Housing advocates worry that, without government guardrails, buildings may not remain affordable or well-maintained in the long term.

“Across California, efforts to address the homelessness crisis by building more affordable housing with government money have been plagued by sky-high costs,” reveals an article by Christine Mai-Duc and Will Parkers in The Wall Street Journal, prompting some developers to forgo government subsidies to bring down construction costs for affordable housing.
“Some affordable-housing veterans worry whether privately funded construction can scale quickly enough to match the scope of the homelessness problem and whether its backers will maintain their commitments to serve the needy.” But developers argue sticking with private financing cuts millions in ‘soft costs’ and makes affordable housing production faster. “Advocates have also questioned how many buildings reliant on renters with housing vouchers can be sustained unless the federal government greatly increases funding for them.”
In California, recent legislation is making it easier for privately financed affordable housing developments to move forward. As the article points out, “Though construction doesn’t use public financing, many privately funded buildings would likely still depend on government funds to operate. Formerly homeless residents at SDS-financed properties, for example, are expected to use federal housing vouchers or other rental assistance to pay rent. The properties can also qualify for property-tax exemptions.”
FULL STORY: Why Private Developers Are Rejecting Government Money for Affordable Housing

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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