While the Massachusetts Affordable Housing Alliance is helping people buy homes, their aim is to build an army of trained homeowners to engage their own neighbors in organizing and advocacy.
Standing tall on the porch of her two-family home in Boston's Roxbury neighborhood, Roslyn George looks like the proudest woman on Earth. She owns this elegant wood-frame, and she means to take good care of it. She doesn't own it free and clear yet, and will be paying the mortgage for years to come. But she doesn't look at all worried-she knew what she was doing when she signed her name.
"I'm a person for information," she says. "It's like the biggest investment you'll make in your life, and you want to make educated decisions. I followed the rules."
George lives very close to streets awash in foreclosure. She bought her house in 2006, at the height of the subprime mortgage epidemic. But unlike many of her fellow Bostonians, George took a homebuyer class. Twice. While she may have already been a cautious sort by nature, in these classes she was reminded repeatedly that there are good lenders, and then there are very bad ones.
Thanks to Matthew Brian Hersh
FULL STORY: Homeownership Done Right
The Foreclosure Crisis Waiting in January
Although homeowners have so far accessed financial relief from the pandemic much more easily than renters, housing counselors are bracing for a foreclosure crisis as forbearance terms start to end.
Boston's Seaport District Still Lacking Diversity
The glitzy new neighborhood doesn’t cater to all Boston residents, according to a new survey.
Boston Bus Lanes Improving Commute Times and Reliability
Data from the Boston area shows that dedicated bus lanes are helping to get buses moving.
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