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Brian Schatz: “There is not enough housing in this country because we have…”

Featuring: Brian Schatz, Democratic | U.S. Senate from Hawaii

Schatz: National Housing Shortage Is A Problem The Government Has Created; We Can Fix It

Published July 23, 2025 | Video Starts at 00:53

And homelessness is plaguing more people than ever before. This crisis was not inevitable. It is a problem that the government has created. There is not enough housing in this country because we have made it virtually impossible to build housing. Ask anyone who has tried to build anything, a shed, a patio, an accessory dwelling unit for their in laws. (00:53–01:02)

CLAIM

Asserts that housing shortages are due to regulatory barriers making construction difficult.

This is an excerpt from a raw transcript. The assertions have not been audited or verified. Tap the video to view the source footage and understand the context.

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Brian Schatz

“Housing costs more than ever today, with the median home costing five times as much as the median income for your average American.”
Schatz: National Housing Shortage Is A Problem The Government Has Created; We Can Fix It | Uploaded July 23, 2025 | 00:17-00:27
“One in four renters are being forced to spend more than half of their income on rent.”
Schatz: National Housing Shortage Is A Problem The Government Has Created; We Can Fix It | Uploaded July 23, 2025 | 00:32-00:38
“If you want to expedite your permit, you can pay a permit expediter. If you've got ten grand, they'll put your thing on the top of the pile.”
Schatz: National Housing Shortage Is A Problem The Government Has Created; We Can Fix It | Uploaded July 23, 2025 | 01:47-01:59
“The state of California tried [allocating an enormous amount of money to housing], and they didn't get very much built.”
Schatz: National Housing Shortage Is A Problem The Government Has Created; We Can Fix It | Uploaded July 23, 2025 | 07:02-07:02
“County of Maui many years ago said, no new housing unless it's affordable. [There was no new housing at all for a full decade.]”
Schatz: National Housing Shortage Is A Problem The Government Has Created; We Can Fix It | Uploaded July 23, 2025 | 07:09-07:14
“Homelessness is plaguing more people than ever before.”
Schatz: National Housing Shortage Is A Problem The Government Has Created; We Can Fix It | Uploaded July 23, 2025 | 00:37-00:43
“Exclusionary zoning, minimum lot sizes, height restrictions, requirements for multiple staircases, environmental reviews, dozens of public…”
Schatz: National Housing Shortage Is A Problem The Government Has Created; We Can Fix It | Uploaded July 23, 2025 | 01:20-01:47
“Exclusionary zoning...are being weaponized against the working class.”
Schatz: National Housing Shortage Is A Problem The Government Has Created; We Can Fix It | Uploaded July 23, 2025 | 01:20-05:55
“There is a shortage because of the government itself, making it hard to construct the thing that we all say we want.”
Schatz: National Housing Shortage Is A Problem The Government Has Created; We Can Fix It | Uploaded July 23, 2025 | 02:24-02:33
“Racial covenants were outlawed. But their legacy continues today.”
Schatz: National Housing Shortage Is A Problem The Government Has Created; We Can Fix It | Uploaded July 23, 2025 | 05:11-05:18
“We could allocate $3 trillion to affordable housing. And if it's still hard to build a house in an individual neighborhood, all that money…”
Schatz: National Housing Shortage Is A Problem The Government Has Created; We Can Fix It | Uploaded July 23, 2025 | 06:52-07:02
“We need to reform land use laws for upzoning to allow higher density, reducing minimum lot sizes, deploying manufactured homes, enabling…”
Schatz: National Housing Shortage Is A Problem The Government Has Created; We Can Fix It | Uploaded July 23, 2025 | 08:42-08:59
“Senator Banks and I introduced legislation to incentivize local governments to build more housing near federally funded transit projects.”
Schatz: National Housing Shortage Is A Problem The Government Has Created; We Can Fix It | Uploaded July 23, 2025 | 09:29-09:37
“Senator Young and I introduced the Yimby act, the yes in My Backyard act, which encourages localities to cut onerous regulations and adopt…”
Schatz: National Housing Shortage Is A Problem The Government Has Created; We Can Fix It | Uploaded July 23, 2025 | 09:37-09:49