The city hopes backyard ‘casitas’ can help alleviate the housing crisis.

The Phoenix City Council voted to approve accessory dwelling units (ADUs), known in Arizona as casitas, reports Cameron Arcand in The Center Square.
The action is meant to support more affordable housing production, although there are concerns that casitas will mainly be used for short-term rentals rather than contribute to long-term rental stock.
In response to concerns that ADUs won’t be affordable enough to the lowest-income renters, State Rep. Analise Ortiz, who supports the council’s decision, says she would like to see a state law that bans local rent control overturned.
Elsewhere in Arizona, Tucson legalized ADUs in early 2022.
FULL STORY: Amid rental concerns, Phoenix approves 'casitas'

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.

Waymo Gets Permission to Map SF’s Market Street
If allowed to operate on the traffic-restricted street, Waymo’s autonomous taxis would have a leg up over ride-hailing competitors — and counter the city’s efforts to grow bike and pedestrian on the thoroughfare.

Parklet Symposium Highlights the Success of Shared Spaces
Parklets got a boost during the Covid-19 pandemic, when the concept was translated to outdoor dining programs that offered restaurants a lifeline during the shutdown.

Federal Homelessness Agency Places Entire Staff on Leave
The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness is the only federal agency dedicated to preventing and ending homelessness.
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