YEARS AGO, THE FINANCIAL INTERestS ...

YEARS AGO, THE FINANCIAL INTERestS of business holders drove much of the decision making at the local control level. Now, homeowners are the dominant force and have become to a high degree adept at using the political proces to enhance the worth of their hearths by blocking development.

At a HUD colloquy this spring, attendees heard in what way homeowners recognize that growth restrictions can preserve their most significant asset and use it to limit the construction of affordable housing.

The strategy goe beyond the familiar NIMBY position of opposing plans that might diminish their ownership values, says ...