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David Vatz @davidvatz.bsky.social · 30/09/2025

Governor @governor.ca.gov needs to sign SB79 to help save our democracy! Blue states refusal to build housing is killing our country and ceding our future. Gov Newsom can help stop this by signing SB79.

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Dr. Samantha Hancox-Li @sjshancoxli.liberalcurrents.com · 13/05/2025

this week in WHO SAID IT: LEFT-NIMBY OR RIGHT-SEGREGATIONIST

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David Vatz @davidvatz.bsky.social · 06/05/2025

This is what effective advocacy looks like. Very proud of the work @prohousingpgh.org did on this, and thankful for our dedicated city councilors for passing this unanimously!

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JRoth @jmroth.bsky.social · 09/04/2025

Oh, the author is an absolute garbage person who smears colleagues in public and has cost a local landmark literal millions of dollars in funding bc he torpedoed its chance at historic tax credits in a fit of pique. He writes for CP bc nobody w/ more credibility will have him.

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Liberal Currents @liberalcurrents.com · 07/04/2025

Neon Liberalism #22: Samantha and guest David Vatz, founder of Pro-Housing Pittsburgh, discuss the meaning of the housing crisis, the death of the "asset economy," and what we liberals can do to fix housing despite Trump. www.liberalcurrents.com/neonliberali...

liberalcurrents.com

Neon Liberalism #22: We CAN Fix Housing

Samantha and guest David Vatz, founder of Pro-Housing Pittsburgh, discuss the meaning of the housing crisis, the death of the "asset economy," and what we liberals can do to fix housing despite Trump....

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Dr. Samantha Hancox-Li @sjshancoxli.liberalcurrents.com · 07/04/2025

really good to talk to @davidvatz.bsky.social here. right now the economy is in terrifying shape, and it can feel like we're powerless to do anything about it. but the deepest structural economic problem in america is *housing*--and we libs have a LOT we can do about that.

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Corey O'Connor @coreyoconnorpa.bsky.social · 14/03/2025

Everyone deserves a safe, stable home. My plan tackles the housing crisis with real solutions. Swipe to see how we’ll make housing more affordable and abundant! #PolicyInAction

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real life zac “Morgan”-ham @guitardude1236.bsky.social · 14/03/2025

Minimum lot sizes are about as close to an economic segregation tool as exists in the current zoning framework, and therefore is essentially a racial segregation tool. Minimum lot sizes are racist, get rid of em.

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David Vatz @davidvatz.bsky.social · 27/01/2025

I'm really proud of the work that we've been doing at @prohousingpgh.org to understand how IZ is affecting housing production and affordability (spoiler: it crushes housing production and likely harms affordability). Today, we published an update to our December report, with important new analysis.

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David Vatz @davidvatz.bsky.social · 18/01/2025

Our mayor wants to pass citywide IZ, which will massively impact employment for our tradespeople. We're already doing worse on pandemic recovery than any similar metro, and Gainey wants it to get worse. We're losing to Columbus, Cincinnati, Cleveland.

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David Vatz @davidvatz.bsky.social · 05/01/2025

Austin, TX has somehow managed to see 7% year over year rent drops. And they did all of this without IZ mandates, and somehow convinced RealPage to not raise their rents! Anyone know what their secret is?

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Warren Wells, AICP @warrenjwells.bsky.social · 28/12/2024

The problem with community outreach, is that 15 people who hate the project will show up in a city/neighborhood of 10,000, leave with the sincere belief that they "speak for the community," and be surprised when the project moves forward nonetheless.

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David Vatz @davidvatz.bsky.social · 27/12/2024

It's wild to me that this administration hates people from outside of the city so much that they now accuse them of causing the housing crisis here. I would love to have a mayor who actively encourages folks to move to our great city.

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David Vatz @davidvatz.bsky.social · 24/12/2024

This is a great way of thinking about effective housing advocacy.

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David Vatz @davidvatz.bsky.social · 17/12/2024

Originally a 30-townhome development, now planned as a 19-townhome development in Polish Hill (downsized to avoid IZ). Now the neighborhood is trying to kill it all together with a bad-faith historic designation for this building. Link in 🧵

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David Vatz @davidvatz.bsky.social · 13/12/2024

Wow, this is incredible and something every state should adopt.

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David Vatz @davidvatz.bsky.social · 12/12/2024

Build more, prices go down - Atlanta edition

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David Vatz @davidvatz.bsky.social · 11/12/2024

Absolutely shameful that our Planning Commissioners somehow think that a 90-ft building next to the best transit infrastructure in our county is "egregiously tall." What in the world are we doing here?

