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Emily Hamilton

Emily Hamilton

Emily Hamilton is a Senior Research Fellow and Director of the Urbanity Project at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. Her research focuses on urban economics and land-use policy. Hamilton has authored numerous academic articles and policy papers. Her writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, and Bloomberg CityLab. Hamilton received her PhD in economics from George Mason University.

She can be reached on Twitter at @ebwhamilton.

Zoning changes in cities such as Minneapolis have helped prompt new construction, but allowing more units on formerly single-family lots isn’t a panacea for housing shortages.
Charleston exemplifies an infill strategy that produces attractive new houses and greater density, but comes up short on affordability.
Inadequate housing stock is causing problems across the country. Local zoning is part of the problem. State-level reforms in two western states may point to the answer.
New research points to the policy and market conditions that help spread these small rental units which can be added to existing properties and ease housing shortages.