Housing

Vancouver Launching its First Citywide Plan Since 1928
The Vancouver City Council decided to launch a new housing vision for the British Columbia city. Planners will have their work cut out for them balancing all the stakeholders in the expensive city.

How San Francisco Ran Out of Affordable Housing Funds, and What to Do About It
Analysis and policy recommendations from Bay Area-based think tank SPUR focuses on how poorly designed inclusionary zoning the exact opposite of the desired effect.

Kansas City Trying New Approaches to Affordable Housing
After years of neglecting its affordable housing policy, Kansas City is developing a new five-year vision on policy matters like a public-private trust fund and inclusionary zoning.

Flood Risk and Community Resiliency
An analysis of how flooding, the most frequent and costliest natural disaster in the U.S., will cause stress to the housing market in coming decades.

Airbnb Suing Boston Over New Regulations
The front lines of the short-term rental wars shift to the city of Boston.

Speculation Leaves 50 Million Homes Empty in China
Experts say China has the highest vacancy rate on residential units of any country in the world. The roots of the problem lay in housing speculation, according to China's leaders.

Real Estate in the U.S.: More and More 'Million-Dollar Neighborhoods'
A new report from Trulia reveals the quickly increasing number of neighborhoods in the country that have a median home price touching seven figures.

Citing Lack of ADU Development, Ann Arbor to Refine its ADU Ordinance
After legalizing accessory dwelling units in 2016, the city of Ann Arbor hasn't added many accessory dwelling units. Some regulations designed to limit the number of ADUs developed have made the building type impossibly cost prohibitive.

Veteran Homelessness on the Rise Again in Expensive Cities
The news about veteran homelessness rising in expensive cities might come as a surprise, after years of reported progress.

Net-Zero Energy Homes Use Technology to Work With the Energy Grid
A housing development near Tampa will have high-tech smart homes with grid-optimized solar power.

New Urbanists and New Housing
The Charter of the New Urbanism favors infill development, yet new urbanists sometimes oppose infill, especially in historic urban areas. This post speculates on why that might be the case.

Granny Flats Take on the Los Angeles Homelessness Crisis
A program financed by Bloomberg Philanthropies will pay homeowners to build accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and rent them to the recently homeless.

Rent Control Rejected in California, But the Debate Is Far From Over
An opinion piece in CityLab reiterates the body of research showing evidence that rent control is not an effective tool in reducing housing costs.

Seeking Mixed-Income Housing Developers in Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia, South Carolina is concerned about the lack of affordable housing in its city, potentially making it difficult for fire fighters, teachers, and more to afford to live in the community.

Inclusionary Zoning Under Consideration in New Orleans
The New Orleans City Planning Commission recently released a report recommending three "potentially mandatory" inclusionary zoning initiatives. The city is working against a deadline from the governor.

San Francisco's Voter-Approved Tax to Aid the Homeless Could Face Litigation
In California, 60 percent of a public vote isn't usually enough to approve a new tax.

CDBG Funds Not Useful Focus for Zoning Reform
Linking zoning reform mandates to CDBG funding is not an effective way to change exclusionary zoning.

Election 2018 Results: Local and State Land Use, Transportation, Housing, and Infrastructure
Election results from every corner of the country.

New Vancouver Council Plotting to Rescind Recently Approved Zoning Changes
Local elections have consequences.

L.A. Decides to Keep Short-Term Rentals Out of Rent Controlled Apartments
A City Council decision on short-term rental regulations reverses the decision of the City Planning Commission.
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