Pittsburgh mayor Bill Peduto thinks Section 8 housing subsidies could get two birds with one stone: help low-income households find affordable housing and reduce blight.
Chris Potter reports on a new proposal by Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto to use Section 8 funds to subsidize home ownership. The "Bridges Beyond Blight" program would take "the anticipated value of 30 years’ worth of one household’s vouchers to purchase and renovate a home." Normally the money provided by those vouchers would help subsidize rental housing for low-income households.
Under the Bridges Beyond Blight program, "[p]ublic housing officials would select the homes and finance the work, then set up buyers with a mortgage whose payments would also be set at 30 percent of their income," according to Potter. Mayor Peduto hopes that redirecting that funding from rental subsidies to ownership subsidies would achieve an extra goal beyond helping low-income households find affordable housing—it would also reduce blight by getting people into vacant homes.
The article includes more information about the political support the policy might find, both from local organizations and the federal government.
FULL STORY: Peduto administration pitches use of Section 8 funds to subsidize home ownership
Pennsylvania Law Removes Obstacles to Blight Reduction
“We don’t need every old coal miner’s house” to stay standing, says Sen. David Argall (R-Schuylkill).
Pittsburgh Revitalization Plans Stuck on Blight
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette recently published an investigation of the city's efforts to buy and rehabilitate vacant properties in the troubled neighborhood of Homewood.
Lack of Federal and State Subsidies Slow Homeless Housing Development in L.A.
Developments funded by Los Angeles' Proposition HHH homeless housing bond has been delayed for three key reasons.
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.
The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan
Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.
Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire
In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena is uniting to restore Loma Alta Park, creating a renewed space for recreation, community gathering, and resilience.
San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.
Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives
A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.
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.
City of Albany
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