housing affordability

Cities tend to attract Millennials, but as the saying goes, when they get older and start families, off they go to the suburbs! Seattle developer and author A-P Hurd promotes parking unbundling as a key strategy enabling families to remain in cities.

August 11, 2014 - CityLab

Everyone knows a Millennial-friendly neighborhood when they see one, but which places are most friendly to the wallets of Millennials?

August 3, 2014 - RealtyTrac

The "9x18" design team (named after the dimensions of a standard parking space) has evaluated and reimagined New York's parking regulations so they reflect actual parking demand and support affordable housing goals.

July 30, 2014 - Architizer

Aaron M. Renn has written a scathing review of the state of affairs in Rhode Island, which he describes as a result of decades of unfettered "blue state" policies.

June 10, 2014 - City Journal

Boston is experiencing a period of brisk residential construction—most of which will enter the luxury market. New Mayor Martin Walsh has set the creation of middle class housing as a top priority for the city.

May 28, 2014 - Boston Globe

The Google Bus protests got the media’s attention, and the Ellis Act has politicians' attention, but the Bay Area’s current tech-housing-gentrification crisis is a big, complicated mess.

April 16, 2014 - TechCrunch

Critics argue that smart growth reduces housing affordability. Their criticisms are partly legitimate and largely wrong, based on incomplete and biased analysis.

April 14, 2014 - Todd Litman

As coastal real estate markets—especially in California—grow more expensive, it’s harder for teachers to afford a home. A recent article breaks down the affordability of homes for teachers around the country.

March 18, 2014 - The Wall Street Journal

A recent report from the National Housing Conference has moderately good news about the housing market—in many states, the number of working households “severely cost-burdened” by the cost of housing dipped slightly in 2012.

February 21, 2014 - Governing

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has set a lofty goal of creating or preserving 200,000 units of affordable housing in New York City. How can the mayor's team deliver on that promise?

February 20, 2014 - Edward Poteat

Low-income Canadians who depend on subsidized housing will face uncertainty in the coming years as federal funding agreements come to a close. Ottawa has, as of yet, no plans to renew them.

December 16, 2013 - The Globe and Mail

New research by the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) indicates that the percentage of average household income required to cover home payments has increased in the last two quarters as a result of both higher prices and interest rates.

November 30, 2013 - The Huffington Post

As housing (un)affordability continues to plague Canada’s big cities, some would-be city dwellers are looking to the suburbs to meet the budget. Using a hypothetical Toronto couple as its basis, number-crunching suggests little long-term savings.

October 11, 2013 - The Globe and Mail (Toronto)

OPB investigates the flood of new apartment buildings going up in downtown Portland and finds that two-thirds lack any motor vehicle parking - which is great for renters without cars seeking affordable housing, but can anger the neighbors.

August 19, 2012 - Oregon Public Broadcasting

Nate Berg reports on information compiled in the 8th Annual Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey, and asks to what extent the affordability of housing is tied to land use policies and how much is related to other factors.

January 25, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

A new report from NYU's Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy reveals that the parking minimums required for new developments are a significant part of why housing in New York is so expensive.

February 13, 2011 - Streetsblog

The housing affordability rule of thumb is that you should not pay more that 30% of your income in rent or mortgage payment. Yet that ratio doesn't include the transportation costs that vary by community. What would it be if it was included?

May 12, 2010 - The Arizona Republic

How can one measure the housing affordability of a city or region?  One common option is to focus on a region’s median home price (or the median home price divided by median income).  I’ve used this method myself, and regional medians will often be the best tool available. But sometimes, this method leads to absurd results.  For example, the median home price for metropolitan Atlanta is $150,000, which makes Atlanta seem like a remarkably affordable housing market.(1)

May 5, 2010 - Michael Lewyn

CNN ranks 10 American cities according to housing affordability, and finds that foreclosures, median incomes and the availability of developable land all influencing housing affordability.

February 18, 2010 - CNN Money

 As the economy continues to lumber through the most protracted period of recession since the early 1980s, the financial sector has received the brunt of the blame. It’s been easy for the planning profession to distance themselves from what seem at first to be macroeconomic trends. That view, however, is becoming increasingly difficult to uphold.

March 7, 2009 - Samuel Staley