Housing Crisis

Latinos Buoy a Sagging Homebuying Market
Minorities were hardest hit by the foreclosure crisis of the Great Recession. Latinos are now helping keep the housing market afloat.

What Made It Possible for Oregon to End Single-Family Zoning?
Factors beyond political chance played into Oregon's recent decision to legalize missing middle housing. One key point: the state was already halfway there.

On Rural America's Selective Housing Shortage
Counter to the usual narrative of population decline, some rural areas stand in serious need of housing.

Report: Lack of Apartments Contributes to the Housing Affordability Crisis
It's going to take "radical policies" and "political courage" to overcome the housing shortage in California, according to a recent working paper, but they will be necessary to overcome the negative consequences of the planning and zoning status quo.

Millennials Prefer Renting: Demand for Multi-Family Options Grows
Millennials need housing they can afford, and that means apartments instead of houses.

How Much Influence Can the Federal Government Have on the Housing Crisis?
A couple of questions are fundamental to the debate about the housing affordability crisis.

Bay Area Planners Acknowledge the Need for Regional Housing Solutions
While most Bay Area communities are pursuing housing solutions "individually," local planners acknowledge the need for strategies that address the regional as a unified whole.

Consensus on Changes to Property Tax Abatement Too Challenging for Philadelphia
Despite over a year of proposals, counter proposals, and heated debate, the city of Philadelphia has yet to broker a breakthrough on proposed reforms to the city's ten-year property tax abatement program.

All the Places Mentioned in Last Week's Democratic Debates
Candidates drop names for a reason.

Climate Crisis, Housing Crisis on a Collision Course
Sprawl might relieve the housing crisis, but it would also exacerbate the climate crisis. Tough choices will be necessary in regions like San Diego, where the question of where to accommodate growth is very much in question.

History Made: Oregon Legislature Ends Single-Family Zoning
A bill that seemed like it could be a casualty of a bitter partisan feud managed to squeak under the wire. With Governor Kate Brown's signature, single-family zoning will be prohibited throughout the state of Oregon.

Rent Freezes Spread Across Southern California
Culver City is the latest jurisdiction to freeze rents temporarily in the face of skyrocketing housing costs.

Urban Planning and the Democratic Debate Field
The Democratic Party will hold a two-day debate event, starting tonight. It's time to brush up on the positions of the leading candidates on policies and politics relate to housing, climate change, and infrastructure.

State of the Nation's Housing: Housing Production, Supply Still Coming Up Short
The Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University released its annual "The State of the Nation's Housing" report this morning. There are some signs of post-recession normalcy in the housing market for high-income earners.

Investment Money Cornering the Real Estate Market
With so many institutional investors buying homes, it's hard for first-time homebuyers to find space in the housing market.

The Complete Lack of Rental Housing Affordable to People Making Minimum Wage
Rents in 99 percent of counties in the U.S. are not affordable for residents making minimum wage, according to a recent report.

Breaking News: Google to Spend $1 Billion on Housing in the Bay Area
The tech industry giant answers a call to do more to help alleviate housing prices in the region it calls home by promising to build tens of thousands of units on its own land.

New York Times Editorial Takes Pro-Development Stance
The Editorial Board of the New York Times offers perhaps the highest profile support to date for overthrowing the status quo of slow growth and development opposition.

Advocating for Upzoning in Two of New York's Wealthiest Neighborhoods
The New York City Department of City Planning is expected, very soon, to release a rezoning proposal for the neighborhoods of SoHo and NoHo in New York City.

Beyond YIMBY: Racism and Finance in the Housing Crisis
Upzoning without addressing speculation and finance could exacerbate the housing crisis for the nation’s most vulnerable communities, a professor of urban planning warns.
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