Housing

Gainesville Weighs Zoning Reform Proposal
The northern Florida city could follow others in removing barriers to building accessory dwelling units and multifamily buildings in neighborhoods currently zoned for single-family homes. Some local residents oppose the plan.

Auburn, Maine Approves New Residential and Commercial Densities Despite Public Outcry
Auburn, Maine offers the latest an example of a small city deciding to increase its capacity for future development in response to housing pressure, even in the face of intense public opposition.

How Hidden Property Owners and Bad Landlord Patterns Are Revealed in NYC
New housing tools in New York City demystify building ownership information and identify problematic landlord behavior. What would it take to replicate them?

California's Extended Tenant Protections a Mixed Bag
While state lawmakers rush to pass extended eviction protection for struggling Californians, tenant advocates say the new law could nullify local rent relief initiatives and exclude tenants who miss the application deadline.

California Not Creating Affordable Housing Quickly Enough, Audit Finds
The audit points to inefficiencies in the state's process for identifying and using surplus properties to create affordable housing.

Mobile Home Residents Face Rising Displacement Threat
As investors continue to eye mobile home parks as a profitable opportunity, current residents, many elderly and low-income, face steep rent hikes and possible eviction.

Wisconsin Coalition Releases Housing Affordability Toolkit
The guide outlines zoning reforms that can encourage affordable housing construction and increase density and walkability.

Santa Monica Garage-to-Affordable-Housing Conversion To Receive $2 Million
The city has been awarded $2 million in federal funding to support the conversion of a downtown parking structure into an affordable housing project.

Orlando Rail Driving Transit-Oriented Development
Central Florida's SunRail commuter train is spurring dozens of transit-oriented housing projects near its stations.

10 Real Estate Markets That Could Soon Resemble San Francisco
The housing prices that define the most expensive metropolitan areas in the country—think San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles—have gone national.

A Land Use and Development Playbook For Value-Capture and Creating Currency For Local Community Development
Larry Kosmont shares what cities need to do to meet escalating state requirements; add housing density; fix shopping centers; replace sales tax; pay for constituent services; plan for the future; and capture value created by economic restructuring.

'Tiny Home Village' Fires Raise Doubts About Their Sustainability
'Tiny home villages' were touted as a quick, if temporary, solution to California's housing crisis, but a series of fires is raising concern about their safety.

Multigenerational Households Increasingly Common in the U.S.
More American adults are living with parents or relatives, largely due to financial reasons.

Assessing California's Homekey Program
The innovative housing program launched during the pandemic has made a significant difference for unhoused individuals, but long-term support remains underfunded.

The Political Compass of Housing and Urbanism
The "political compass" idea can easily be applied to explain differing philosophies about urban development.

What Is a Density Bonus?
A density bonus offers development permissions beyond what's allowed by a zoning code as an incentive for developers to contribute to desired policy goals. Density bonus programs can offer numerous forms of incentives, and can be used as an incentive to address a variety of policy goals.

FEMA Flood Mitigation Initiative Will Pay Homeowners To Move
The Swift Current grant program will distribute $60 million to homeowners in high-risk counties to help pay for flood mitigation measures or relocation.

Boise Buys Mobile Home Park To Preserve Affordable Housing
The Boise City Council voted to make the purchase in a bid to protect residents from displacement.

Another Silicon Valley Town Tries To Sidestep State Density Law
Palo Alto could designate more than one hundred properties as historic in an attempt to prevent lot splitting permitted under a new state law designed to lightly increase residential density.

Making Homeownership Work Better
Programs that help households of color buy homes haven't made much of a dent in the racial wealth gap. But some strategies could generate better outcomes for buyers.
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