever increasing due to market demand. You say “lack of good investment”. Others say investors determined housing was a prime investment. Ditto for your last point.

      a bunch of 5-over-1 in mixed zoning

      What does this even mean?

    • arrakark@10291998.xyz
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      2 hours ago

      I’m not into politics at all, but wouldn’t the word “neoliberal” be most likely misused by those on the right?