Philadelphia seeks $60 million bond issue to preserve existing affordable homes and improve residents' health. City seeks to offer city loan guarantee to embolden lenders to extend credit to homeowners with lower credit scores.
Philadelphia Council President Clarke and Mayor Jim Kenney will join the Healthy Rowhouse Project "in announcing their intention to launch a home repair loan program next summer, creating for the first time a renewable income source to help poor residents fix their houses," reports Roxanne Patel Shepelavy.
"The loan program—up to $34,000, at low-interest—will be a radically new approach to affordable housing in the city, and one of only a few like it around the country. The goal is to preserve 'naturally-occurring affordable housing'—that is, housing that is affordable without any government subsidy."
FULL STORY: THE CITIZEN UPDATES: HEALTHY ROWHOUSE PROJECT
Philadelphia Loan Program Supports Home Repair
Philadelphia preserves affordable housing by investing $40 million into a new Housing Preservation Loan Program that will provide low interest loans of as much as $25,000 to fix up aging homes.
The Philadelphia Loan Program Transforming the Demographics of Development
The Jumpstart loan program is helping Black and female residents become developers.
Rowhouses Have an Ally in Philadelphia
An important source of housing affordable to wide ranges of incomes has a new, well-funded ally in Philadelphia—the Healthy Rowhouse Project is hoping to make a big impact in 2016.
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.
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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