Affordability

Where Have All the Anti-Tech Protestors Gone?

In San Francisco at this time last year, Google bus protestors and Ellis Act rage were making the news everyday. The City seems a little more...adjusted these days.

February 11, 2015 - San Francisco Chronicle

Poll: San Francisco Loves the Tech Industry

San Francisco Mayor Ed lee is so far running unopposed for re-election next Fall, which means that voters won't be offered a chance for a referendum on his support for the tech industry.

February 4, 2015 - San Francisco

Survey: NIMBYism Declining as a Result of the U.K. Housing Crisis

A newly released report from a U.K. housing non-profit reports a "Staggering turn-around" in attitudes about housing—more specifically described as a sharp decline in NIMBYism.

January 30, 2015 - Shelter

A Housing Affordability Report Card for the Bay Area

SPUR didn't give a grade to the Bay Area on housing affordability in its most recent issue of The Urbanist, but it does provide a thorough overview of the current and ongoing efforts to make housing more affordable in the region.

December 20, 2014 - The Urbanist

Transit Oriented Development

Transit Oriented Development Increases Value and Affordability

The new TOD Index provides solid information on Transit-Oriented Development impact and benefits. It indicates that home values near rail stations outperform the national market, yet they are also more affordable for residents.

December 20, 2014 - TOD Index

Cincinnati Over-the-Rhine

The Charms of Affordable Cities (Not Named San Francisco or New York)

A recent post identifies a sweet spot in the urban market: affordable cities like Cincinnati and others in the Rust Belt that provide an attractive alternative to more expensive, if more famous, cities on the coasts.

November 1, 2014 - New Geography

Evictions Increase as Renters Struggle to Compete

Shaila Dewan details the increasing rates at which renters all over the country forced from their homes by eviction.

September 2, 2014 - New York Times

Two Brothers Walk to School

Indexing Affordability and Walkability in the United States

Dave Munson discovered the neighborhoods throughout the United States that are both affordable by his salary and walkable.

August 22, 2014 - Munson's City

Study Examines Middle Class Home Affordability

Jed Kolko presents the findings of a study that examines the available stock of housing available to those earning the median income around the country in different cities around the country.

May 15, 2014 - Trulia Trends Blog

Mapping the Rental Housing Crisis—County by County

A new map tool breaks down the availability of rental housing around the United States by county. While some markets are tighter than others, it’s impossible to find a place in the United States that has enough rental units per low-income households.

March 4, 2014 - Urban Institute: MetroTrends Blog

Apartments for rent signage

Overcoming the Myths of the Rental Housing Market

A recent study called “America’s Rental Housing: Evolving Markets and Needs” by the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard smashes myths about the rental market—of particular importance given the recent rise in rents around the country.

February 14, 2014 - Sustainable Cities Collective

How Co-ops Preserve Affordable Housing In Changing Neighborhoods

Tenant-owned apartment buildings are rare in the District of Columbia, but are a key tool in preserving affordable homes in our quickly growing city. Here, a look at two--and one group that helps make them happen.

February 12, 2014 - Elevation DC

Dream vs. Reality for Home Ownership in Canada

As housing prices increase on the post-recession wave, many experts are asking people to reconsider the dream of buying and owning a home, especially if that means sinking too deeply in debt or sacrificing mobility.

February 5, 2014 - CBC News

Ellis Act or Airbnb—Which to Blame in S.F. Housing Crisis?

A closer look at the number of Ellis Act evictions indicates that the controversial law that allows property owners to evict rental tenants might be more of a symptom of San Francisco’s housing problem, rather than the problem itself.

January 22, 2014 - San Francisco Magazine

Where Can America's Middle Class Afford to Live?

Though owning a home may be easier today than during the housing bubble due to lower interest rates and prices, in many cities across the U.S. the middle class is widely excluded from homeownership. Trulia crunches the numbers.

October 10, 2013 - Trulia Trends Blog

Bill de Blasio Unveils His Vision for Achieving an Affordable New York

Though his "Tale of Two Cities" was the centerpiece of Bill de Blasio's mayoral campaign, details on how the candidate plans to narrow New York City's rising inequality have been scarce. With a speech on Friday, he sought to fill in the gaps.

October 5, 2013 - The New York Times

San Francisco Gains Affluence and Loses Its Identity

The latest 'digital gold rush' has been a boost for the Bay Area's high earners, but a blow to its diversity and affordability. Conspicuous transportation modes - fleets of private buses and black town cars - epitomize the area's growing divide.

August 15, 2013 - Los Angeles Times

Chinese Cities Lead List of the World's Most Unaffordable

While it may not have the world's highest absolute property values, Beijing has the highest imbalance between housing prices and incomes. Gwynn Guilford examines why this is problematic for the country's economic and social wellbeing.

July 2, 2013 - Quartz

The Rich Get Richer: Gap Widens Between Most and Least Affordable Housing Markets

New data indicates that housing prices are rising unequally across the United States, with the least affordable markets rising faster than more affordable ones. The growing gap could have implications for demographic trends and housing policies.

June 7, 2013 - Trulia

New York City: More Affordable Than You'd Think, for Some

For professional-class workers with annual household incomes in the top income quintile, New York is a comparatively affordable place. A recent study attributes lower costs to competition between businesses that cater to upper-income people.

April 24, 2013 - The New York Times

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