November Must-Reads: Top 10 Articles From Last Month

Waymo taxis spend close to half of their time driving around without a passenger. Santa Fe becomes the first U.S. city to tie minimum wage increases to rent. Elsewhere, cities and states are enacintg policies they hope will increase housing production and affordability. Nine states are settling a suit with a rent-setting software company, Baltimore eliminate parking requirements, and Albuquerque updates its traffic code for the first time in 50 years.

The full list of November’s most-read stories:

1. In Small Town Colorado, Rent is so High that Employees are Camping on Company Property

City officials in Buena Vista, Colorado are issuing permits that allow local employers to let workers live in RVs on their property.

2. Settlement in Multi-state Lawsuit Will Impose Strict New Limits on Rent-setting Algorithms

Nine states settled a $7 million lawsuit that will impose strict new limits on rent-setting software used by Greystar.

3. Maine Forces Cities to Allow at Least 2 ADUs on Residential Lots 

A new Maine law will bar municipalities from restricting ADUs in residential districts and limit other zoning restrictions, such as height limits, setbacks, and owner occupancy requirements for ADUs.

4. LGBTQ+ Groups Have Been Quietly Buying Property, Building Equity and Community 

Nonprofit LGBTQ+-serving organizations are turning flexible post-pandemic funding into long-lasting equity by buying properties, building community centers, and establishing affordable housing for community members.

5. Baltimore Seeks to Stem Population Loss by Eliminating Parking Requirements, Legalizing Single-Stair Buildings 

A set of zoning reform laws aims to encourage development by eliminating off-street parking requirements, removing the double stairwell requirement for some buildings, among other changes aimed at making it easier to increase density and develop infill sites.

6. A NYC Real Estate Giant is Auctioning off 5,000 Rent-Stabilized Units. Residents say They're Unliveable. 

Residents of a rent-stabilized Pinnacle Group property in New York City are warning potential buyers that decades of neglect have made the units “unlivable,”, with residents experiencing everything from broken elevators to mold and power outages. 

7. In the Nation’s Deadliest State for Pedestrians, Albuquerque Drivers Must Now Stop at Crosswalks for all Pedestrians 

In its first traffic code update in half a century, Albuquerque is now requiring all cars to stop at designated crosswalks for people crossing or waiting to cross. New Mexico ranks first in the nation for pedestrian traffic deaths.

8. Santa Fe Becomes First US City to Tie Minimum Wage to Rent 

Starting in 2028, Santa Fe, one of the nation’s priciest housing markets, will use a calculation that includes housing costs to establish its minimum wage.

9. Columbus Introduces New Rules Allowing ADUs in all Residential Districts

Columbus will now allow ADUs in all of the city’s residential areas.

10. California Data Reveals that Waymo Cars Spend Almost Half Their Time Driving Around Empty  

California Public Utilities Commission data breaking down how Waymo’s vehicles use their time reveals that they spend roughly 44.3 percent ‘deadheading,’ or driving around, with no passengers on board.