Ed Glaeser et le logement aux USA: pour une lib??ralisation de la construction

Ed Glaeser (Harvard U., photo), l'un des tous meilleurs ??conomistes des questions urbaines et du logement du moment, pr??conise une r??forme compl??te des politiques du logement aux USA dans les colonnes du New York Times. Ses rem??des ? Une grande lib??ration fonci??re, ??ventuellement impos??e de l'??tat f??d??ral, la fin du financement de logements sociaux -- aux USA, par le m??canisme d' "inclusionary zoning", d??nonc?? par Ed Stringham ici m??me --, et le remplacement de toutes les aides aux logements par un ch??que logement unique.

Ca ne vous rappelle rien ? Ah, tout de m??me, il y en a qui l'ont lu !

amazon

C'est exactement l'argumentaire d??velopp?? dans les propositions pour sortir de la crise du logement de mon livre (nov 2007). Extrait de l'article de Glaeser:

The first problem, the shortage of housing for the poor, is best solved by providing more housing vouchers, not expensive tax programs aimed at stimulating construction of affordable housing. Subsidizing developers to build new housing for the poor makes no more sense that paying auto companies to provide a special line of poor people???s cars. Our current system, where the poor generally buy used cars, is a much more efficient way of providing cheap transportation. Section 8 vouchers can enable the disadvantaged to live in existing homes, which is much cheaper than new building.

(...)

The current housing price slump shouldn???t disguise the fact that homes in San Francisco and New York remain extremely expensive by historical standards. Prices are far above construction costs because robust housing demand, fueled by rising economic productivity, has collided against barriers to supply, like minimum lot sizes and height limits.

Borrowing subsidies, including the home mortgage interest deduction, do little good when housing supply is constrained. In markets with limited supply, credit subsidies push up housing prices, and make housing less, not more, affordable.

(...)

The only path towards widespread affordability is to build more, which requires reducing NIMBYist regulations. Localities tend to put their own interests ahead of the nation???s interest by restricting building in order to keep prices up and reduce congestion.

Et devinez quoi ? Il estime que la crise offre une opportunit?? unique de faire passer ce genre de d??r??glementation sans probl??me. Pareil chez nous: une telle occasion d'en finir une bonne fois pour toutes avec la formation de bulles immobili??res ne se repr??sentera pas de sit??t !

Gageons que l?? bas comme ici, ces pourtant fort sages conseils ne seront pas entendus...
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