When YIMBYs Attack: Democratic Socialist Dean Preston on the San Francisco Housing Crisis

Current Affairs

Dean Preston represents District 5 on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. A tenants' rights attorney and member of the Democratic Socialists of America, he was the first democratic socialist elected to the board in 40 years. Recently, a campaign by a group called the "YIMBYs" has accused Preston of denying housing to thousands of people. In this episode, we talk about why San Francisco has a housing crisis and how to solve it. We also talk about how pro-developer groups produce propaganda that portrays affordable housing activists as "opposed to affordable housing." Dean responds to the YIMBY charges and shows how corporate disinformation against socialists works.

We discuss:

- Why rent control is actually a very good thing

- How the hypocrisy of San Francisco rich people has driven inequality spiraling out of control in the city

- How the "YIMBY movement" paints anyone who opposes developers' interests as an anti-housing "NIMBY"

- The things cities need to actually be affordable

- How elected officials can use their positions to exact concessions from developers (and why this shouldn't be considered "opposing the development of housing")

- How disinformation campaigns try to massage the facts to manipulate voters (and why voters are often too smart to be fooled)

Nathan's article on YIMBYism is here. '