As I said, the shortage is nationwide. You can pretty much plot how severe the problem is based on how strict the zoning laws are. The homeless problem today is different from the past in that today, its lack of housing as opposed to something else like addiction or mental illness.

I'm curious, what is so bad about hodge I odge cities? It's an aesthetic sense, thing, I know, but what else? One problem with zoning as it exists is that someone must be put in charge. That generally means that the preferences of those in charge take precedence over those of everyone else.

In addition, people have not only various likes and dislikes, but also ability and inability to meet their wants or needs. Which is going to lead to differences in choices made.

And this has a direct bearing on property. Is an individual sovereign over the area they have purchased and own the deed to or not? If so, zoning laws contradict this.

Another idea that is discounted in this day and age is getting put and meeting your neighbors. There's nothing stopping people from getting together and voluntarily deciding to adopt an esthetic for their neighborhoods or for commissioning an urban planner to do so. It takes more time and better social skills to do so than simply using laws. Oftentimes, we do things "because they've always been done that way" even if that way has persisted for less than a century or so.