Housing

Stoops as a Respite in These Challenging Times
As New York City has shut down and people remain physically isolated, stoops provide spaces where residents can safely connect with others and the city itself.

How the Pandemic Is Stressing the Mortgage System
As the outbreak continues, the country’s housing finance system faces a number of serious threats and challenges.

Deciding Not to Rebuild After Climate-Related Disasters
Officials in cities along the East Coast are realizing that maybe they shouldn’t rebuild on land that repeatedly floods. But that’s easier said than done.

Multifamily Housing Industry Reacts to Congressional COVID-19 Package
The National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) and the National Apartment Association (NAA) on the law's impact on multifamily housing.

HUD Urged to Make Tenant Income Adjustments Automatic by April 1
Preventing catastrophe when eviction moratoriums lift requires major waivers and changes of policy—but ones advocates say are fully within HUD's power.

The Disruption of 'Safer at Home' for L.A.'s Unhoused
Alisa Orduña shares her insight on Santa Monica's COVID-19 response and the pandemic's disruption both on the lives of L.A.'s unhoused and the approach cities take towards crises of public health, safety, and wellbeing, going forward.

Disparate Impact Won't Save Us From Exclusionary Zoning
The Fair Housing Act (FHA) imposes liability upon landlords and governments whose policies have a discriminatory effect against racial minorities. However, the courts have interpreted this doctrine narrowly.

In Wyoming, Vast Open Spaces Meet Extreme Gaps Between Rich and Poor
The story of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, illustrates the class tensions that arise when an idealized vision of life close to nature butts up against the realities of wealth, privilege, and social inequality.

The Crisis Within the Crisis: Homelessness and Housing Pushed to the Brink by COVID-19
Cities, states, and the federal government are trying to prevent a repeat of 2008 while still facing the challenges of inequality and poverty that grew out of the previous recession.

L.A.'s Crackdown on McMansions Hasn't Stopped Them from Going Up
Legislation to stop construction of McMansions is being undermined by a zoning loophole.

Updated: $2 Trillion Federal Stimulus Includes Billions for Transit, Housing
The economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic has already hit public transit revenues hard, and the concerns of millions of renters around the country about how they'll afford to pay the rent are weighing heavily on the country.

Shelter in Place: Working in a Time of Isolation
Need some work-at-home tips from a veteran? Hazel Borys has eight to consider.

Building Better Multi-Family Housing for Less
New research examines ways multifamily housing costs can be reduced through design and construction decisions.

How Downtown L.A.'s First 'Re:Code' Community Plan Embraces Density and Affordability
Vince Bertoni addresses his city’s efforts to incentivize affordable housing and noted the responsibility shared at the state, regional, and local level for policy & regulatory change to incent provision of affordable housing.

Analyzing the U.S. Housing Market in the Early Days of COVID-19
The lessons of the 2008 housing market crash don't necessarily apply to the current situation.

The Historical Effect of Pandemics on the Economy and the Housing Market
Research into previous pandemics, like SARS in 2003, the Spanish Flu in 1918, and the early months of COVID-19 in China, offers insight into what to expect for the economy and the housing market during and after the current pandemic.

6 Zoning Keys for Effective Missing Middle Housing
The inventor of the term missing middle housing has advice on writing zoning codes that effectively deliver on the potential of the tool.

Economic Argument for Historic Preservation in L.A.: Older Housing is Affordable Housing
Donovan Rypkema and Adrian Scott Fine highlight myth-busting findings on the impacts of historic preservation overlay zones (HPOZs) on affordability, density, diversity, and economic resilience of neighborhoods across Los Angeles.

More Questions Than Answers in Real Estate
The effects of the coronavirus pandemic on the U.S. real estate market are only beginning to show, but renters, homeowners, landlords, lenders, and more need to prepare for the worst.

Mayor Lightfoot Expected to Push for Legal Coach Houses in Chicago
Mayor Lori Lightfoot is expected to introduce legislation that would relax zoning restrictions on coach houses, known widely as accessory dwelling units, in the city of Chicago.
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