Affordable Housing

Kennebec River

Maine Passes Zoning Reform Laws

The state legislature passed two bills, one supporting accessory dwelling units and another incentivizing adaptive reuse, aimed at boosting housing affordability.

May 3, 2022 - Maine Beacon

View of Madisonm Wisconsin with state capitol building

Madison To Create Transit-Oriented Zoning

The city plans to create a TOD overlay district to encourage density and affordable housing near transit.

May 2, 2022 - City of Madison

View of mobile home park in Oceano, California

Southern California City To Draft Mobile Home Rent Stabilization Ordinance

After complaints from a seniors-only development that saw a sharp rise in rents in recent months, Torrance will consider an ordinance limiting rent increases for mobile home park residents.

April 29, 2022 - The Daily Breeze

Denver

Denver Affordable Housing Package Moves Forward

A set of proposals aimed at improving housing affordability will go before the Denver City Council after approval by a committee.

April 28, 2022 - The Denver Post

Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh To Assess Limited-Equity Coops as Affordable Housing Tool

The mutual housing developments known as limited-equity cooperatives give lower-income residents an opportunity to buy into a building where they could not otherwise afford it.

April 27, 2022 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Portland Maine

Maine Looks To Legalize ‘Missing Middle Housing’

Maine could become the third state to eliminate single-family-only zoning to encourage light density increases in residential areas and make it easier for homeowners to build accessory dwelling units.

April 27, 2022 - Reason

Modern Passive House Exterior. Modern energy efficiency house with skylight windows and solar panels on the roof top.

Sustainable and Affordable Housing Is No Longer a Pipe Dream

Fresh interest in green building among investors, new incentives, and stricter building codes are making it more possible to include green building practices in affordable housing production.

April 26, 2022 - Wealth Management

Pioneer Square, Seattle

How To Preserve Both Affordable Housing and Urban Trees

Housing and environmental activists are calling on the city to commit to a ‘Trees and’ approach, rejecting the perceived conflict between housing affordability and a healthy urban tree canopy.

April 26, 2022 - The Stranger

Gaslamp Quarter

Report: San Diego Density Bonus Has Created Hundreds of Affordable Units

Going above and beyond California’s state-level housing density bonus law, San Diego launched its own program to encourage developers to build more affordable units.

April 25, 2022 - Smart Cities Dive

Houston, Texas

Report: Affordable Housing a Crisis Nationwide

According to data from the National Low Income Housing Coalition, no U.S. state or metro area has an ‘adequate supply’ of housing for the lowest-income households.

April 25, 2022 - Beaumont Enterprise

Hand holding house keys on house-shaped keychain

What Is Area Median Income?

Frequently used to determine eligibility for housing assistance programs, Area Median Income measures the midpoint of an area’s income distribution.

April 24, 2022 - Diana Ionescu

Screenshot of Charleston Affordable Housing Dashboard

Charleston Launches Affordable Housing Dashboard

The city’s new online tool shares information about affordable housing projects to help stakeholders understand where and how affordable housing is being built and distributed.

April 24, 2022 - WCSC

Texas Apartment Construction

Updated: Proposed Parking Reforms Spark Controversy in Dallas

An ordinance under consideration by the Dallas City Council would change the parking requirements in the zoning code to allow for more density in exchange for affordable housing.

April 22, 2022 - FOX 4 News

Aerial view of Main Street, Shrewsbury, Pennsylvania

Housing Scarcity in Rural America

With the growth of ‘Zoom towns’ and the sharply rising demand for small-town living, rural communities are facing pressure to maintain housing affordability for long-time residents and boost housing production.

April 22, 2022 - Camoin Associates

Arizona Sprawl

How South Phoenix's Legacy of Housing Discrimination Impacts Residents Today

Redlined for decades, south Phoenix is experiencing a resurgence that could push local residents even farther out as housing costs spike.

April 20, 2022 - azcentral.com

A rainbow colored sign planted in the front yard of a typical suburban home reads, "In this house we believe love is love, black lives matter, no human is illegal, science is real, women's rights are human rights. In a world where you can be anything, be kind."

Study: Affordable Housing Development Raises Nearby Property Values

More evidence that a common talking point of affordable housing opposition is more fear than fact.

April 20, 2022 - Urban Institute

Chinatown gate, Boston

Community Land Trusts Fight for Neighborhood Affordability

The increasingly popular community-oriented mechanism makes neighbors into property owners and preserves affordable housing in perpetuity.

April 17, 2022 - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Residential duplex building

Support for ‘Missing Middle Housing’ Strongest Among Young People

A recent survey shows overwhelming support for denser housing options, with younger people and renters most likely to support ‘missing middle housing’ types.

April 15, 2022 - The Architect's Newspaper

California

California Cities Could Face a Zoning Reckoning

As the state toughens rules related to its housing allocation process, cities statewide may finally be forced to overhaul their zoning codes to ensure an adequate supply of housing at all affordability levels.

April 14, 2022 - Diana Ionescu

Amazon headquarters under construction in Arlington, Virginia

Amazon’s Housing Initiative Does Little for Low-Income Workers

Of the thousands of units Amazon has secured as part of its pledge to create affordable housing near its new headquarters, just over 200 are reserved for the lowest-income renters.

April 14, 2022 - The Washington Post

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