Redfin Survey: Most Respondents Support More Homebuilding, But Many Don’t Want a Complex in Their Neighborhood
- 78% of respondents support policies that promote building more housing
- 74% of homeowners support policies that promote building more housing
- 83% of Democrats are pro-building
- Democrats are nearly twice as likely as Republicans to feel positive if the apartment complex was for low-income residents
- 32% of pro-building respondents would feel positive about an apartment complex built in their neighborhood
- 20% of pro-building respondents would feel negative about an apartment complex built in their neighborhood
- 40% of homeowners would feel negative about a new apartment complex built in their neighborhood
- 24% of renters feel negative about the prospect of a new apartment complex nearby
Nearly
Broken down by homeowners versus renters,
This is according to a Redfin-commissioned survey conducted by Qualtrics in May and June 2023. The survey was fielded to 5,079
The
“Personal preferences for things like a quiet neighborhood or old-fashioned charm are often at odds with building new housing,” said Redfin Chief Economist Daryl Fairweather. “Even though so many Americans believe in building new dense housing in theory, that ideology isn’t strong enough to outweigh their own desires–especially when they don’t stand to directly benefit from the building. That’s why it’s so difficult to overcome community opposition to dense new housing, even during a time when so many Americans believe in the Yes In My Backyard (YIMBY) movement.”
Most Democrats and Republicans are pro-building–but not necessarily in their neighborhood
Broken down by political affiliation, the majority of both Democrats and Republicans support policies that promote building more housing. But a minority of both Democrats and Republicans would feel positive about a new apartment complex built in their neighborhood.
More than eight of every 10 (
Roughly one-third (
While Republicans are more likely than Democrats to be against a large new complex in their neighborhood, the South–which is made up largely of Republican-leaning states–is building far more homes than other parts of the country. States in the South issued 576,000 single-family building permits in August, more than twice as many as any other region and up
“There are YIMBYs and NIMBYs on both sides of the aisle,” Fairweather said. “That’s part of the reason it’s so difficult to push through policies that promote dense housing. But all types of building ultimately help with housing supply and affordability, even building more single-family homes. The more homes that exist, the more likely it is a person can find one to fit their needs and their budget. So even though Republicans are more likely to oppose dense housing, the South is doing more than other regions to create more housing and help with affordability. Looking forward, governments in some red and blue states are prioritizing affordable housing. In
Democrats are nearly twice as likely as Republicans to feel more positive if the apartment complex being built in their neighborhood was for low-income residents. About one-third (
To view the full report, including charts and more details on the survey, please visit:
https://www.redfin.com/news/survey-respondents-support-homebuilding
About Redfin
Redfin (www.redfin.com) is a technology-powered real estate company. We help people find a place to live with brokerage, rentals, lending, title insurance, and renovations services. We also run the country's #1 real estate brokerage site. Our home-buying customers see homes first with same day tours, and our lending and title services help them close quickly. Customers selling a home in certain markets can have our renovations crew fix up their home to sell for top dollar. Our rentals business empowers millions nationwide to find apartments and houses for rent. Customers who buy and sell with Redfin pay a
For more information or to contact a local Redfin real estate agent, visit www.redfin.com. To learn about housing market trends and download data, visit the Redfin Data Center. To be added to Redfin's press release distribution list, email press@redfin.com. To view Redfin's press center, click here.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230920827739/en/
Redfin Journalist Services:
Ally Braun, 206-588-6863
press@redfin.com
Source: Redfin