http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/outlook/7437270.html
by Edward Glaeser

Here's a great op-ed that recently ran in the Houston Chronicle about why people are moving to Houston and how our low regulatory environment allows for a more affordable cost of living and upward mobility.

___________________________________________________________________

Every day, Americans vote with their feet and choose the state that fits their needs. The decennial Census tallies those votes, and in 2010 recorded a thumping win for Texas, which grew by 4.3 million people, more than any other state. Americans like myself, who live outside the Lone Star State, need to understand why Texas has so much appeal.

In my new book — Triumph of the City - I try to understand what a middle-income family's budget looks like in New York City and Houston. I assume that the New Yorkers earned $70,000 per year, to reflect that area's typically higher earnings, and that the Houstonian earned $10,000 less. But the New Yorkers' higher earnings quickly evaporated due to higher income taxes and housing costs. Today, the median home price in the New York area is $470,000, while the comparable figure for Houston is less than $160,000.

When all was done, the after-tax, after-housing-cost income was about 50 percent larger in Houston than in New York. On top of that, the Houstonians could access better public schools and enjoy a shorter, less arduous commute.

Texas does have real economic strengths. Per capita productivity in Dallas and Houston is about 20 percent higher than the American metropolitan average, and unemployment rates remained low even in a recession. But higher incomes aren't Houston's biggest attraction. Productivity is significantly higher in slow-growing places like Boston, New York and San Francisco.

Texas attracts millions because it combines productivity with affordable housing. Lower housing costs in Houston are the most important causes of the city's real prosperity. America's anti-Texans would have you believe that housing is cheap in Houston because the area is unattractive, but if greater Houston was so unappealing, why is its population soaring?

The real reason that Texas homes are inexpensive is because they are abundantly supplied. The great insight of the industrial revolution was that mass production could benefit humanity by providing inexpensive clothes, food and cars. The same holds for housing, which was first proven by Sears kit homes in the 1920s. Today mass-produced housing can be made for less than eighty dollars a square foot, while custom-made homes can easily cost three times as much.

The great mass producers of housing are now in places like The Woodlands, the master planned community 30 miles north of central Houston. The Woodlands illustrates how far mass produced housing has come from the boxy conformity of Levittown. The high quality of homes in places like The Woodlands reflects the competition that emerges when developers face relatively few restrictions.

It's not that pricier areas like Boston and San Francisco lack land. Harris County, Texas, has less land per capita than Middlesex County, Massachusetts, where I live. But Middlesex County generally prevents large-scale building, with high minimum lot sizes and abundant environmental restrictions. Texas does not.

Ironically, Houston's laissez-faire, pro-growth attitude has allowed red state Texas to provide far more affordable housing for low- and middle-income people than progressive California and Massachusetts. Texas proves that unbridled private supply, not rent control or public housing, is the most effective way to ensure that every American can afford a decent home.

Texas' unfettered construction also explains why the state has enjoyed stable pri-ces. When demand rises in Texas, developers build and that limits both price increases and subsequent price crashes.

Outsiders make a mistake by ignoring or disparaging the growth of Texas. The great urban areas of Texas have benefited from allowing the change that has been outlawed in America's costly coastal states. Other places could use a little Texan enthusiasm for growth.

Glaeser is the Fred and Eleanor Glimp professor of economics and director of the Taubman Center for State and Local Government at Harvard University.

December 7, 2009 ; For Immediate Release

The political arm of Houstonians for Responsible Growth, HRG-PAC, today announced the group's political endorsements in a number of City Council run-off races.

"We have worked closely with incumbents and candidates to both express our support for Houston's growth model and to understand each's point of view about Houston and its future," said HRG President, Kendall Miller. "The endorsements we are announcing today reflect our support of good candidates who understand that Houston has been now been recognized internationally as the city that 'got it right" with our growth policies and resisted the worst effects of the economic and housing downturn," said Miller.

"We have a good model for economic health and among the lowest cost of living and housing prices of any major city in the country," said Miller. "We all know that people come to Houston for opportunity and great real estate values," he said. "That record of success did not happen by accident but because city policies allow the consumer to come first in housing choices rather than strangling supply with ill-considered centralized land use controls from City Hall. Many major cities have come to regret such measures because they have proved to hurt the tax base and can price low and middle-income citizens out of the housing market," he said.

HRG-PAC City Council endorsements:

City Council at Large 1
Steve Costello

City Council at Large 2
Sue Lovell

City Council at Large 5
Jack Christie

District A
Brenda Stardig

District F
Mike Laster

Houstonians for Responsible Growth PAC 2009 Council Endorsements Announced

September 24, 2009 ; For Immediate Release

The political arm of Houstonians for Responsible Growth, HRG-PAC, today announced the group's political endorsements in a number of City Council races. The group has already endorsed both Annise Parker and Gene Locke in the mayor’s race.

