Housing

Photos: Why So Many Former Stores Are Now Homes in Washington, D.C.
If some residences look a little out of place in Washington, D.C., it may be because they were originally retail shops. A Tumblr is devoted to these homes, and the zoning laws that created them.

Opportunities for Urban Innovation in Houston
Kinder Institute director William Fulton discusses Houston's changing demographics and economic prospects. He sees the city as a place to pioneer and implement solutions to Sun Belt problems.

Report: Million Dollar Homes More Common Than You Might Expect
The share of homes with values topping $1 million rose from 1.6 percent to 3 percent nationwide between 2012 and 2016.

Is Supply Finally Coming to Rescue the Rental Market?
The relief that renters have been seeking might finally be on the way, if several market indicators are to be believed. If and when rent does fall, supply might have finally caught up with demand.

Comparing Housing Permits Around the Sun Belt
It might not come as a surprise, but the Sun Belt cities permitting fewer new single-family homes are the Sun Belt cities permitting fewer new homes.

California Governor Proposes Streamlined Affordable Housing Process
Rather than devoting more funds for affordable housing, California Governor Jerry Brown is supporting streamlined regulations, mandated by the state and enacted at the local level .

The eBay for Apartments Is Here
A San Francisco startup will allow landlords to auction long-term rental leases to competing bidders online.

30 San Francisco Media Outlets Collaborate on Homelessness
A media blitz scheduled for June 29, 2016 will offer an unprecedented display of "solutions-oriented journalism."

The Extent and Nature of Self-Help Housing in Texas: From Colonias to Model Subdivisions
Guest blogger Noah J. Durst writes about his new article in JPER.

Squatters Put Las Vegas Valley Residents on Edge
Squatters living in the Las Vegas Valley have taken over empty houses in struggling working-class neighborhoods and in upscale planned communities such as Summerlin.

Miami's Form Based Code Touted as New Urbanist Ideal
Miami 21 overhauled an 80-year old zoning code and replaced it with a New Urbanist-style form-based code that many credit as being the key to changing development in the city.

When Does Inclusionary Zoning Go Too Far? San Francisco Might Find Out
In June, San Francisco voters will consider a ballot initiative that will raise the affordable housing requirement of the city's inclusionary zoning from 12 to 25 percent. Even housing advocates are concerned Proposition C might go too far.

Digging Into D.C.'s Zoning Code Changes for Accessory Dwelling Units
Washington, D.C. approved a long-awaited new zoning code in January. Greater Greater Washington digs into one of the new code's more substantive changes: more permissive regulations for accessory dwelling units.

The New Mayor of London's Housing Manifesto
Newly elected Mayor Sadiq Khan created a housing manifesto while on the campaign trail. Its support of affordable housing development would be unique on this side of the pond.

New and Older Apartments Cater to Bike Riders—In a Big Way
Bike rooms for office buildings are hardly new. Now they are making their way into the New York City residential real estate market, big time. These rooms may come with bike repair equipment, and in some cases, the apartments may come with new bikes.

19 Mansions May Be Headed to Los Angeles Wilderness
A fight is brewing over a plan to build 19 luxury homes on an expanse of wilderness in Los Angeles' San Gabriel Mountains.
8 Ways Exclusionary Zoning Hurts Cities
The Sightline Institute tackles what may be "our most acute urban public policy challenge."

Only Public Housing Can Save the Housing Market Now
An article in The Nation rejects the notion that the market will solve the country's current affordable housing crisis.

Mapping Rental Prices Along New York's Transit Lines
A fun, if not conclusive, exercise in layering the country's most famous transit map with data from the real estate market.

New York Times Sees Malfeasance in Contracts for Deed
Contracts for deed are gaining popularity at investment firms that scooped up swaths of foreclosed properties during the Great Recession. The risk for buyers, however, smacks of the same misdeeds that created that historic crisis in the first place.
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