by Mona Mahadevan The New Haven independent
Welcoming a nationwide “build build build” movement to town, Mayor Justin Elicker called on New Haven to adopt the “YIMBY posture” of “pro-homes, pro-growth, and pro-inclusive growth.”
Elicker issued that call during a speech opening the second day of YIMBYtown 2025, a three-day conference that drew more than 1,000 policymakers, advocates, and academics to the Omni Hotel. It’s scheduled from Sunday through Tuesday at 155 Temple St. (Click here for a previous story about the conference’s first day, with a focus on climate.)
First convened in Boulder, Colorado in 2016, YIMBYtown has become the premier conference for the growing “Yes in My Backyard” (YIMBY) movement, which argues that the nation’s housing affordability crisis can and should be solved by building more homes. These days, YIMBYs can be found on both sides of the political aisle, united by calls for loosened restrictions on new construction, zoning laws that permit higher-density builds, and initiatives to reduce our reliance on cars and car-centric infrastructure.
“What an honor that we’ve been chosen to host YIMBYtown,” said Elicker on Monday. He praised New Haven for saying “yes” to “building new and affordable housing options,” “new and improved transportation options,” and “holistic care” for unhoused residents.
Elicker cited recent initiatives, like the city’s 6,000 housing units in the development pipeline, efforts to build more bike lanes and implement Bus Rapid Transit, and investments in Elm City COMPASS, which deploys social workers and supportive peers to respond to crises related to addiction, homelessness, and mental illness.
After his speech, Elicker gave the Independent more context about his perspective on YIMBYism.
He disagreed with the description from some residents that New Haven is only building luxury developments. “That is a simplistic way of looking at housing,” he argued. “We need more units, period.”
If people who want luxury units can’t find them, they’ll instead rent less luxury homes and drive up their rents, he explained. In that sense, the city’s housing affordability challenge is a “basic supply and demand problem.”
Some YIMBYs note that inclusive zoning mandates, like the one proposed by the Elicker administration and adopted by the Board of Alders in 2022, can act as a “tax” that discourages new housing construction. Elicker told the Independent that the city is “still evaluating whether [the mandate has] been successful,” but preliminary data suggests that it’s worked better for smaller developments than larger ones. (Click here to read about how, as of summer 2024, no new inclusionary zoning apartments had been built thus far.)
He’s also seen some NIMBYism in New Haven, adding that local resistance to the city’s plans to build affordable homes on Starr Street “came to mind.” He emphasized that he doesn’t intend to “characterize” anyone, but rather wants to make clear that “these issues are challenging” and “always more complicated” than we might expect.