Housing Policy

Barbican Flats, London, UK

London's Housing Market Now Swallowing-Up Commercial Uses

A proposed extension of a 2013 law allowing commercial conversion to residential uses is threatening to "accelerate the hollowing out" of London.

October 28, 2015 - The Guardian

Brownstone brownhome

The Conflicting Goals of America's Housing Policy

Current housing policies at the local and national level have tried to make housing more affordable while at the same time increasing the value of homes, recognizing them as a personal investment.

October 18, 2015 - City Observatory City Commentary

Yonkers

What 'Show Me a Hero' Teaches About Segregation and Race

David Simon believes the events depicted in his new HBO mini-series were the result of a history of systematic hyper-segregation in America. HUD Secretary Castro agrees.

October 1, 2015 - The Washington Post - Wonkblog

New York Unlikely to Receive Federal Support in Solving Housing Crisis

Crain's New York Business examines recent statements by New York Planning Commission Chair Carl Weisbrod about the need for federal support if New York is to hit its affordable housing targets.

March 25, 2015 - Crain's New York Business

Salt Lake City Launches '5,000 Doors' Initiative for Affordable Housing

Over a quarter of families in Salt Lake City pay half their income on rent, and between 2000 and 2011, median home values increased by 47 percent.

February 10, 2015 - Next City

Apartments for rent signage

Overcoming the Myths of the Rental Housing Market

A recent study called “America’s Rental Housing: Evolving Markets and Needs” by the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard smashes myths about the rental market—of particular importance given the recent rise in rents around the country.

February 14, 2014 - Sustainable Cities Collective

U.K. Coalition Government Split Over Garden Cities Report Publication

The leader of the Liberal Democrats, half of the UK's coalition government, accuses the Conservatives of withholding a report that identifies sites for two new towns in 'safe' Conservative regions.

January 14, 2014 - BBC News

Prediction for UK Home Price Increases Stokes Fears of a Bubble

By the end of 2013, the British real estate website Rightmove expects house prices to have risen six percent as Chancellor George Osbourne defends a government scheme many blame for fueling the rise.

September 18, 2013 - The Guardian

Dangerous, But Useful: Illegal Apartments

Illegal apartments present a quandary for the city of New York: they increase the danger of fire, but also provide needed shelter that couldn't be found elsewhere. Some experts think a path to legalization could work.

November 8, 2011 - City Limits

Investing In Affordability For Economic Development

Is a $50,000 annual income wealth or poverty in North America? By historical or international standards such an income should be considered wealthy and luxurious, but most people I know consider it poverty because of the high cost of living.

March 10, 2009 - Todd Litman

Obama About to Announce Housing Plan

David Axelrod, senior White House aide to President Obama, announced this morning that the President is about to present a new plan for to halt foreclosures and stop falling real estate prices.

February 15, 2009 - The Wall St. Journal

A Reckoning For The Ideology Of Homeownership

Dean Baker of the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) chastises those whom he calls the "homeownership ideologues" for promoting homeownership to lower income households.

April 22, 2008 - Truthout

Congress Eyes Federal Assistance for Homeowners

Congressional leaders are preparing to propose dramatic new federal initiatives to help homeowners squeezed by the mortgage crisis. Most Republicans -- and the White House -- remain unconvinced that a federal role is appropriate.

April 1, 2008 - Yahoo! News

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