"We have worked closely with incumbents and candidates to both express our support for Houston's growth model and to understand each's point of view about Houston and its future," said HRG President, Kendall Miller. "The endorsements we are announcing today reflect our support of good candidates who understand that Houston has been now been recognized internationally as the city that 'got it right" with our growth policies and resisted the worst effects of the economic and housing downturn," said Miller.

"We have a good model for economic health and among the lowest cost of living and housing prices of any major city in the country," said Miller. "We all know that people come to Houston for opportunity and great real estate values," he said. "That record of success did not happen by accident but because city policies allow the consumer to come first in housing choices rather than strangling supply with ill-considered centralized land use controls from City Hall. Many major cities have come to regret such measures because they have proved to hurt the tax base and can price low and middle-income citizens out of the housing market," he said.

HRG-PAC City Counsel endorsements:

City Council at Large 1
Steve Costello
City Council at Large 2
Sue Lovell
City Council at Large 3
Melissa Noriega
City Council at Large 4
Clarence Bradford
District A
Brenda Stardig
District B
Jarvis Johnson
District C
Anne Clutterbuck
District D
Wanda Adams
District E
Mike Sullivan
District H
Ed Gonzales
District I
James Rodriguez

For more information contact:

Joshua Sanders, Executive Director—(713) 299-1387 (cell), (713) 366-7970 (office)
josh@houstongrowth.org
www.houstongrowthpac.org

Houston—September 17, 2009 for Immediate Release

Houstonians for Responsible Growth PAC Endorses Two Mayoral Candidates

Houstonians for Responsible Growth PAC (HRG PAC), the political arm of a prominent local real estate advocacy group, today announced an unusual dual endorsement of two candidates in the Houston mayoral race--giving their nod to both Gene Locke and Annise Parker. Extensive interviews with each candidate led to the group’s support. “Both Ms. Parker and Mr. Locke would bring considerable expertise and experience to the job,” said Kendall Miller, the group’s President. “While it may be unusual to endorse two competing candidates, they have each earned the respect and support of our group,” he added.

“We are endorsing two mayoral candidates who believe growth is healthy for Houston and who agree that our low cost of living and outstanding real estate values are a direct consequence of city policies that let the consumer come first,” said Miller. “Each candidate understands and supports responsible growth that has helped make us economically healthier than any other major US city,” he added.

“On the other hand, another candidate, Peter Brown, has vowed to spend a considerable amount of his personal wealth on the race and says he believes that ‘runaway growth’ is bad for Houston. Remarkably, he seems to find very little that is positive in Houston,” he said. “His support of the very centralized land controls that have inflated home prices and driven low and moderate-income citizens out of the housing market in many US cities is troubling,” said Joshua Sanders, the group’s Executive Director. “He has simply ignored the clear record that such policies have backfired on almost every city and that they especially hurt low-income consumers,” said Sanders.

“We have an almost unique approach to growth that is now being hailed by experts the world over as the model that has best resisted the economic downturn,” said Miller. “While other cities created artificial barriers to growth that resulted in wildly inflated home prices, Houston has carefully resisted measures that both work against affordability and which almost always introduce political corruption into the development process,” he said.

Each endorsed candidate supports HRG’s position that improvements in the deed restriction process are needed. HRG strongly supports these reforms as the best way and most local way to empower neighborhoods and has called on candidates to support city legal help and other measures for neighborhoods that want to improve and update deed restrictions.

“We are now hailed as the city that ‘got it right’ and the leading “opportunity city’ in the nation,” said Miller. “Both Mr. Locke and Ms. Parker understand that record of success and deserve public support,” he concluded.

Contact: Joshua Sanders—(713) 299-1387 (cell), (713) 366-7970 (office)
josh@houstongrowth.org
www.houstongrowthpac.org

The widely supported Mixed Use/TOD Ordinance is set to move forward this week at COH City Council. There was a slight delay in the process when it was brought to the attention that Chapter 15 of the Public Works and Engineering Design manual might have a conflict with the newly proposed ordinance. Fortunately the COH Planning Department and PWE were able to include some new language ensuring that the goals of the Mixed Use/TOD ordinance would prevail in a conflict between the design manual and the ordinance.

The ordinance will go before Council today for public comment and the final vote will be taken tomorrow, August 19, at the regularly held City Council meeting. HRG supports the Mixed Use/TOD ordinance.

