Re “California’s low homeownership: Will it ever get fixed">May 4): Jonathan Lansner’s column on homeownership provided some valuable statistics. But his conclusion, that building a lot of apartments somehow prevents homeownership, is backwards. If California builders could sell more homes, they would produce them. The high costs of single-family home production, coupled with liabilities associated with condominium production, suppress the new housing supply.
Builders consequently are producing more rental apartments than ownership homes because that is what consumers can afford and what many prefer.
Changing that dynamic is complex and involves a lot of tradeoffs, but the situation will not be improved by building fewer apartments. Rather, it will be made worse, as a reduced supply will push housing costs even higher.
— Cary Lowe, San Diego
