Mayor de Blasio's goal of building or preserving 200,000 units of affordable housing over the next 10 years goes beyond what previous mayors have been able to achieve. How realistic are his chances of reaching this "lofty goal"?
After investing more than $5.3 billion in affordable housing, the Bloomberg administration saved or added 165,000 units over 12 years. Though Mayor de Blasio has made affordable housing production a centerpiece of his agenda, cuts in federal subsidy programs and other forces are likely to make the path to achieving his goal much more difficult.
"Jeff Levine, a developer who took advantage of the [Bloomberg era] rezonings to build and include affordable units, said of the 200,000-unit goal, 'It’d take an incredibly intelligent effort on the part of the public and private sectors.'”
"But affordable housing advocates say Mr. de Blasio comes to office with one critical advantage — his stated commitment to more-equitable housing policies," notes Mireya Navarro. By making affordable housing production mandatory under inclusionary zoning regulations, rather than optional, some believe de Blasio could spur the production of 25,000 to 50,000 affordable units.
"Under Mayor Bloomberg the idea was that all development is good, said Moses Gates, director of housing assistance for the Association for Neighborhood and Housing Development, an advocacy group. 'The shift we need to see to put a dent in our affordability crisis is, we want developers to build what the city needs, rather than just get stuff built.'”
Gainesville in Final Discussions on Mandatory Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance
A see-saw battle over land use and housing policy continues in the city of Gainesville.
San Francisco Housing Construction Far Slower Than Other Tech Hubs
Experts blame high land and construction costs and restrictive regulations for San Francisco’s dismal rate of housing construction, which lags behind other fast-growing cities like Austin and Seattle.
San Francisco to Reconsider Inclusionary Zoning as Development Slows to a Crawl
Critics of inclusionary zoning frequently point to San Francisco as an example of what not to do. A sluggish year of development has some local politicians ready to reconsider the city’s program.
National Parks Layoffs Will Cause Communities to Lose Billions
Thousands of essential park workers were laid off this week, just before the busy spring break season.
Retro-silient?: America’s First “Eco-burb,” The Woodlands Turns 50
A master-planned community north of Houston offers lessons on green infrastructure and resilient design, but falls short of its founder’s lofty affordability and walkability goals.
Delivering for America Plan Will Downgrade Mail Service in at Least 49.5 Percent of Zip Codes
Republican and Democrat lawmakers criticize the plan for its disproportionate negative impact on rural communities.
Test News Post 1
This is a summary
Test News Headline 46
Test for the image on the front page.
Balancing Bombs and Butterflies: How the National Guard Protects a Rare Species
The National Guard at Fort Indiantown Gap uses GIS technology and land management strategies to balance military training with conservation efforts, ensuring the survival of the rare eastern regal fritillary butterfly.
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.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service