A recent study called “America’s Rental Housing: Evolving Markets and Needs” by the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard smashes myths about the rental market—of particular importance given the recent rise in rents around the country.

Breann Gala writes of her reactions to the new report out of Harvard, which surprised her even given her role as “an affordable housing and community development practitioner” with the Metropolitan Planning Council.
One of Gala’s bluntly stated takeaways from the report: “Renters are not who you think they are. Rental properties are not what you think they are, or where you think they are.”
Given the surprising facts about the rental market, and given the increasing burden of housing costs on American families, Gala calls on policy makers to adopt policies that reflect the facts, rather than the myths, of the market.
FULL STORY: Smashing Traditional Notions of Rental Housing

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Wind Energy on the Rise Despite Federal Policy Reversal
The Trump administration is revoking federal support for renewable energy, but demand for new projects continues unabated.

Passengers Flock to Caltrain After Electrification
The new electric trains are running faster and more reliably, leading to strong ridership growth on the Bay Area rail system.

Texas Churches Rally Behind ‘Yes in God’s Back Yard’ Legislation
Religious leaders want the state to reduce zoning regulations to streamline leasing church-owned land to housing developers.
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