As Dazed notes, current laws in the U.K. prohibit developers from building apartments that are less than 38 square metres (about 409 square feet). Comparable laws vary from place to place, but in New York City, for example,at least 80 square feet with a ceiling height of at least 8 feet. However, this hasn’t stopped landlords from creating illegal bedrooms out of spaces intended to function as living rooms and hallways. In his paper, Schumacher argues that abolishing such laws could solve the housing shortage that has plagued cities like London in recent years. Schumacher also says there are “no rational, pragmatic arguments” that suggest young people need more space than this, and that anyone who has a problem with young and/or low-income renters being “forced” to live in “rabbit hutches” or “slums” is being “emotional and rhetorical.” Yikes.