Affordable Housing

Regional Plan Association Gives Amazon HQ2 a Thumbs Up
A Regional Plan Association white paper makes that case that New York City and Amazon have mutually beneficial goals with the decision to located the tech company's second headquarters in Long Island City.

San Jose Wants 25 Percent Affordable Housing With Big Google Development
The city of San Jose is pushing Google to mitigate the effects of gentrification and displacement at its planned transit oriented facility in downtown San Jose.

Upzoning, Inclusionary Zoning Designed to Increase Affordable Housing Supply in Miami
The city of Miami will for the first time require that affordable housing be included in private residential development projects. The mandatory inclusionary zoning was made more palatable to developers by upzoning the affected area.

An Argument for a Graduated Real Estate Transfer Tax in Chicago
As it exists today, Chicago's real estate transfer tax is a flat tax that charges the same percentage for modest homes and mansions.

Atlanta Housing Authority Changing Course as Affordable Housing Problems Grow
Housing costs are rising in Atlanta, while available affordable housing has decreased. The Atlanta Housing Authority needs to ramp up construction after a lull in development.

How San Francisco Ran Out of Affordable Housing Funds, and What to Do About It
Analysis and policy recommendations from Bay Area-based think tank SPUR focuses on how poorly designed inclusionary zoning the exact opposite of the desired effect.

Kansas City Trying New Approaches to Affordable Housing
After years of neglecting its affordable housing policy, Kansas City is developing a new five-year vision on policy matters like a public-private trust fund and inclusionary zoning.

Rent Control Rejected in California, But the Debate Is Far From Over
An opinion piece in CityLab reiterates the body of research showing evidence that rent control is not an effective tool in reducing housing costs.

Seeking Mixed-Income Housing Developers in Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia, South Carolina is concerned about the lack of affordable housing in its city, potentially making it difficult for fire fighters, teachers, and more to afford to live in the community.

CDBG Funds Not Useful Focus for Zoning Reform
Linking zoning reform mandates to CDBG funding is not an effective way to change exclusionary zoning.

Neighbors Demanded a Wall Around a Habitat for Humanity Development in Florida
Habitat for Humanity agreed to build a wall around 166 new affordable homes as a necessary compromise for approval.

Are Chicago's Transit Oriented Developments Generating Enough Affordable Housing?
Chicago's Logan Square neighborhood is the scene for a very contemporary land use policy debate: how much affordable housing can cultivated from the development opportunities in proximity to transit lines?

Californians Are Leaving the State for More Affordable, Greener Pastures
Skyrocketing housing costs in California are pushing people out to other parts of the country.

Vacancy Problem Intensifying Milwaukee's Affordable Housing Issues
The city has plans to increase affordable housing, but some areas are seeing more progress than others.

Vancouver's Incoming Mayor Has an Ambitious Housing Agenda
Vancouver Mayor-elect Kennedy Stewart has made some big, ambitious promises when it comes to housing construction in the expensive city.

Report: Investors Bought Two-Thirds of NYC's Affordable Homes in 2017
Investors dominate the affordable homeownership market in New York City.

The Lincoln Park Story
In The Battle of Lincoln Park, Daniel Kay Hertz chronicles the gentrification of Lincoln Park, and shows how its residents displaced renters and the poor.

For Many Charlotte Residents, Affordable Housing Still Isn’t Affordable
Over the last decade and a half, the city has put millions of dollars into affordable housing. But the help is not reaching Charlotte’s neediest residents.

Survey: Public Not Sold on New Supply as a Solution to the Housing Crisis
The public and the "urbanism cognoscenti" do not see eye to eye when it comes to housing policy. A new survey makes the disconnect in opinions on matters of supply, regulations, and affordable housing very clear.

L.A. Ends 'Veto' Power Over Homeless Housing
Anti-poverty advocates had criticized the "pocket veto" as arbitrary and unfair—and the state agreed.
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