Housing

Another Approach to Affordable Housing
A new approach to affordable housing attempts to overcome the traditional approaches of supply-side economics and government-funded investments and extractions.

Plans for an 'Urban Town' in the Silicon Valley
The Nuevo development will bring close to 900 homes and apartments along with commercial and outdoor space to a location near a Caltrain station.

HUD Official Moves From Trump Plaza to New York Public Housing
The Trump administration's critiques of the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) took a strange turn this week.

Allowing, and Permitting, Rooming Houses Could Solve Multiple Problems at Once
Abuses by landlords and poor living conditions are common in illegal rooming houses around Toronto. Activists want to make them easier to build, and regulate, to add affordable housing options for low-income residents.

Pilot Program Will Legalize Basement Apartments in East New York
One approach to easing New York City's housing crisis: legalize and incentivize the construction of basement apartments.

Local Governments Weigh-in on Oregon's Statewide Upzoning Proposal
Local planners and elected officials are expressing their opinions about Oregon's House Bill 2001, which would allow fourplexes on single-family residential units around the state.

California's Commitment to Density Depends on Commitment to Common Destiny
Opponents of bills to promote transit oriented housing development throughout California need to do the math and develop some state pride.

Citywide Housing Strategy Launched in Cincinnati
Stakeholders in Cincinnati have begun the process of drafting a citywide blueprint to tackle its shortage of affordable housing. The process is just getting started, but the need is already immense.

Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance Proposed in Oak Park, Illinois
The suburb made famous by the likes of Frank Lloyd Wright and Ernest Hemingway is considering an inclusionary zoning ordinance in the hopes of enabling more affordable housing development.

Cheaper, Easier Affordable Housing Development Proposed in San Francisco
San Francisco Mayor London Breed is proposing major reforms of the permitting process for affordable housing and accessory dwelling unit projects in the city. The idea is that cheaper projects are much easier to build.

Property Tax Relief for Longtime, Low-Income Residents of Gentrifying Neighborhoods
The city of New Orleans is pushing the state to allow property tax relief in neighborhoods where housing values are soaring—the proposal is designed to stabilize neighborhoods undergoing rapid investment and transformation.

Homeless People No Longer Prohibited From Living in Cars in San Diego
Until last week, it was illegal to live in a car in San Diego.

Mapping the Wealth Accumulation of Homeowners
Exclusionary zoning really pays off for people that already had enough money to buy a home. A new mapping project shows exactly where that's true int he area around Minneapolis.

Cupertino Mayor's 'Wall Joke' Gets Lots of Negative Feedback
Cupertino Mayor Steven Scharf, a fervent opponent of a new Bay Area housing initiative, opened his Jan. 29 state-of-the-city address with a short joke about "building a wall around Cupertino and making San Jose pay for it" that didn't go over well.

L.A.'s Long History of Informal Housing
The story of informal housing is one of changing racial and class demographics, economic opportunity and needs, and regulatory control.

L.A. Program Seeks to Boost Construction of Homeless Housing
The Los Angeles plan to build supportive housing for homeless people is lagging and costing much more than anticipated. A new pilot program seeks to overcome these hurdles by soliciting new ideas and strategies from developers.

By-Right Approval for Affordable Housing Projects Proposed in San Francisco
San Francisco Mayor London Breed is fighting hard to make it easier to develop affordable housing in the cost-impacted city. A fight will likely be required.

Zoned Land Won't Be Sufficient for California Governor's Homebuilding Goals
A new report says that the state is going to face huge challenges in building 3.5 million homes over the next seven years.

A Comprehensive Survey of the Scope and Effects of Land Use Policy in California
A survey of land use policies in cities and counties of California is designed to inform a more complete understanding of the housing market, sustainability, and economic mobility in the state.

Study: Housing Vouchers Fuel Racial Segregation
The trend should serve as a "wake-up call" for housing policy, researchers say.
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