Housing

San Francisco Right to Counsel Program Prevents Hundreds of Evictions
A city program that gives at-risk tenants the right to a lawyer helped over 90 percent of participants avoid eviction.

State Lawmakers Join Fight Against Wall Street Landlords
Pushback against hedge funds buying and renting out single-family houses grows as elected officials in a handful of state legislatures seek to curb the trend amid the housing affordability crisis.

Opinion: Why Environmentalists Should Support NYC ‘City of Yes’ Zoning Reform
The housing-oriented component of Mayor Eric Adams’ City of Yes proposal could serve the double purpose of making housing more affordable and reducing GHG emissions and car dependency.

Tenants and Home Buyers: Do You Know Your Fair Housing Rights?
Inconsistent application of fair housing laws across the country means tenants and home buyers of color and from other protected classes must educate themselves and be their own advocates.

A Win for Single-Family Zoning in California
Five Southern California charter cities need not worry about lot splitting in their single-family zoned neighborhoods thanks to a Los Angeles County superior court ruling on April 22. Depending on a forthcoming ruling, 120 cities may join them.

Maryland Housing Laws Address Housing Shortage, Establish Renter Protections
An ambitious housing package establishes a Renters Bill of Rights and removes barriers to increased housing production.

Judge's Ruling Deals Blow to California's Zoning Reform Law
Five California cities have won a lawsuit against the state over SB 9, a law passed in 2021 that effectively abolished single family zoning statewide.

LA Parking Reform is Bearing Fruit
Changes to minimum parking requirements near transit lines are spurring more residential development with little or no on-site parking.

Feds Issue New Energy Efficiency Standards for Affordable Housing
The new standards are expected to lower energy costs for low-income households.

Second Massachusetts Town Spurns State TOD Zoning Mandate
Marshfield residents voted down a rezoning plan that would have met state requirements for the town to allow development of multifamily housing near MBTA stations.

Will Supreme Court Case Lead to Lower Impact Fees — or Just More Studies?
Everybody seems to think that the recent case from California could lead to dramatically lower fees — and lower housing costs. But that's not what the court decided.

New York State Attorney General Calls Out Town for Potential Religious Land Use Discrimination
Hasidic Orthodox Jewish developers allege the town of Forestburgh, New York, altered zoning regulations to dissuade them from building homes on a site that had received previous approval under different ownership; state officials appear to agree.

Colorado Bill Would Tie Transportation Funding to TOD
The proposed law would require cities to meet certain housing targets near transit or risk losing access to a key state highway fund.
Grand Rapids Passes Zoning Reform Package
The new rules aim to make it easier to build small multifamily housing developments.

Minneapolis as a Model for Housing Affordability
Through a combination of policies, the city has managed to limit the severity of the nationwide housing crisis.

Eviction Looms for Low-Income Tenants as Rent Debt Rises
Nonprofit housing operators across the country face almost $10 billion in rent debt.

Colorado Bans No-Fault Evictions
In most cases, landlords must provide a just cause for evicting tenants.

Alaska Village Becomes Test Case for Climate Change Relocation
The Yup’ik village of Newtok is the first Alaska community to begin a full-scale relocation necessitated by the impacts of climate change. Another 31 Alaska communities remain vulnerable.

Maine Approves Rent Relief Program
Legislators hope the assistance program will help struggling low-income households avoid eviction.

New York Passes Housing Package Focused on New Development and Adaptive Reuse
The FY 2025 budget includes a new tax incentive, funding for affordable housing on state land, and support for adaptive reuse and ADUs.
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