Last week, HRG along with Councilwoman Toni Lawrence met with the City of Houston (COH) Public Works and Engineering department to discuss issues related to Chapter 15 of the COH Design Manual. Chapter 15 is the solution the COH has implemented as a “technical” interpretation of Section 40-86 in lieu of an ordinance to address the situation of possible friction between high density development in relation to a residential neighborhood.

The meeting was held to address HRG’s concerns with the removal of certain filters that limited the applicability of Chapter 15 to areas outside transit corridors, major thoroughfares, and non-residential areas. Although a solution was not decided upon during the meeting, the COH PWE department has agreed to open discussions related to Chapter 15 to address conflicts with previously stated policy goals and current changes to Chapter 42 regarding the Mixed Use/Transit Oriented Development Ordinance. This is a positive step on the COH’s behalf to attempt to address the concerns surrounding Chapter 15 of the PWE design manual but it does not mean that our work is done.

HRG still supports the goals and intended purpose of the Mixed Use/ Transit Oriented Development ordinance and is not giving up on passing such a policy. Unfortunately, the intended goals of this ordinance and the applicability of it are seriously undermined by the policy set forth in Chapter 15. Making sure we address the problems with Chapter 15 before we proceed with passing the MU/TOD Ordinance is imperative to ensuring a policy that supports the goals of increasing density in areas where it should occur like transit corridors, major thoroughfares, and non-residential areas.

To read more about HRG’s position on Chapter 15 and the issues of concern relating to the policy, take a look at http://houstongrowth.org/policy. We will keep you updated as to our progress and encourage you to contact us if you would like to get involved.

This past Friday, June 19th 2009, Governor Perry took action to veto SB 2169, which would have commissioned a Smart Growth working group to begin working on creating a Smart Growth policy for Texas. The bill was sponsored by local Houston legislators Sen. Rodney Ellis and Rep. Carol Alvarado. With our current national housing crisis being linked to Smart Growth policies throughout the US, it was a necessary decision for Gov. Perry to Veto this proposed piece of legislation. Why at a time when the rest of the US is looking to Texas as an example for growth and economic prosperity would we consider implementing failed policies from other states such as California and Florida? Here’s Governor Perry’s explanation for the veto.

http://governor.state.tx.us/news/veto/12632/

“Senate Bill No. 2169 would create a new governmental body that would centralize the decision-making process in Austin for the planning of communities through an interagency work group on “smart growth” policy. Decisions about the growth of communities should be made by local governments closest to the people living and working in these areas. Local governments can already adopt “smart growth” policies based on the desires of the community without a state-led effort that endorses such planning. This legislation would promote a one-size-fits-all approach to land use and planning that would not work across a state as large and diverse as Texas.”

HRG would like to commend Governor Perry for his Veto of SB 2169.

1. COH needs to create alternative financing mechanisms (TIRZ, Management Districts, improve developer participation agreements, etc…) to help cover cost of public infrastructure within corridors.
a. This would incentivize cohesive development and replacement of infrastructure in areas of high growth.
b. Creates a greater amount of local control which allows the property owners in the area to be more responsive to their areas needs.
c. Allows for greater mix of diversity to occur along corridors while preserving the unique characteristics of Houston’s various business districts and neighborhoods.

2. COH needs to begin marketing Houston’s Transit system and our new rules for development created by the Urban Corridors ordinance to Mixed Use/TOD development companies across the US.
a. Houston has the least amount of regulation and the least amount of barriers to development in US.
b. New standard creates a quick permitting time and therefore a quicker return on private investment from the market.
c. COH has created a level playing field so all types of development can be compete fairly in the market (transit corridors). The best possible design and use can be achieved through private investment testing their ideas on consumers in the market place.
With the national economy’s current condition and the desire by some consumers to live in a more dense urban environment, Houston should be actively trying to attract developers to come test their ideas in our more affordable and competitive market.
3. It remains unacceptable that the MTA (METRO) would be allowed to build 4’ sidewalks when replacing sidewalks within the corridors. The Urban Corridors ordinance through its efforts to increase pedestrian mobility has created a standard for 6’ sidewalks inside the corridors. The COH has also changed its existing sidewalk standards to 5’ throughout the rest of the city. Why can’t the MTA act responsibly and adhere to the new standards set by the ordinance within the corridors? It would be beneficial to all Houstonians if METRO would act in good faith and respond positively to the new standards set by the City of Houston and the Urban Corridors Ordinance.

I was invited to address the City of Houston's City Council Sustainable Growth Committee today by Council Member Brown to make comments on the upcoming Urban Corridors ordinance which is set to be heard by Council in July.
HRG has been engaged in the policy making process throughout the drafting of the Urban Corridors ordinance, providing research and feedback from the real estate community and property owners along the rail line. HRG wants to thank the Mixed Use/TOD committee members, city staff and various stakeholders, for their hard work in creating a policy Houston can be proud of.

