Testimony to the Idaho Land Use and Housing Study Committee

Judge Glock testified in a hearing to the Idaho Land Use and Housing Study Committee.

Chair and members of the committee. My name is Judge Glock and I’m the director of research at the Manhattan Institute, a think tank based in New York. I received my PhD in history with a focus on economic history and was formerly a visiting professor of economics at West Virginia University. I thank you for the opportunity to testify on the subject of third-party permitting and inspections.

In perhaps no business is the phrase “time is money” truer than in real estate. The sector is heavily reliant on high-interest financing as well as materials and labor contracts that remain in place whether or not projects continue. Delays by local governments in permitting or inspecting, which can involve everything from reviewing building plans to inspecting electrical installations, add extensive costs and uncertainty. These burdens either prevent projects from being built in the first place or add to the costs of the finished project and thus the price to homebuyers or renters.

Click here to read the full testimony.

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Judge Glock is the director of research and a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and a contributing editor at City Journal.