Oftentimes, NIMBYs are heralded as the archenemy of housing reform and the primary cause of the housing crisis. This, however, clouds discussion about other serious obstacles on the road to housing reform; not least the gargantuan land prices, inflation caused by the availability of mortgage credit and the ill-suitability of the planning system. Worst of all, local communities, whose interests are crucial to the prosperity of their area and to the democratic legitimacy of government endeavours, are attacked as nests of NIMBYism, this mythical disease that alone stands between us and a healthy housing market.

But, in fact, local communities can be – and should be – a part of the solution to the housing problem.

Recently, the Government proposed to require planning permission for second homes to be used for short-term rentals, such as AirBnB, in tourist hotspots, partly in response to calls by local communities. The issue was highlighted by Selaine Saxby MP, who laments the empty, expensive homes that litter her constituency, occupied just during the holiday season. The result is a drastic constriction of the local housing supply.

The rental market especially is decimated. In Padstow, there are around 800 short-term lets available, but, as of the 16th of July 2022, it only had one property available for rent. House buyers are in similar trouble, with the house prices there increasing by 28% between 2020 and 2022, as opposed to 16.7% across the UK as a whole in that same period.