YIMBY (Yes In My Backyard):

A YIMBY is a housing lobbyist who promotes high-density, market-rate development as the solution to a perceived housing crisis. The movement blames zoning laws and neighborhood opposition, often using the term “NIMBY” as a straw man to discredit dissent. Though branded as grassroots, YIMBYism is funded by real estate developers, tech investors, and libertarian think tanks, coordinated through groups like YIMBY Action, Abundant Housing, GrowSF, and the Housing Action Committee – collectively known as the Abundant Network. At its core is the belief that building more luxury housing will result in affordability “trickling down.” Critics argue this supply-side logic serves a broader tech-libertarian agenda, favoring deregulation and investor profits over equity and public accountability.

NIMBY (Not In My Backyard):

A NIMBY is a term often unfairly and pejoratively used to describe individuals or groups accused of opposing luxury high-rise upzoning and housing development. While originally tied to local project resistance, it’s now broadly applied by pro-deregulation advocates to discredit anyone who questions market-driven trickle-down development. Frequently used as a straw man, the term lumps together neighbors, tenants, planners, and preservationists who oppose hard deregulation and incompatible luxury projects driven by rapacious profit motives. Many so-called NIMBYs support affordable housing and equitable growth, but insist it be shaped by public interest and community input – not dictated by developers and their political allies.

Zoning:

Zoning is a public planning tool that regulates how land can be used, typically dividing areas into residential, commercial, industrial, or mixed-use districts. Originally intended to protect public health, safety, and neighborhood character, zoning is now hotly contested. YIMBYs portray it as a barrier to housing supply, while critics of deregulation see it as one of the last tools for communities to influence growth democratically. Though historically misused at times, zoning today often functions as a safeguard against speculative development, ensuring compatibility, public input, and environmental oversight.

Upzoning:

Upzoning is the act of increasing allowable building height, density, or floor area on a property, enabling more intensive development – usually of luxury or market-rate housing. Promoted by YIMBYs and tech-libertarian interests as a solution to housing shortages, upzoning is tied to the theory of supply-side trickle-down affordability. Critics argue it facilitates speculative investment and gentrification while weakening local planning and failing to guarantee affordable housing. Opponents are often reduced to NIMBY straw men, though many advocate for balanced growth, affordability requirements, and community protections.

CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act):

CEQA is a state law requiring environmental review of new development projects to identify and mitigate significant impacts. While it offers the public a legal check on unregulated growth, YIMBY and developer-aligned voices often frame CEQA as a barrier to housing. Critics of this push to weaken CEQA say it serves as a crucial safeguard against unchecked, profit-driven development and environmental harm – especially in marginalized communities. Efforts to gut CEQA are viewed as attempts to bypass democratic oversight under the pretense of “housing crisis” urgency.

Density Decontrol:

Density decontrol refers to the removal of zoning limits on how many housing units can be built on a given site. Promoted as a supply-boosting measure by deregulation advocates, it often leads to luxury redevelopment without affordability mandates or community protections. Critics warn that density decontrol accelerates displacement and speculative land grabs, undermining neighborhood planning and livability. Like other deregulatory proposals, opposition to density decontrol is often mischaracterized as NIMBYism, despite representing serious concerns about equity, sustainability, and public accountability.