The Economist Next Door The SCOTUS Tariff Ruling, a Housing Crunch, and the Public Pension Time Bomb
4 snips
Feb 24, 2026 
Pete Earle, economic policy analyst; Jason Sorens, housing and zoning specialist; Tom Savage, public finance and pension researcher. They discuss the Supreme Court curbing presidential tariff power. They explore America’s housing supply crunch, rising construction and insurance costs, parking and quality rules that drive prices up. They unpack exploding public pension liabilities and fiscal consequences for states.
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Insurance Signals Where Not To Build But Subsidies Mask It
- Rising insurance and reinsurance costs signal markets warning against building in high-risk areas.
- Pete Earle and Jason Sorens argue federal programs like NFIP subsidize risky coastal and wildfire-prone construction, shifting costs to taxpayers.
Parking Minimums Encourage Luxury Over Affordability
- Parking minimums increase per-unit costs and push developers toward larger luxury units, reducing affordable housing supply.
- Paul Mueller and Jason Sorens explain parking rules incentivize fewer, bigger units to meet required spot counts.
Allow Lower Quality Options To Keep Housing Affordable
- Avoid one-size-fits-all quality mandates if the goal is affordability; allow lower-cost mass-market housing options.
- Jason Sorens compares forcing custom high-end housing to demanding Savile Row suits for everyone, which raises prices.