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David Vatz @davidvatz.bsky.social · 10/12/2024

One of the most expensive markets in the country (San Jose) has reduced it's IZ from 15% to 5%. And yet, Mayor Gainey is still proposing 10% in Pittsburgh. IZ has really been so thoroughly discredited at this point, it's becoming laughable. (H/T @jake-wil.de)

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David Vatz @davidvatz.bsky.social · 09/12/2024

It was great to join the Marty Griffin (KDKA News Radio) show this morning to talk about the @prohousingpgh.org IZ study, and why the Mayor's proposal to extend IZ citywide has the potential to harm housing production and increase costs across our city. Listen here: www.youtube.com/live/4FwBpzb...

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Max Dubler 🏳️‍🌈 @maxdubler.com · 07/12/2024

Inclusionary zoning—the practice of requiring developers to rent new apartments at a loss to low-income tenants—is bad policy that exacerbates the housing shortage, increases housing prices, and leaves most poor people worse off. We should stop doing it!

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Catherine Culley @catculley.bsky.social · 07/12/2024

Oh my. 10% at 50% AMI. If I got that right that is terrible. Assume construction of market rate multifamily came to a grinding halt.

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Catherine Culley @catculley.bsky.social · 07/12/2024

Idk the construction market in Pitt but 10% at 80 - 100% AMI might be ok. 50% is - so bad. I was in Pittsburgh recently for the first time ever. It is beautiful. Loved the downtown.

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David Vatz @davidvatz.bsky.social · 05/12/2024

YIMBYs - let's build more housing to fix the housing shortage. Anti-YIMBY leftist - but what if we just murdered developers instead?

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Walt Haim @walthaim.bsky.social · 04/12/2024

IZ should definitely be its own piece of legislation up for the rigorous debate and review it merits. The other changes to the zoning code are no-brainers and should go forward as urbanization consensus best-practices.

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David Vatz @davidvatz.bsky.social · 03/12/2024

IZ has been an abject failure in Pittsburgh. It has crushed housing supply in the neighborhoods where it was implemented, and the Mayor's current plan to extend it citywide will have far-reaching negative effects on affordability citywide by killing housing production across the city.

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David Vatz @davidvatz.bsky.social · 26/11/2024

Sad about your favorite local business closing? Help solve the problem by fighting for more housing and more neighbors in your area! Say no to NIMBYs and yes to more housing. www.reddit.com/r/pittsburgh...

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David Vatz @davidvatz.bsky.social · 26/11/2024

City Planning: We held a public engagement meeting at 7pm last Tuesday night and 80% of the people who came to the meeting told us they didn't want these new apartments in their neighborhood! Therefore, we have blocked the project.

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James Santelli @santelli.bsky.social · 25/11/2024

Pitt will be doing reserved seating for the NCAA Volleyball Tournament. If you’re a season ticket holder or Panther Club member, check your email — there is NCAA presale info for the first 2 rounds at the Pete. #PittBS

Photo of a scoreboard that says Hosting First & Second Rounds - Petersen Events Center

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David Vatz @davidvatz.bsky.social · 25/11/2024

Reminder, for folks who are new here, check out the starter pack I created with Pittsburgh-area politicians, reporters, activists, and commentators. Enjoy!

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David Vatz @davidvatz.bsky.social · 23/11/2024

Gameday with Pitt Volleyball in Winston-Salem #H2P

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David Vatz @davidvatz.bsky.social · 22/11/2024

City-wide IZ will make your rent higher by depressing already anemic housing construction in our city. "A CoStar report from March put Pittsburgh 'at the lowest level recorded' for apartment construction over the past decade" www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/n...

bizjournals.com

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David Vatz @davidvatz.bsky.social · 21/11/2024

Proud of the @prohousingpgh.org members who showed up yesterday to speak about why we should make it easier to build community homes. @nrizz.io delivered our statement: "Without community homes, the least fortunate among us will needlessly suffer" triblive.com/local/dozens...

triblive.com

Dozens of Pittsburgh residents speak out about controversial zoning proposals

A public hearing before Pittsburgh City Council on Wednesday at times grew raucous, with dozens of residents sharing conflicting opinions about dueling zoning bills that have divided Pittsburghers and...

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David Vatz @davidvatz.bsky.social · 21/11/2024

For people new here looking to follow Pittsburgh-area politicians, reporters, activists, and commentators, check out the starter pack I created go.bsky.app/HXFFVQu

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David Vatz @davidvatz.bsky.social · 21/11/2024

I was proud to represent @prohousingpgh.org today at the groundbreaking for 27 new homes in Mt. Washington. Here's the statement I gave about why Pittsburgh must build more housing. bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/n...

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Dr. Samantha Hancox-Li @sjshancoxli.liberalcurrents.com · 18/11/2024

if the question is "should we add yet another layer of discretionary approval for housing construction" the answer is almost invariably "no"!

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David Vatz @davidvatz.bsky.social · 16/11/2024

I strongly urge City Council to not support the passage of Ordinance 701, which would require council approval for any group homes of 8 or more disabled individuals. Statement below in conjunction with @prohousingpgh.org

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David Vatz @davidvatz.bsky.social · 13/11/2024

If council passes Mayor Gainey's IZ housing tax, projects like this will be illegal!

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