Housing Policy

Hubway Bikeshare

More Affordable Housing Needed to Keep Pace with Boston's Growth

Boston's housing goals were set in 2014, but had to be revised as the city's population growth exceeds previous estimates.

September 28, 2018 - WBUR

U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D - Massachusetts)

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.

September 25, 2018 - The Atlantic

City Apartments

The 'Philadelphia Housing Action Plan' Targets 100,000 Units in 10 Years

Philadelphia officials are calling a new housing plan the city's first comprehensive citywide housing strategy.

September 7, 2018 - PlanPhilly

Denver Rowhouses

For Less Displacement, Build More Housing

New research finds lower displacement rates in neighborhoods with more new housing development. Slowing or stopping new development has the opposite of the desired effect, constricting housing supply, driving up rents, and displacing residents.

August 28, 2018 - City Observatory

Vancouver Townhomes

'Making Room Housing Program' Would Allow New Density in Vancouver

Duplexes, rowhouses, and small apartment buildings will be on the zoning menu for "housing choice neighborhoods" around Vancouver, thanks to the city's new "Making Room Housing Program."

August 22, 2018 - Sightline Institute

New Development

Affordability Trade-offs

Strategies for increasing affordability often involved trade-offs between various goals and impacts. It is important to consider all of these factors when evaluating potential solutions to unaffordability.

August 2, 2018 - Todd Litman

Oceanside

The Conscience of a Radical

Why local governments can not always be trusted to run housing policy.

May 14, 2018 - Michael Lewyn

Homes

On the Do's and Don'ts of Housing Policy

Brookings has put together nine rules for more cohesive and effective housing policy, despite federalism's tendency to create near-infinite local variety.

May 11, 2018 - Brookings

Greenfield Multi-Family

Calling for 10 Million Units of Social Housing

A new paper by the People's Policy Project explains why and how a government-owned municipal housing development, i.e., social housing, can address the nation's housing affordability crisis.

April 8, 2018 - People's Policy Project

Shipping Container Text

Explained: The Jargon of Housing Policy

Definitions of 17 commonly misunderstood housing policy terms.

April 7, 2018 - Strong Towns

Nashville

Tennessee Legislature Blocks Nashville's 2016 Inclusionary Zoning Policy

Republicans in the Tennessee State Legislature made sure Nashville will never know if its inclusionary zoning policy would have delivered affordable housing in the city.

April 2, 2018 - Tennessean

Capitol

Omnibus Spending Bill Expands Low Income Housing Tax Credit

Missed among the coverage of the federal Omnibus Bill on Friday of last week: a long-awaited expansion of the Low Income Tax Credit.

March 27, 2018 - Globe St.

Oregon

The Other Affordable Housing Trend in Oregon: Construction Excise Taxes

Inclusionary zoning hasn't helped as much as the state of Oregon was hoping when it passed a law to lift restrictions on the policy in 2016. Construction excise taxes could be the next policy to catch on around the state.

March 5, 2018 - Mail Tribune

Toronto Construction

Inclusionary Zoning Not Turning Out the Way Ontario Housing Advocates Expected

A proposed inclusionary zoning scheme in Ontario would enable the first examples of the controversial housing policy in Canada.

February 26, 2018 - CityLab

State Affordable Housing Policies as Sprawl Enabler

A critique of New Jersey's housing policies lends historical perspective before taking an unexpected rhetorical turn.

February 16, 2018 - The Star-Ledger

California

A Pro-Housing Policy List of Your Wildest YIMBY Dreams

This list is a wishlist of the most ambitious possible YIMBY political platform.

January 14, 2018 - Urbanize LA

Oakland

Mapping All the Transit Corridors Targeted for Upzoning Under California's SB 827

SB 827, announced last week by California State Senator Scott Wiener, would revoke density maximums, parking minimums, and set permissive height limits along transit corridors all over the state.

January 10, 2018 - Visualize Transit-Rich Housing

Newport Beach High-Rise

Aggressive New 'Housing-First Policy' Proposed in California State Legislature

California State Senator Scott Wiener has established himself as one of the most ardent supporters of pro-housing policy in the state. His announcement this morning continued the theme.

January 4, 2018 - Medium

Justin Trudeau

Canada's New Housing Plan Treats Housing as a Human Right

With 1.7 million households in Canada currently living in "housing need," the ruling liberal government has decided to put its policies where its promises are.

December 26, 2017 - Pacific Standard

British Columbia

Vancouver's New 10-Year Housing Strategy Focuses on Rentals

Vancouver is famous for high-rises and a decidedly urban quality of life, but housing prices are still skyrocketing. A new ten-year housing strategy proposes a few drastic measures to rebalance the market's scales.

December 2, 2017 - Vancouver Sun

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

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