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Big Tech-Funded YIMBY Activists Pushing Pro-Development Agenda Across the Nation Under “Pretend Progressive” Cloak – Arlingtonians Are the Latest Victims
If you wonder why so-called proponents of the Missing Middle Plan (now rebranded as EHO) rarely live in the Arlington neighborhoods that will be affected, often are renters, have resided in Arlington for a brief time period or may not even live in Arlington, and seem to often lack any deep ties to the communuty – information on these YIMBY groups may be informative in understanding the dynamics at play.
Across the country various “YIMBY” groups (more accurately labelled “YIYBY” – “Yes In Your Backyard” groups – because they typically advocate for more development in neighborhoods they themselves do not live) are advancing a national pro-development/construction agenda, often under a dubious assertion of social causes.
If you have struggled like AFUT to understand why so-called proponents of the proposed zoning amendments in Arlington keep saying the Missing Middle Plan will bring affordable housing and/or diversity when the County itself admits it won’t, further information about these land-use lobying group proponents funded by Big Tech (think Zuckerberg – Yes that Zuckerberg) is insightful.
As the San Francisco Examiner stated in its article investigating YIMBYs put it: (article here)
“We exposed the ways that YIMBY activists have co-opted social justice movements against gentrification toward a capitalist, pro-gentrification agenda. YIMBYism’s long standing affiliation with right-wing free-market, or neoclassical/neoliberal, economics is precisely what our article illuminated. Rather than a scrappy group of young, liberal-minded ‘housing activists,’ their politics are rooted in racist and anti-poor conservative neoliberal ideologies first inaugurated by Ronald Reagan. Further, they collaborate with the real estate industry to rebrand these racist and conservative policies as hip and edgy — this is the “alt-right’s” method of spreading right-wing politics beyond its old white men in suits image…”
Below find a robust “article collection” document that has been shared around various Arlington forums with highlighted excerpts on YIMBY/YIYBYs and their less than transparent role in housing battles like the one currently tearing our community apart.
This information seems to provide one possible answer to the question AFUT has struggled to understand for months if not years – “who would support an affordable housing and diversity plan that admittedly will not create more affordable housing (actually more expensive housing) and that will further gentrify the community.
Answer: People never interested in those issues in the first place, but rather using them as a cloak for their real agenda.
With only a few weeks left until the County Board is poised to make Arlington the latest victim of a pro-development special interest national agenda, please take action now and demand the County Board listen to residents not special interest.
SEE THE “TAKE ACTION” TAB HERE.
