The findings of the Housing Works survey, released earlier this month, suggest that the cost of housing is a pervasive concern among Americans, even if Americans aren't sure they support the kinds of measures necessary to improve the problem.
J.B. Wogan reports on the "How Housing Works" survey, conducted by Hart Research Associates on behalf of the MacArthur Foundation. The big take away from the study: " A majority of Americans (58 percent) think their state and local governments should do more to ensure communities have enough affordable housing."
"The survey's results also suggest that the insufficient supply of affordable housing isn’t just a problem for the urban poor. About 58 percent of respondents said they thought it would be difficult for a family of four earning $50,000 a year -- about twice the poverty line -- to find quality affordable housing in their communities. Even when accounting for the type of community (city, suburbs, small town or rural), the majority of respondents said it was challenging to find quality affordable housing to rent or buy."
But here's a catch: when it came to suggesting the types of changes necessary to increase the supply of housing in some areas, the study "suggests that communities aren’t supportive of changes to zoning that would allow for increases in supply to decrease the cost of units." In fact, "[more] respondents (52 percent) said they favored keeping the current zoning in place than removing regulations (36 percent) or doing both (9 percent)."
FULL STORY: Americans Say States, Localities Need to Do More to Promote Affordable Housing

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

Adaptive Reuse Will Create Housing in a Suburban Texas Strip Mall
A developer is reimagining a strip mall property as a mixed-use complex with housing and retail.

Study: Anti-Homelessness Laws Don’t Work
Research shows that punitive measures that criminalized unhoused people don’t help reduce homelessness.

In U.S., Urban Gondolas Face Uphill Battle
Cities in Latin America and Europe have embraced aerial transitways — AKA gondolas — as sustainable, convenient urban transport, especially in tricky geographies. American cities have yet to catch up.
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont