The bill would have eliminated some parking requirements, legalized more types of affordable housing, and promoted increased housing production.

A bill that aimed to boost housing production by loosening zoning regulations did not pass out of the Arizona Senate, reports Kevin Reagan for 12News, giving in to pressure from local leaders. “Many cities publicly opposed SB 1117 because they believed the legislation would have taken away their ability to make important zoning decisions.”
In an opinion piece in The Independent, the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Steve Kaiser, explained that the bill would only apply to cities of over 25,000 and would not “eliminate single-family zoning,” a commonly cited fear during zoning reform debates. Kaiser argues that the bill “would make it possible to accomplish the necessity laid out by the Arizona Department of Housing: We must build 270,000 new homes to repair the massive shortfall currently being experienced in our housing market.” According to Kaiser, it would bring down rent costs and put homeownership within reach for more Arizonans. The bill proposed eliminating off-street parking requirements, permitting small-lot homebuilding, and streamlining development by eliminating municipal design review panels, and legalizing accessory dwelling units (ADUs).
Reagan writes that “Kaiser, a Republican representing District 2, said Monday he'll continue working on finding solutions to fix the housing crisis.”
FULL STORY: Arizona Senate rejects 'affordable housing' bill

New Florida Law Curbs HOA Power
The legislation seeks to cut down on ‘absurd’ citations for low-level violations.

New Tennessee Law Allows No-Cost Incentives for Affordable Housing
Local governments in the Volunteer State can now offer developers incentives like increased density, lower parking requirements, and priority permitting for affordable housing projects.

Planners’ Complicity in Excessive Traffic Deaths
Professor Wes Marshall’s provocatively-titled new book, "Killed by a Traffic Engineer," has stimulated fierce debates. Are his criticisms justified? Let’s examine the degree that traffic engineers contribute to avoidable traffic deaths.

Study: Housing Crisis is About Affordability, not Supply
New research shows that there is no overall shortage of housing units, but all U.S. metropolitan areas face a severe lack of affordable units for low-income renters.

Are Race-Based Lawsuits Affecting Community Lenders?
Shelterforce spoke with community lending leaders and experts about the current mood across the sector. What, if anything, are organizations doing to avoid becoming the next target of conservative activists?

New Park Promotes Community and Connectivity in Lewisville, Texas
The city of Lewisville just celebrated the opening of Glory Park/Parque la Gloria, helping to improve park access and the quality of life for residents.
City of Madera
City of Santa Clarita
Borough of Carlisle
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Colorado Energy Office
Pima County Community College District
City of Piedmont, CA
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