Comment by pydry

> Has changing zoning laws historically ever boosted housing construction by more than 10%

Certainly has in New Zealand - particularly in Christchurch and Auckland. The local politics are against densification - but the national politics have been ascendant. Over the last decade, New Zealand’s housing stock has grown by approximately 16%.

Densification has gone up in city centres - with broad political support from our left and right parlimentarians.

We must have more houses because our population is rising through immigration. Like many countries, we have too many retirees and not enough workers: so New Zealand is using immigration to patch that problem (particularly in healthcare and elderly care). Currently about 30% of our population was born in another country (gained residency or passport). It isn't a stable solution since working immigrants eventually get old too. The alternative is population growth which is also unstable in the long term (plus population growth is harder for the government to encourage).

There are many issues, and a lot of the same rhetoric you see in the US, but broadly immigration seems to be helping our economy.

If you're from the US, the state closest to NZ for population, size and weather would be Oregon (to give you a comparison).

I am happy with any method that increases housing, whether its government made housing programs or easing of zoning laws. Why see a conflict when both are contributing to the same goal?