housing affordability

View from hilltop of Glendale, Arizona with saguaro cactus in left foreground.

Proposed Legislation Targets Arizona Housing Crisis

A series of state bills address barriers to housing production including parking minimums and ADUs.

February 5, 2024 - Axios Phoenix

Close-up of white sign with red FOR SALE letters and blurred brick single-family home in background.

Will Move States for Affordable Housing

Record-high housing costs are motivating households to change cities, states, and even regions in search of cheaper places to live.

January 25, 2024 - CNBC

View of dense multicolored historic brick homes in Richmond, Virginia.

Analysis: Zoning as a Hurdle to Affordability in Virginia

Overly restrictive zoning regulations have stifled the housing supply and driven up rents across the Commonwealth.

January 23, 2024 - Pew Trusts

Property tax bill notice with pen

A New Housing Affordability Hurdle: Property Taxes

Skyrocketing home values are driving up property tax bills, putting lower-income homeowners at risk of losing their homes.

January 21, 2024 - Pew Stateline

Aerial view of green Memorial Park lawns and trees with downtown Houston skyline in background

How Houston Keeps Housing Affordable

The city’s limited land use regulations have kept housing costs relatively low, but government intervention is still needed to provide housing to the lowest-income residents.

January 17, 2024 - Market Urbanism

Row of single-family houses on suburban street on sunny day.

State-Level Land Use Reform Gains Strength

More state legislatures are considering stricter land use and zoning regulations as a solution to the housing crisis. Some local jurisdictions are pushing back.

January 16, 2024 - Route Fifty

Aerial view of downtown Boston, Massachusetts.

Boston Zoning Commission to Consider ‘Squares and Streets’ Plan

The proposal would reduce barriers to the development of denser housing.

January 16, 2024 - The Boston Globe

Colorful multistory apartment buildings next to BART transit station in Pleasanton, California.

The Symbiotic Relationship of Housing and Transit

Building more housing near transit can improve housing affordability and boost ridership on struggling systems.

January 7, 2024 - Bloomberg CityLab

Close-up of white sign with red FOR SALE letters and blurred brick single-family home in background.

Congress Introduces Bill to Block Hedge Funds from Buying Single-Family Homes

The proposed legislation aims to help U.S. home buyers who can’t afford to outbid deep-pocketed institutional investors.

January 1, 2024 - HousingWire

White clapboard house with For Sale sign in front yard

Majority of US Home Listings Are Unaffordable

Just 15.5 percent of homes for sale in 2023 were affordable for the average earner, but there could be hope for 2024.

December 29, 2023 - CBS News via Yahoo Finance

Four-story gray apartment building in suburban area

Upzoning Affordability Impacts: The Latest Research

There are new controversies concerning how upzoning affects housing supply and affordability, and new research to help planners understand these issues.

December 26, 2023 - Supply Skepticism Revisited

Aerial view of mobile home community in rural area with homes lined up diagonally next to small road.

Report Highlights Housing Issues in Rural America

Rising costs and an aging housing stock are squeezing rural households, with the impacts felt unevenly across ages and ethnicities.

December 13, 2023 - The Daily Yonder

View of Tucson, Arizona at sunset with two saguaro cacti in foreground.

Zoning Driving Housing Costs, Water Consumption in Arizona

Regulations that prohibit multifamily housing and smaller lot sizes contribute to a growing gulf between housing supply and demand.

December 12, 2023 - Pew

Skyline of Columbus, Ohio with bridge and river.

Columbus City Council Proposes Actions to Stem Housing Crisis

Central Ohio needs roughly 14,000 new housing units every year to keep up with demand.

November 21, 2023 - ABC 6

Eviction notice taped to dark grey door with arched window at top.

Evictions on the Rise in California

As rent costs continue to grow and eviction protection programs lapse, eviction rates are spiking across the state.

November 20, 2023 - CALmatters

Salt Lake City, Utah

Audit Reveals Utah’s Housing Shortage

The state must build 28,000 housing units each year to keep up with a growing need.

November 20, 2023 - Deseret News

Row of brick three-story townhomes in Britih Columbia.

More Affordable Housing for People, Less for Cars

Most jurisdictions have off-street parking requirements that increase motorists’ convenience but reduce housing affordability. It’s time to reform these policies for the sake of efficiency and fairness.

November 20, 2023 - Todd Litman

Mount Rainier

Opinion: Voters Deserve to See the Draft ‘One Seattle’ Plan

Despite a promise to release a draft comprehensive plan update in April and with elections in less than a week, Seattle residents are still waiting to see the city’s proposal for how to guide development in the next decades.

November 1, 2023 - The Stranger

Aerial view of Mesa, Arizona

Mesa General Plan Update Aims for Clarity, Accountability

The Arizona city’s once-a-decade update to its General Plan will clarify zoning boundaries left ‘fuzzy’ in its previous iteration.

September 6, 2023 - The Mesa Tribune

Housing construction in Austin, Texas

Austin Electeds Hope Site Review Improvements Achieve Affordability Gains

After receiving scathing reviews about the frustrations and inefficiencies of its site review process, Austin has contracted with McKinsey to begin the work of overhauling the process.

September 5, 2023 - The Real Deal

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.

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100 Most Influential Urbanists

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