Housing

Street view in downtown Gainesville, Florida

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.

April 1, 2022 - The Gainesville Sun

A map showing Auburn, Maine and surrounding highways and towns.

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.

March 31, 2022 - Sun Journal

A block of the Bowery in New York City seen from high above, with taxis and other cars passing on the street in front of the buildings.

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?

March 31, 2022 - Shelterforce Magazine

Apartment renter

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.

March 30, 2022 - CALmatters

 The Young Apartments — 1621 South Grand Avenue, at the southern end of Downtown Los Angeles.

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.

March 30, 2022 - San Francisco Chronicle

Trailer Park

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.

March 30, 2022 - The New York Times

Wisconsin State Capital

Wisconsin Coalition Releases Housing Affordability Toolkit

The guide outlines zoning reforms that can encourage affordable housing construction and increase density and walkability.

March 30, 2022 - Waunakee Tribune

Santa Monica 3rd Street Promenade

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.

March 29, 2022 - Santa Monica Mirror

Orlando Rail Transit

Orlando Rail Driving Transit-Oriented Development

Central Florida's SunRail commuter train is spurring dozens of transit-oriented housing projects near its stations.

March 29, 2022 - Orlando Business Journal

San Francisco Houses

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.

March 28, 2022 - San Francisco Chronicle

Boston Housing

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.

March 28, 2022 - VerdeXchange News

Housing Homeless

'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.

March 28, 2022 - Curbed

Hover Board

Multigenerational Households Increasingly Common in the U.S.

More American adults are living with parents or relatives, largely due to financial reasons.

March 27, 2022 - Pew Research Center

Australia Hotel

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.

March 25, 2022 - Terner Center for Housing Innovation

Housing Development

The Political Compass of Housing and Urbanism

The "political compass" idea can easily be applied to explain differing philosophies about urban development.

March 25, 2022 - Michael Lewyn

An image of stadium seats at Petco Park in San Diego, with new buildings under construction nearby in the background.

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.

March 24, 2022 - James Brasuell

Floodplain

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.

March 24, 2022 - Grist

Boise Idaho

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.

March 24, 2022 - Idaho Press-Tribune

Stanford

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.

March 23, 2022 - The Mercury News

U-Haul moving truck in front of white house and trees

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.

March 23, 2022 - Shelterforce Magazine

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

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