Housing

Bend First to Comply With Oregon's Statewide Upzoning Law
Oregon made history in 2019 by being the first state to adopt statewide legislation to end single-family zoning. Now, Bend is the first city of more than 25,000 people to comply with that historic legislation.

Smart Growth Loves Heatmaps
Smart growth can provide many important benefits that are easy to see using informative and beautiful heatmaps—our complex world as viewed by all-knowing gods.

Light Upzoning in North Dallas Spurs Backlash
The City Council's decision to allow increased density for a development of single-family homes has received strong opposition from neighbors.

The End of Single-Family Zoning in California
Despite a few high-profile failures, the California State Legislature has approved a steady drumbeat of pro-development reforms that loosen zoning restrictions. The state raised the stakes on its zoning reforms this week.

Nation's First 'Zero-Driving Community' Takes Shape in Tempe
Slated to open in 2022, Culdesac Tempe contractually forbids personal vehicles from parking within a quarter-mile radius of the project site.

Candyman's Real Horror: American Public Housing Policy
The new film, set in one of America's most notorious public housing projects, highlights the failure of affordable housing policy and its impact on Black communities.

California Won't Extend Eviction Moratorium
State lawmakers did not extend the state's eviction ban, which ends on September 30, putting the future of hundreds of thousands of households in jeopardy.

Austin 'Right to Return' Policy Implemented for the First Time
A North Austin development will be the first approved under the city's new Right to Stay and Right to Return policies, aimed at preventing displacement in gentrifying neighborhoods.

One Quarter of Washington State Renters Fear Eviction
State data show more tenants expect eviction in the coming months even as the state struggles to disburse rental assistance funds.

Study: Market-Rate Development Filters Into Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing
New research sheds new light on one of the most hotly debated questions in planning and development.

What We Really Mean When We Say Gentrification
The focus on gentrifying communities has, in many cases, eclipsed the similar problems facing more stagnant neighborhoods.

Sports Stadiums as a Battleground for Affordable Housing
Thanks to new enforcement powers, California's Department of Housing and Community Development can now cite cities for failing to meet affordable housing requirements in stadium redevelopment projects.

Racial Bias Still Rampant in the Mortgage Industry
New research that controls for financial factors the industry said would explain disparities shows that race still plays a major role in loan decisions.

TOD Plans Take Shape in Prince George's County
The historically car-dependent county is hoping the planned revitalization of the Blue Line Corridor will boost the local economy and help maintain affordable housing.

A Stark Picture of the Climate Gap in the Coachella Valley
In the low desert of Southern California, dwindling water supplies and a lack of infrastructure funding pose major challenges for working-class communities struggling to survive.

Plan Would Add Thousands of New Black, Latino Homeowners in Milwaukee
A new plan to add 18,000 affordable housing units in Milwaukee is the latest in a string of efforts by the city to ensure housing affordability to all income levels and address the racial homeownership gap in the city.

St. Paul Voters Could Pass the Nation's Strictest Rent Stabilization Ordinance
The extremely strict proposal would eliminate sharp rent increases, but could stifle housing construction and worsen the city's housing crisis.

Why Tech-Utopian City Plans Fail
Like others before him, e-commerce billionaire Marc Lore wants to build the ideal city from scratch. Urban experts don't have much faith in his chances.

The Pandemic Effect: Landlord Edition
A new survey highlights the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on small landlords, who provide much of the nation's low-cost rental housing.

Mobile Home Parks Becoming Unaffordable as Investors Buy Up Properties
Longtime residents of mobile home parks are seeing their land rents go up as corporate investors seek to increase profits, aided in part by federally-backed loans.
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