Skyrocketing rental costs are hitting low-income residents even harder as available subsidized housing continues to disappear.
Marisa Kendall reports that the San Francisco Bay Area is losing subsidized affordable housing. A new report from the California Housing Partnership says that the five-county region has lost 2,128 affordable homes since 1997 and another 5 percent of affordable housing stock, over 5,000 homes, are at risk of becoming unaffordable.
"Developers essentially are pouring water into a leaky bucket: as they build new units, older units fall out of the supply when their government contracts expire and landlords sell the buildings or convert them to market rate rents," says Kendall.
In addition, the recent government shutdown resulted in the expiration of about 1,000 housing contracts nationwide. Affordable housing advocates are worried that the uncertainty and possibility of missed payments will keep more landlords from participating in federal housing programs.
FULL STORY: Housing meant for the Bay Area’s poorest residents is slowly vanishing
New Book Highlights Human Side of Homelessness Crisis
A San Francisco reporter’s empathetic portrait of unhoused Bay Area residents reminds readers why supportive housing is worth fighting for.
Housing Measure Wins in Seattle Special Election
Voters approved a new tax that could bring in $50 million per year for social housing.
Menlo Park to Develop Parking Lots Into Housing
The city will issue a request for proposals to build subsidized housing on up to three downtown parking lots.
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.
Montreal’s Gorilla Park Repurposes Defunct Railway Track
The park is part of a global movement to build public spaces that connect neighbors and work with local elements to serve as key parts of a city’s green infrastructure.
Spirit Lake Nation Reclaims 680 Acres After Century-Long Effort
After decades of advocacy, the Spirit Lake Nation successfully reclaimed 680 acres of its original treaty land from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, marking a significant step toward healing and future development.
Bourbon Street Could Be a Model for Pedestrian Spaces
The conversation around pedestrianizing public streets isn’t new — think Times Square. Could one of America’s oldest streets lead the way in a revival of the pedestrian mall?
Multiple Lawsuits Aim to Save NYC Congestion Pricing
Environmental and transit advocacy groups, along with the MTA, are suing USDOT over its recent crusade to end the cordon pricing program.
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.
North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA)
Economic & Planning Systems, Inc.
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research