Housing Crisis

Local Resistance to Short-Term Rentals Goes National
As more cities grapple with the growth of short-term rentals, trends in regulation are beginning to emerge.

Boston-Area Mayors Announce Ambitious Housing Target
Mayors from 15 cities in the Boston region want to add 185,000 new units by 2030 in response to the housing shortage driving up prices in the region.
Granny Flats Legalized Citywide in St. Paul
The Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) movement has take hold in the Twin Cities. Now ADUs are allowed all over the city of St. Paul.

The Downsides of Upzoning
A new report suggests that upzoning is not the silver bullet some had hoped it would be for housing prices.

Section 8 Not Welcome
More landlords are refusing Section 8 vouchers for housing, neither willing to deal with the federal bureaucracy nor to risk missing out on the peak windfall of an expansive rental market.

Another SB 827? Ambitious California Housing Bill Isn't Quite Dead Yet
It received a lot of press, but ultimately California's Senate Bill 827 went nowhere. Now, the state senator who introduced the bill is working with advocates who opposed it on another version that just might have better chances.

Bay Area Displacement and Gentrification Trends Have Regional Consequences
Displacement in the San Francisco Bay Area has resulted in distinct mobility patterns and significant race and class inequalities.

San Jose Proposes Turning Schools into Teacher Housing, Faces Outcry
A San Jose Unified School District plan to relocate several schools and build affordable housing in their place has sparked controversy. The district says teachers increasingly can't afford to live in the area.

Is Residual Income a Better Metric for Housing Affordability?
The common metric for measuring housing affordability—whether households pay more than 30 percent of their income on shelter—has its downsides. Looking at residual income offers more precision in some respects.

California's Housing Package, One Year Later
It's too early to gauge the long-term effects of California's housing package signed a year ago. But with a $4 billion bond on the ballot this November, some facts (and some dramas) have already made themselves known.

15 Cities, 1 Mission: Build More Housing
A coalition of 15 cities in the Boston area agreed to rapidly build new housing to relieve pressure on the regional housing market.

A New, Renter-Friendly Politics Emerges
There are signs that politicians at every level are responding to the concerns of renters like never before. If only renter-friendly housing policies were matters of simple consensus.

San Jose to Vote on $450 Million Affordable Housing Bond
A $450 million bond referendum will come before San Jose voters this November. Mayor Sam Liccardo promises it is "a necessary but not sufficient tool" to provide stable housing at an epicenter of the housing crisis.

Breaking: Elizabeth Warren Releases Far-Reaching Housing Bill
The American Housing and Economic Mobility Act probably has no chance of passing into law, but it's still the most substantial gesture toward housing policy by a member of Congress since the subprime crisis of 2008.

Editorial: Drastic Changes Needed to Solve New York's Public Housing Crisis
Even if the money for repairing New York City's public housing were to materialize, it would be money poorly spent, according to this editorial.

The History of the Failed 'Housing Choice' Bill in Massachusetts
The House Choice bill, supported by Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker, failed to earn approval from the State Legislature this year.

In the Midst of a Housing Crisis, Soaring Costs Leave San Francisco Projects at a Standstill
San Francisco desperately needs more housing, but many projects sit unfinished as developers face cost challenges.

Where Housing Prices Are Too Low
While the housing crisis of expensive coastal cities gets all the attention, many parts of the country are challenged with real estate markets that lack the stability to attract investments.

More Federal Legislation to Tackle Housing Affordability Proposed
Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) has introduced legislation that would tie federal funding to pro-development policies at the local level.

HUD Took a Strong Stance Against Local Control and Hardly Anyone Noticed
Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development devoted an entire issue of a quarterly newsletter to land use regulations and the idea that local laws are strangling the nation's supply of affordable housing.
Pagination
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