Research continues to show that adjusting parking requirements to align with demand can lower the cost of housing.

A new study from the Rutgers Center for Real Estate reveals that New Jersey renters could save more than $1,000 on their rent costs each year of the city aligned its parking requirements with the number of vehicles residents actually own, reports Kea Wilson in Streetsblog USA.
Other research bears this out. “According to the Parking Reform Network, other studies have found that eliminating all parking requirements can decrease rents and mortgages by $200 to $500 a month, depending on how and where those spots are built.” Limiting parking would also reduce the amount of impermeable surfaces that prevent proper stormwater drainage and increase the urban heat island effect.
Studies like this are important because parking mandates often become a hot-button issue for local policymakers. As Wilson points out, “That doesn't mean, of course, that relaxing parking minimums will be politically easy. New Jersey, like many U.S. states, gives municipalities the power to set local zoning codes as long as they comply with overarching state laws.” But the growing body of research can contribute to a better public understanding of the high cost of parking requirements.
FULL STORY: How Even Modest Reductions in Parking Can Slash Your Rent

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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