New Book: Nowhere to Live: The Hidden Story of America’s Housing Crisis

SACRAMENTO, CA; Aug. 13, 2024: A timely and insightful new book, Nowhere to Live: The Hidden Story of America’s Housing Crisis, released today explores the root causes behind the homelessness crisis and affordable housing challenges affecting communities nationwide.

In the book, James S. Burling, a seasoned property rights attorney with over 40 years of experience and vice president of legal affairs at Pacific Legal Foundation, meticulously traces the missteps and misguided policies that have shaped today’s housing crisis. Through vivid storytelling and historical analysis, Burling examines pivotal moments from the early-20th-century housing developments and the ill-fated “urban renewal” movement of the 1950s. The book reveals how most well-intentioned government interventions have compounded the problem rather than resolving it.

[For members of the media, if you would like a digital review copy of Nowhere to Live, please contact media@pacificlegal.org]

But Nowhere to Live goes beyond merely diagnosing the problem or exposing why much of America has become unlivable. It offers a viable solution: restoring private property rights. The book makes a compelling argument that greater protections for property rights will result in the production of more housing.

Author Burling shares the inspiration behind his latest book:

“I wrote this book after over 40 years of litigating property rights, environmental, and land-use cases. It’s clear that the destruction and over-regulation of property rights have stifled the development of millions of homes, driving up housing costs and harming working-class and minority families. Even my own children, despite their hard work and good jobs, struggle to afford homes in regions like Southern California. My goal is to restore respect for property rights and create a climate where builders can provide the homes people need, where they want to live.” — James Burling

Topics include:

• Zoning: America’s obsession with quiet places where yards are wide, and people (of color) are few
• Eminent domain and the destruction of working-class housing
• How environmentalism destroys property rights and housing opportunities
• Rent control isn’t the answer
• Affordable housing mandates: unworkable, unproductive, and unconstitutional
• The great emptying of the mentally ill onto our streets
• Property rights: way out of the housing crisis

Property rights attorneys and experts applaud Nowhere to Live for its insightful analysis:

“This book provides a crucial understanding to navigate and address the underlying issues of our nation’s housing challenges.” — Senator Mike Lee

“Essential reading for anyone interested in the most important property rights and land use issue facing the United States today.” — Ilya Somin, George Mason University

“Although land regulation can be a dry subject, Burling has turned it into an engaging story where the reader wants to turn the page and learn what happens next.” — Dana Berliner, Institute for Justice

“In case you ever wondered how we got to the point where we could no longer house our population, look no farther…. It is a sobering read and points the finger directly at the government agencies responsible.” — Michael Berger, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP

“Nowhere to Live is essential reading not only for legal experts but for interested citizens seeking to understand the dynamics of America’s housing crunch and the role of private property in a flourishing society.” — James Stern, William & Mary Law School

For media inquiries, to get a digital review copy, or to schedule an interview with James S. Burling, please contact media@pacificlegal.org