housing affordability

No Luxury Condos

San Francisco Preserves Affordable Housing At Risk of Gentrification

A loan program helps non-profits procure affordable apartment buildings that might otherwise be snatched up by speculative developers.

May 3, 2017 - Next City

Virginia

Transit Oriented Parking Reform in Virginia

Arlington County, Virginia has begun a process to reduce parking requirements for large residential developments near transit stations.

April 22, 2017 - Greater Greater Washington

Oceanside

Removing California's Costa-Hawkins Act and the Future of Rent Control

In an attempt to combat prohibitively high housing costs in California, some look to repeal the 1995 state law that limits the power of local rent control ordinances. However, removing those restrictions would likely exaggerate current problems.

April 5, 2017 - Reuben Duarte

Airtrain

Study: Housing Costs, TOD Trigger Displacement in New York Metropolitan Area

The report recommends making displacement prevention a more central component of land-use policy.

April 2, 2017 - The Architect's Newspaper

Paris Trees

Paris Targets Vacant Second Homes With 60% Tax

7.5 percent of homes in the French capital have no one living in them.

March 31, 2017 - Better Dwelling

Suburban Neighborhood

Unaffordability is a Problem but Sprawl is a Terrible Solution

Many households spend more than they can afford on housing and transportation, but the latest International Housing Affordability Survey is wrong to recommend sprawl as the best solution. Real solutions must reduce both housing and transport costs.

February 21, 2017 - Todd Litman

de Blasio Administration

Mayor de Blasio Raises the Stakes on Housing Affordability

Mayor Bill de Blasio's recent State of the City address broke with tradition and voiced an impassioned plea regarding to housing affordability.

February 16, 2017 - Politico New York

For Rent

Rents Dropping in Every Corner of the San Francisco Bay Area

Housing prices are still well above the national average in the Bay Area, but some relief at least, has emerged in recent months.

January 29, 2017 - The San Jose Mercury News

SoHo Greenwich New York

National Trust Releases New 'Atlas of ReUrbanism'

The National Trust for Historic Preservation's new Atlas for ReUrbanization relies on a metric called "character" to explore the relationship between historic preservation and affordability.

January 1, 2017 - CityLab

Potted Plants

Salida, Colorado: National Leader in the Development of Tiny Homes

Allowing the development of a planned community of 200 rental units, ranging from 200 to 800 square feet, will earn a position among the nation's most progressive land use policies.

November 30, 2016 - The Denver Post

Sacramento

California's Rental Housing Crisis Has Come to the Capital

The state capital of California is starting to see rents that would fit in around San Francisco or Los Angeles. Although explanations are scant, some are blaming the stagnant multi-family development industry.

November 8, 2016 - The Sacramento Bee

Vancouver Skyline

Vancouver Home Sales Nosedive After Foreign Buyer Restrictions Take Effect

A new tax on foreign buyers and a threatened tax on vacant homes have contributed to a significant drop in home sales in October.

November 8, 2016 - The Seattle Times

Power Lines

Comparing Energy Costs in Cities Around the Country

Residents of Rust Belt cities might pay less for housing, but they pay a lot more for energy.

October 14, 2016 - Redfin

Apartments for rent signage

Some Big Cities See Shrinking Rents

Even as rents continue to rise nationally, some of the most expensive cities like San Jose, San Francisco, and New York have seen rents fall this year.

October 6, 2016 - The Wall Street Jounal

Hotel California

Study Finds California's Economy Slowed by Lack of Housing

Reports from UCLA and UC Riverside show California stymied by housing shortage.

October 6, 2016 - Los Angeles Times

Seattle

Seattle Could Upzone its Way to Affordability

Seattle is considering a proposal to upzone some of the densest parts of the city as part of its Mandatory Housing Affordability program.

October 3, 2016 - The Seattle Times

Ferry Building San Francisco

San Francisco Ellis Act Restrictions Struck Down

An attempt to protect San Francisco tenants from some no-fault evictions was overturned in court.

September 30, 2016 - San Francisco Chronicle

Mural Los Angeles

Why New Affordable Housing Draws the Short Straw in Los Angeles

Cecilia Estolano, former Executive Director of Los Angeles’s Community Redevelopment Agency, diagnoses why the region has been unable to provide housing for working-class citizens.

September 29, 2016 - The Planning Report

Northwest Portland Hostel

Inclusionary Zoning and Unintended Consequences

The city of Portland is considering a new inclusionary zoning policy, but some believe that inclusionary zoning has the opposite of its intended effect.

September 19, 2016 - City Observatory

Yankee Stadium

Planetizen Week in Review: September 17, 2016

This week featured good news on the economy like it was pre-2008.

September 17, 2016 - Planetizen

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