The YIMBY push for multifamily housing hits a ‘nope’ from homeowners • New Jersey Monitor

Minneapolis , then Oregon , then other local and state governments began stripping away exclusive single-family-home zoning over the past five years to allow the construction of multifamily housing.

But the “yes-in-my-backyard” movement has stumbled even before it’s really gotten started.

Opponents have cited spikes in traffic, strains to infrastructure, displacement of low-income residents, hits on property values and changes to neighborhood character.

Multifamily zoning advocates say opponents are resisting changes that will yield societal benefits.

University of California, Berkeley’s Zoning Reform Tracker provides an overview of municipal zoning reform efforts across the U.S. Austin , Texas ; the city of Alexandria and Arlington County in Virginia ; Sacramento , California ; and Portland , Oregon have passed ordinances taking aim at single-family-only zoning in various ways.

Berkeley councilmember Lori Droste says she has been advocating for major upzoning changes since 2016 .

Droste: "If we don’t start now, the housing crisis will only get worse" Droste expects a backlash if the city approves of the plan.