Not everything is just a "convenient boogeyman": some things actually do contribute more to housing costs. If you drive through any major American (or Canadian

Not everything is just a "convenient boogeyman": some things actually do contribute more to housing costs. If you drive through any major American (or Canadian) city outside of the core downtown area...it's pretty clear _something_ is preventing large developments. If you drive through the Bay Area, or stand on a 4-storey "high-rise" and look out over miles upon miles of aging bungalows, and consider the value of the land they're sitting on, it's really a bit shocking. And if you look into adding a suite for rental to your house, it'll be pretty clear what the barrier is to new development. It basically doesn't matter where you are in the country. Local zoning really does play a huge role in housing cost in North America.