How to lower housing costs

Plus: Upcoming FREOPP events; a new video on college ROI; wasted COVID relief funds; and bad apples in the Minneapolis P.D.

Lowering barriers to the production of more housing: Housing costs are a substantial—and rising—burden for many Americans, especially low-income households. Yet, as FREOPP scholar Roger Valdez writes, a host of government policies exacerbate the key driver of these costs: housing scarcity. If governments want to make housing affordable, they must reduce regulatory restrictions that constrain the supply of housing. Roger’s ongoing series of articles at Forbes digs into these restrictions and their consequences.

Upcoming FREOPP events: We are hosting virtual and in-person events this month—and you are invited to join us!

• Q&A with author Paul Mango: FREOPP President Avik Roy will lead a discussion about Operation Warp Speed with Paul Mango, a key leader of the effort, former deputy chief of U.S. Health and Human Services, and author of the new book “Warp Speed: Inside the Operation That Beat COVID, the Critics, and the Odds.” The event will take place virtually on Tuesday, May 24, from 4-5pm ET. Register here to attend. 

• Tequila & Tuition: Happy Hour & Conversation on the Cost and Value of College: Also on Tuesday, May 24, from 6-8pm ET, FREOPP will host a reception in D.C.’s Navy Yard with Research Fellow Preston Cooper. Preston will present findings from his original research on the return on investment of college and other degrees, as well as discuss what can be done to improve accountability for universities and outcomes for students. Register here to attend.

Making the grade: Is college worth it?: Most students go to college to expand their employment opportunities and increase their earnings potential. Unfortunately, as original return-on-investment research from FREOPP’s Preston Cooper demonstrates, that isn’t always how things work out. This week, our friends at Kite & Key Media drew on Preston’s work in their compelling, 6-minute video making the case that policymakers should not view college degrees as a one-size-fits-all solution for improving economic outcomes.

$148 billion in K-12 COVID relief remains unspent: The federal government poured unprecedented amounts of taxpayer money into the economy in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, with $186 billion designated for emergency relief for elementary and secondary schools (ESSER funds). Two years after the start of the pandemic, FREOPP Senior Fellow Dan Lips writes, 80% of those funds remain unspent. As evidence piles up about the harms from prolonged school closures—especially to children from disadvantaged backgrounds—states and school districts owe parents an explanation for why they sat on the money designated for kids’ educations. 

→ For a searchable database of ESSER funds by state, visit FREOPP’s website here.

Bonus K-12 content: Dan also discusses how the CDC allowed teachers’ unions to influence its guidance and prolong school closures—to the detriment of America’s school children.

Minneapolis P.D. must eliminate bad apples: When the Minnesota Department of Human Rights released its investigation into the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) late last month, it revealed an unaccountable culture rife with abusive practices. As FREOPP Research Fellow Jonathan Blanks describes, for Americans who care about the rule of law and fair and effective policing, the report reveals the urgent need for reform. Among other things, officials within and outside the MPD must clear the department of obvious “bad apples” and revisit tactics that disproportionately harm the most vulnerable members of the communities the department exists to serve. Reforms like these are crucial to reducing crime and keeping innocent people safe.

Thanks for keeping up with FREOPP, and have a great weekend!

FREOPP’s work is made possible by people like you, who share our belief that equal opportunity is central to the American Dream. Please join them by making a donation today.