Housing

Wastewater System Upgrade Plans Already Out of Date
Some Midwest cities' plans to upgrade decades-old sewer systems rely on outdated rainfall predictions as flood risks grow due to climate change and shifting weather patterns.

Zoomers Breathing New Life Into Cities
Young renters are flocking to big cities with lucrative job markets and ample social amenities, belying the 'urban exodus' myth.

Dallas Neighborhoods Fight Toxic Zoning
Communities in south and west Dallas are working to introduce zoning reform that would reduce industrial pollution and hold companies accountable for their impacts on surrounding neighborhoods.

Rental Housing at Risk From Environmental Hazards
From wildfires to hurricanes, environmental risks pose a threat to around 40 percent of U.S. rental units.

More Unhoused New Yorkers Died in 2021 Than in any Prior Year
New York City saw its deadliest year for people living in shelters or public spaces, with the pandemic and a rise in deadly overdoses fueling a fatal epidemic.

Formerly Redlined Neighborhoods Continue to Suffer Disparate Air Pollution
How did ZIP codes become such powerful determinants of public health? New new evidence of the disparate air pollution of redlined neighborhoods partly answers that question.

Passive Building Incentives Spur New Housing in Massachusetts
Two grant programs aimed at supporting highly efficient, affordable housing developments are yielding promising results.

Vital Communities: Housing Quality for Social Equality
Transit-rich, “inner ring” neighborhoods with multi-family, mid- and high-rise housing (going beyond the limits of missing middle housing) will be necessary to deliver access to high-quality, safe, and affordable housing.

How Zoning Reform Could Ease Montana's Housing Crunch
A new report recommends increased production of 'missing middle housing' in Montana, which, like other Western states, is experiencing rapid growth and an increasingly tight housing market.

NYC Rents Rising at Twice the National Rate
New York renters are being squeezed out as landlords raise rents by hundreds, sometimes thousands, of dollars.

The Land Value Tax as a Solution for Housing Affordability
A Vox explainer digs into one of the esoteric ideas of planning theory: a land tax.

More States Consider Tax Breaks for Low-Income Housing Developers
Legislators in five U.S. states this year will consider laws that create a state tax incentive program for low-income housing developers.

Boise Looks to Upzoning To Ease Housing Pressures
The rapidly growing city is evaluating ways to increase housing production, reduce car dependency, and make Boise more walkable.

San Diego Housing Costs Cresting San Francisco Prices
The notoriously pricy Bay Area city has been dethroned as the country's most expensive metropolis.

Study: Most SoCal Neighborhoods Exclude Multi-Unit Buildings
Research shows that single-family zoning, frequently associated with 'exclusionary' housing policies, dominates Southern California's residential zoning.

Affordable ADU Builder Hopes Co-Op Model Can Catch On
A worker-owned developer in Evanston uses sustainable materials to build efficient, affordable ADUs to help homeowners create generational wealth.

Philadelphia 'Diversion Program' Prevents Evictions Through Mediation
A program that provides mediation between landlords and tenants has helped a majority of applicants avoid eviction, signaling a promising avenue for renter assistance as landlords seek to recoup COVID-era losses.

Neighbors Oppose Transit-Adjacent Gated Development
Phoenix housing advocates are pushing back against a developer's plan to build a gated, luxury townhome community—complete with private garages—in an area designated for higher density.

U.C. Berkeley To Reduce Enrollment by Thousands, Court Decides
The California Supreme Court ruled against the university in a battle over a proposed enrollment cap, forcing the school to reject thousands of potential new students.

Reno-Area Upzoning Stirs Concern Among Residents
A county plan to allow a zoning change that slightly increases allowable density in unincorporated parts of Washoe County is drawing criticism from locals.
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