Section 8

Suburban multi-family

How Federal Incentives Can Increase Access for Section 8 Recipients

Landlords are the focus of a proposed bill that would provide extra perks for accepting Housing Choice vouchers.

May 28, 2021 - Bloomberg CityLab

Singapore

What Are Housing Subsidies?

Housing subsidies can work in numerous ways, all with the common cause of easing the cost burdens of housing.

May 13, 2021 - James Brasuell

The Pioneer

Iowa Makes it Easier for Landlords to Reject Housing Vouchers

The state of Iowa's Republican leadership preempted local laws that prevent landlords from rejecting housing vouchers as rent payment.

May 4, 2021 - The Hill

Tassafaronga Village Oakland California

What Is Affordable Housing?

The term affordable housing refers to housing units that cost less than a predetermined percentage of household incomes. Planners use affordable housing as a general term to describe housing that doesn't put an excessive financial burden on occupants.

January 31, 2021 - Diana Ionescu

Skid Row Los Angeles

Lack of Federal and State Subsidies Slow Homeless Housing Development in L.A.

Developments funded by Los Angeles' Proposition HHH homeless housing bond has been delayed for three key reasons.

July 10, 2020 - Los Angeles Times

Basement Apartment

Boston's Deeply Discriminatory Rental Market Ignores Black Renters

A new study documents staggering racial bais in the Boston rental market and compares the racial disparities among prospective tenants seeking housing in 2018 and 2019.

July 7, 2020 - The Boston Globe

Austin Mixed-Use

Austin Housing Authority Acquires Units on the Private Market

In an unusual move, Austin's housing authority is buying apartments on the private market to rent to Housing Choice Voucher holders.

August 9, 2019 - Next City

Homeless Encampment

Los Angeles Clarifies and Strengthens Protections Against Source of Income Discrimination

Los Angeles officials hope a new law will cut off one of the city's pipelines to homelessness.

July 9, 2019 - Los Angeles Times

HUD

Local Public Housing Agencies Resist HUD's Proposed Section 8 Rule

A proposed rule to disqualify all families living with an undocumented person from receiving federal housing aid is available for comment. We know a few people who oppose the rule.

June 3, 2019 - Governing

Pruitt-Igoe

More Cities and Counties Arming Renters Against Source of Income Discrimination

St. Louis County is considering fair housing legislation that would prevent source of income discrimination, as many cities in the region have already done, and many more are also considering.

May 21, 2019 - St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Los Angeles Chinatown

Los Angeles May Bar Source-of-Income Housing Discrimination

Officials hope that improving access to housing for people who use voucher programs will help prevent homelessness in the city.

April 18, 2019 - LAist

Homelessness

The 'Latino Homeless Paradox'

The city of Philadelphia provides a case study of the so-called "Latino Homeless Paradox." There are many more low-income and homeless Latinos than reflected in the numbers of those using supportive services in the city.

January 20, 2019 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Washington, D.C.

Federal Shutdown Threatens Rental Assistance Program

The ongoing shutdown of the federal government could begin to have terrible consequences for some of the nation's most vulnerable populations.

January 13, 2019 - NBC

San Jose Arterial Street

Proposed Law Would Empower Section 8 Voucher Users

A law under consideration in San Jose would prohibit landlords from disallowing Section 8 voucher users, though landlords could still turn away renters based on other criteria.

December 15, 2018 - The Mercury News

On-Street Parking

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.

October 15, 2018 - The New York Times

Suburban Tract Homes

Austin's Waitlist for Housing Vouchers Only Opens Every Four Years

A chance to participate in a lottery, which gets winners on a waitlist for federal housing assistance, pops up on the calendar as frequently as the Summer Olympics.

September 20, 2018 - KUT

Southern California Coast

San Diego Called Out for Section 8 Housing Discrimination

San Diego was identified for its failure to enact a Section 8 housing discrimination ordinance in a recent American Bar Association article. Poverty law attorney Parisa Ijadi-Maghsoodi explains the situation.

July 25, 2018 - UrbDeZine

Denver, Colorado

Denver Law Would End Source-of-Income Discrimination

The law would prohibit Denver landlords from refusing Section 8 vouchers as rental payment.

July 5, 2018 - Denverite

Suburban Pittsburgh

After Legal Setback, Pittsburgh to Appeal 'Source of Income' Decision

Pittsburgh will continue its pursuit of a "source of income" law to protect against housing discrimination.

April 16, 2018 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The Mission

Equitable Development in the Mission District

A local nonprofit created a real estate development wing to stem the tide of displacement in San Francisco.

February 20, 2018 - Next City

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.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.