Affordable Housing

Learning from the Humble Trailer Park
An examination of the common trailer park reveals a few key lessons about land use, urban design, and private governance.

Debating Seattle's Growth
There's plenty to talk about in a city where rents have increased by 51 percent since 2010.

Spiting Mandatory Inclusionary Housing to Save Mandatory Inclusionary Housing
The question of whether New York City's new mandatory inclusionary housing policy should apply to a 17-story project in Manhattan could have wide-ranging implications.

One Fourth of East Harlem Housing Set to Lose Affordability
The area could lose up to 500 units of affordable housing every year for the next 30 years if the city doesn't extend existing protections.

A Paradigm Shift for Affordable Housing: Preserve What's Left
A Los Angeles affordable-housing developer says the industry needs to focus more on keeping existing housing affordable.

Vancouver's Attempt to Preserve Affordable Housing Causes Waves
On August 2nd, a new 15 percent tax on real estate deals with foreign buyers went into effect. The goal was to cool the hyperactive housing market, but the implementation has caught many by surprise.

A Case for Integrating Housing and Healthcare Services
Connecting affordable housing and healthcare programs can improve both—especially for seniors and disabled people.

A 'Housing New York' Report Card
The de Blasio Administration set lofty goals for the creation and preservation of housing in New York. So how's that going?

Market Not Cooperating With Boston's Housing Goals
Just because the public sector has set a goal to deliver thousands of new workforce housing units, doesn’t mean the market, or the private sector for that matter, will cooperate.

A Portrait of the Nation's Inclusionary Zoning Policies
The number of inclusionary zoning programs is growing quickly around the country. A recent study by the National Housing Conference takes stock of this prominent affordable housing tool.

Portland Seeks Affordability By Subtracting Parking
Portland's City Council has sided with housing advocates against neighborhood groups who wanted new developments to include parking spaces.

$9.3M Awarded to Affordable Housing Development in Philly
The Pennsylvania Governors Office announced that eight developers were awarded a total $9.3M in tax credits from the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA) to build 495 affordable housing units in the city of Philadelphia.

Op-Ed: We Shouldn't Rush to Regulate Airbnb
Is Airbnb a prime target for regulation, or is it just another way to expand the marketplace for bedrooms? Dan Bertolet urges caution. After all, couldn't less Airbnb just mean more hotels?
Hamburg Sets Inclusionary Zoning Pace in Western New York
With less than 60,000 residents, Hamburg, New York might fly under the housing policy radar, but the small town is the first in Western New York to approve inclusionary zoning. Buffalo could be next.

Tiny Houses Aren't the Solution
Vox publishes an article debunking tiny houses as the housing silver bullet some hope they will become.

The Real Reasons Affordable Housing Isn't Being Built in California
The policy tools used to address our nation's housing shortfall often seem to worsen the problem. But this is because they ignore the underlying infrastructure and financing to support growth.
The Unintended Consequences Lurking in Gov. Brown's Affordable Housing Proposal
California Governor Brown's proposal to streamline affordable housing may cause more problems than it solves, both for affordable housing and community planning, argues Murtaza Baxamusa who teaches planning at USC and develops affordable housing.

Barcelona Facing New Housing Problems, and Airbnb
Barcelona is facing increasing pressure on its housing market, primarily in rental prices. The Mediterranean city, which last year became the third most popular European destination after Paris and London, is facing a new housing crisis.

San Antonio Wants a Housing Bond, but its Charter Won't Make it Easy
San Antonio provides a case study of the difficult politics of funding affordable housing measures.
Housing Initiatives to Appear on Northern and Southern California Ballots in November
Last week the Los Angeles City Council and Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors approved housing initiatives. "Build Better LA" requires large developments to have affordable units. Silicon Valley voters will vote on a $950 million housing bond.
Pagination
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