Housing for Me, but not for Thee: Values-Based Motivations of NIMBYism

A key barrier to ensuring the growth of the housing supply is local opposition to development, often called NIMBYism (Not In My Back Yard). We use pre-registered studies on representative samples of Canadians and Americans to explore the values-based correlates of opposition to local housing development, as well as opposition to public policies designed to remedy the housing crisis. We find that nativism, racial resentment, and moral traditionalism are generally associated with opposition to local housing development, with traditionalism also associated with housing policy opposition. Free-market attitudes and egalitarianism are associated with support for housing policy, particularly when the policies are ideologically consistent. Support for affordable housing is concentrated among those with low racial resentment, traditionalism, nativism, and free-market support, and high levels of egalitarianism.