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Housing Affordability Crisis
State Lawmakers Join Fight Against Wall Street Landlords
Pushback against hedge funds buying and renting out single-family houses grows as elected officials in a handful of state legislatures seek to curb the trend amid the housing affordability crisis.
Fair Housing Cannot Take a Back Seat to ‘Build, Baby, Build’
If we overlook fair housing principles in the plan to build US housing back better, we risk ending up right back where we started.
Soaring Property Insurance Rates Threaten Affordable Housing Development
Rapidly rising insurance premiums are forcing affordable housing developers to cut back on programming, lay off staff, and even sell. To add insult to injury, some insurers also seem to be adding penalties or withdrawing coverage for housing voucher holders.
Majority of US Home Listings Are Unaffordable
Just 15.5 percent of homes for sale in 2023 were affordable for the average earner, but there could be hope for 2024.
Alexandria Draft ‘Zoning for Housing’ Plan Would End Single-Family Zoning
Alexandria planners have revealed a draft plan that would eliminate single-family zoning citywide.
HUD Updates Fair Market Rate Definition
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced two actions last week intended to expand the reach of federal housing voucher programs.
Quantifying the Potential of California’s ‘Yes in God’s Backyard’ Bill
A new report estimates that 171,000 acres of land would be available for housing development if California approves SB 4, Affordable Housing on Faith and Higher Education Lands Act of 2023.
Austin’s ‘Affordability Unlocked’ Initiative Faces Lawsuit
A group of 18 plaintiffs is suing to overturn the city of Austin’s “Affordability Unlocked” planning initiative.
Iowa City Hopes Zoning Amendments Will Increase Housing Supply, Diversity
Iowa City is planning ahead to ensure that housing supply keeps up with housing demand.
Kingston, New York Goes 100 Percent Form-Based for its New Code
Kingston recently adopted a form-based code, taking the rare step to entirely replace its old zoning code with form-based standards while also repealing parking requirements and allowing accessory dwelling units and missing middle housing.
What Happened to the Tiny Homes Revolution?
Tiny homes were one of the hot button topics of the previous decade. In 2023? Not so much.
Missing Middle Housing Reforms Coming to East Tennessee
With the cost of housing around Knoxville, Tennessee rising, elected officials and political candidates are looking for new ways to allow residential density.
The ‘Lock-In Effect’ Keeping Home Prices High
Housing prices dropped slightly last year, but first-time and middle-income buyers found little price relief due to the “lock-in effect” of the historically low interest rates in effect for more than a decade prior to 2022.
Rent Control Approved for Montgomery County
The Montgomery County Council has approved a new law that sets limits on how much landlords can raise rents from year to year.
New Haven Housing Authority Proposes Zoning Reforms, Land Tax
While the Connecticut State Legislature stalls on zoning reform, a local housing authority in the state is recommending an ambitious package of pro-development, supply-side policy changes to mitigate the cost of housing in the state.
Hawaii Governor Wipes Away Regulatory Barriers to Housing With the Stroke of a Pen
The governor of Hawaii is using emergency powers to remove barriers to housing construction.
Cincinnati First City in Ohio to Legalize Accessory Dwelling Units
The Queen City achieved an historic day for planning in the state of Ohio.
Albuquerque Poised to Legalize Accessory Dwelling Units
Allowing ADU construction on parcels previously zoned exclusively for single-family detached housing is one component of the Housing Forward ABQ initiative, a larger effort to reform zoning practices in Albuquerque.
Lack of Multi-Family Zones Contributes to Nashville’s High Housing Costs, Study Says
Nashville and surrounding communities allow for a relatively small amount of multi-family housing, according to a new zoning atlas of Middle Tennessee. A regionally focused nonprofit is using the atlas to push for zoning reforms.
Where Permissive Zoning Codes Slowed Rent Growth
Recent analysis from the Pew Research Center identifies more support for zoning reform as a tool for maintaining the affordability of rental housing in U.S. cities.
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
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.
