Cities have a one-time chance to acquire new land for development in a bid to increase housing supply and affordability.

Last week, the Oregon legislature passed a bill that, among other things, revises the state’s landmark urban growth boundary law that dates back to 1973.
As Sarah Marx explains in Housing Wire, “The newly approved bill grants cities a one-time exemption from long-standing regulations to acquire new land for housing developments. In exchange, it requires that 30% of new units in expansion zones meet the definition of affordable housing.”
The exemption comes with some caveats: rentals and homes for sale in newly acquired areas must remain affordable for 60 years. “Beyond land use revisions, the comprehensive housing package allocates more than $370 million for infrastructure projects, such as water and sewer systems. Additionally, funds will be allocated toward homeless shelters and eviction prevention measures.”
FULL STORY: Oregon tweaks restrictive land use law to address housing shortage

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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