About 2.5 million homes have been converted into rental units since 2007 as homeowners try to wait out the loss in value of their properties, according to a new study.
"There are three main causes behind the shift, said Cynthia Kroll, senior regional economist at the Fisher Center for Real Estate and Urban Economics at the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley.
Homeowners unable to keep up with monthly mortgage payments are renting out their homes or rooms in their homes to help cover costs, recently-built condominiums originally slated for sale are instead being converted into rental apartments and buyers of foreclosed properties are renting out the homes rather than selling them."
FULL STORY: Unable to Sell Their Houses, Millions of Homeowners are Turning Into Landlords
The ‘Lock-In Effect’ Keeping Home Prices High
Housing prices dropped slightly last year, but first-time and middle-income buyers found little price relief due to the “lock-in effect” of the historically low interest rates in effect for more than a decade prior to 2022.
Rent Control Approved for Montgomery County
The Montgomery County Council has approved a new law that sets limits on how much landlords can raise rents from year to year.
America’s Housing Shortage Is More Dire Than We Thought
How much housing does America need to reduce soaring prices? Potentially more than anyone has estimated.
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
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Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service