A short and simple "explainer" post makes sense of why there seems to be so little ground on affordable housing issues in expensive urban areas.
Mathew Yglesias explains the affordable housing problem in urban areas in the United States by calling out two definitions of "affordable." Both are "things that a reasonable person could be interested in," writes Yglesias:
- In one usage, the goal of improving affordability is to make it possible for more people to share in the economic dynamism of a growing, high-income city like Seattle.
- In the other usage, the goal of improving affordability is to reduce (or slow the rise of) average rents in an economically dynamic, high-income city like Seattle.
Because these two definitions are so different, different policies are required to further the goals desired in each case. Yglesias points out the shortcomings of both approaches, and suggests that the best option might be to pursue both.
FULL STORY: What “affordable housing” really means
Feds Cap Rent Raises on Subsidized Housing
Owners of affordable housing developments that take advantage of federal tax incentives will be barred from raising rents more than 10 percent per year.
New York Residents Support Affordable Housing, Survey Says
Contrary to the dominant narrative about the negative perceptions of affordable housing projects among the public, a recent survey reveals widespread support for affordable housing in the New York-New Jersey-Connecticut metropolitan region.
Disabled Veterans Gain Access to Supportive Housing Assistance
Disability benefits will no longer exclude veterans from supportive housing programs.
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.
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.
Caltrans
Smith Gee Studio
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service