‘Local Control,’ Fake and Real

‘Local Control,’ Fake and Real

A debate is raging over housing policy. Many state lawmakers have proposed overriding local growth controls — land-use regulations on housing, such as restrictive zoning requirements — in order to let the free market solve the housing crunch. For example, starter home acts preempting large minimum lot regulations were proposed in Arizona, Minnesota, Texas, North Carolina, and New Hampshire this year. By letting landowners build more homes on the…