This is a letter of endorsment for the Mixed Use/TOD Committee's work on their final draft of the Urban Corridors Ordinance.

We will be coming out with a list of recommendations for the City to proceed with after the passing of the ordinance that will be available for the upcoming public comment hearing at the Planning Commission on June 11th.

Urban Corridor Presentation to Planning Commission
Thurs, June 11 @ 2:30PM

Reg, Dev, & Neighborhood Protection Committee
Urban Corridors, Chp. 42 Amendments
Mon, June 22 @ 3PM
___________________________________________________________________
Houstonians for Responsible Growth is pleased to support and endorse the work of the City of Houston’s Mixed Use/TOD Committee, and the completion of their final draft of the Urban Corridors Ordinance. The committee’s work reflects an ordinance that is respectful to the rights of property owners along the corridor, while improving mobility for pedestrians and removing costly regulatory barriers to urban forms of development. This ordinance will facilitate and support over time the development of a built urban environment driven by private investment where dictated by consumer demands. The two outlined goals set by the COH Mixed Use/TOD committee of improving pedestrian mobility and encouraging urban development within the corridors has been achieved through a predictable and consistent policy that is reflective of Houston’s successful model of supporting market driven growth through public infrastructure and transportation improvements.
The Urban Corridors ordinance achieves the goal of increased pedestrian mobility by mandating that six foot sidewalks be built when the property owner within the corridors chooses to re-develop. This new standard will provide the pedestrian with adequate space and increased mobility around the city’s new transit corridors. This new standard will be applied to all forms of re-development within the corridors which in time will create a more consistent pedestrian realm.
The second goal of encouraging urban development (mixed use/TOD) has been achieved through the creation of an optional set of urban performance standards that the property owner can decide whether or not to utilize. The optional performance standards will permit for a greater range of flexibility allowing private investment to properly respond to market forces which dictate use, density, and design. The creation of a set of optional urban development standards within the corridors will also eliminate the need for costly and cumbersome variances during the permitting process. This option will save valuable time and resources for not only the developer, but the City of Houston planning department. By removing barriers to development, the City has created a level playing field with non-discriminatory standards to which private investment and capital will respond accordingly where the market and consumer demands.
While HRG supports the work and recommendations of the Mixed USE/TOD committee, we recommend to the COH and the planning department to continue actively monitoring development and permitting within the urban corridors in order to adjust the policy accordingly and make improvements in the process where needed. Further study should also be done to explore the possibility of expanding the optional set of urban development standards to a broader area throughout Houston’s urban core. The new performance standards create a model for permitting urban development which we believe could be expanded to help better serve the needs and desires of consumers choosing to live in a denser urban environment.
HRG endorses the work of the COH’s Mixed Use/TOD committee and their final draft of the Urban Corridors Ordinance.
Sincerely,

Joshua Sanders
Executive Director, Houstonians for Responsible Growth

Proposed Urban Corridors Ordinance
http://www.houstontx.gov/planning/Urban/ProposedTransitCorridorOrdinance...

Ordinance Summary
http://www.houstontx.gov/planning/Urban/TransitCorridorOrdinance_summary...

By: Richard Connelly
March 3, 2009
Houston Press - Blogs

Oh, crap. The Environmental Protection Agency has put out another list.

This can't be good for Houston.

But.....it is?

Yes, apparently so: Houston is the top city in Texas -- and the third in the entire country, behind two frou-frou California cities -- when it comes to the number of "green" buildings.

Houston has 145 buildings that earn the EPA's "Energy Star" award, behind LA's 262 and San Francisco's 194. Dallas comes in at Number Five on the list, and Madison, Wisconsin -- the liberal bastion of liberal bastions -- is down at Number 25.

What the hell happened?

The EPA's Dan Bary isn't sure -- he tells Hair Balls that cities and companies report their Green Buildings to the EPA, which then double-checks them. Maybe some cities are more enthusiastic about making sure their buildings get the ranking.

"I can't give you specific reasons why Houston is ranked high," he tells us, although he'll set us up with someone who can at some point.

From the official release:

In 2008, more than 3,300 commercial buildings and manufacturing plants earned the Energy Star - EPA's label for high efficiency - representing savings of more than $1 billion in utility bills and more than seven million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions. These buildings include schools, hospitals, office buildings, courthouses, grocery stores, retail centers and auto assembly plants.

You can look up all the Energy Star buildings in Houston here.