Yeah, the question isn't whether stricter building regulations increase costs but by how much. And in the context of the housing crisis, how much does it increase the price of pre-existing housing. The costs are attenuated down market. And the benefits are shifted across time--the expensive single-family home sprinkler system today that seems like overkill is intended to prevent deaths when it becomes a multi-generational, multi-family home 20 years from now. Just like anti-lock breaks and crumple zones increased the price of cars but substantially increased the safety of used cars years later, and much if not most of the premium in costs was borne by the first buyer.
As you say, labor seems like a much more significant factor. And restrictive zoning and NIMBYism even more so. But restrictive zoning is a sensitive topic for conservatives. Conservatives seem to be against regulation except when it's used to preserve the "character" of existing neighborhoods--not to be confused with historic preservation, which is bad restrictive zoning. Direct regulation is a more convenient target, ideologically. Likewise, I often hear conservatives lament the cost of labor but they're walking on glass by suggesting that working-class voters should be paid less.
To be fair, progressives make the same mistake of assuming new housing should be built for the poor and working class. And NIMBYism knows no bounds. Indeed, it was progressive efforts to "empower" communities that opened the doors for NIMBY obstructionism. It's difficult to devise a political mechanism that won't ultimately benefit the rich and powerful more than the poor.
As you say, labor seems like a much more significant factor. And restrictive zoning and NIMBYism even more so. But restrictive zoning is a sensitive topic for conservatives. Conservatives seem to be against regulation except when it's used to preserve the "character" of existing neighborhoods--not to be confused with historic preservation, which is bad restrictive zoning. Direct regulation is a more convenient target, ideologically. Likewise, I often hear conservatives lament the cost of labor but they're walking on glass by suggesting that working-class voters should be paid less.
To be fair, progressives make the same mistake of assuming new housing should be built for the poor and working class. And NIMBYism knows no bounds. Indeed, it was progressive efforts to "empower" communities that opened the doors for NIMBY obstructionism. It's difficult to devise a political mechanism that won't ultimately benefit the rich and powerful more than the poor.