> Enormous vested interests oppose it. > Of course, an engaged and educated populace could overcome that. The "populace" is the "vested interest" that opposes

> Enormous vested interests oppose it. > Of course, an engaged and educated populace could overcome that. The "populace" is the "vested interest" that opposes it! The majority of voters are homeowners, and thus their material interests lie in land values rising. As a concrete example of this, Prop 13 was passed by a referendum, not politicians. As a general point, I think housing is the major weak policy point for the left. The overarching theory that drives their politics is that the wealthy and powerful are the major barriers to positive change. Housing is the one area where that isn't true; the barrier to improvement is the "average" person.