Housing

Dallas Plan Would Spend $400 Million to Support Affordable Housing
A proposed bond referendum would be the city’s largest-ever affordable housing investment.

North Carolina’s Triangle Faces Growing Pains
The region’s rapid growth and high housing costs are prompting a contentious debate over zoning changes that would boost density.

Upzoning Gutted From Colorado’s Statewide Housing Reform Effort
Colorado’s “More Homes Now” bill has been drastically reduced in scope and ambition, showing the contemporary zoning reform movement still has obstacles to overcome.

Wealthy Washington Neighborhoods Could Remain Untouched by Zoning Reforms
Neighborhoods with preexisting internal contracts are exempted from new legislation requiring all Washington cities to permit duplexes and other ‘missing middle housing.’

New York Mayor Proposes Zoning Amendments to Boost Housing Supply
After Governor Hochul’s statewide housing plan collapsed during budget talks, the city will weigh a series of zoning changes that could increase housing production and remove barriers to sustainability retrofits.

California Developments Wait Months for Power
In areas served by PG&E, new developments sometimes have to wait months before the utility will turn on the power, creating extra costs for builders and keeping new affordable housing units off the market.

St. Paul Apartment Construction Slows; Rent Control Under Scrutiny
Apartment permits declined by 48 percent in the past year in St. Paul. The city’s voters approved one of the nation’s most aggressive rent stabilization ordinances in November 2021.

New Zoning Category Proposed in Austin
The ‘town zoning’ category would create more flexibility and encourage developers to build more affordable, transit-oriented housing.

Cities Need More Family-Oriented Housing
For many young families, it’s simply impossible to find affordable housing in cities, leading them to the suburbs not by choice, but by necessity.

Restoring the Vacant Middle: Creating Middle Housing Through Historic Preservation
How flexible zoning in historic districts can support preservation and create affordable housing.

Gainesville Reverses Zoning Reforms, Reinstates Single-Family Zoning
The Florida city will be the first in the country to rescing zoning changes that would have created opportunities for a wider variety of housing options in residential neighborhoods.

Coronado Openly Flouts California Housing Law
The affluent island town has failed to submit a housing element that meets the state’s requirements for affordable housing production.

Zoning Reforms Slow to Benefit Renters
Households seeking lower-cost rental housing units are not seeing housing supply go up as quickly as higher-income families after upzoning.

Richmond Poised to Repeal Parking Minimums
The city’s planning commission recommended that the city council eliminate parking mandates that limit housing production and increase housing costs.

St. Paul To Consider ‘Missing Middle’ Upzoning
Facing an affordability crisis, the city will weigh zoning changes that would permit duplexes and other multifamily housing types in single-family neighborhoods.

The Myth of Local Control
One common argument against statewide zoning reform is that local control of zoning is a venerable democratic norm. But in fact, state government often controls local land use in a variety of ways.

Philadelphia Mayor Hopefuls Want More Affordable Housing on Vacant Lots
Many of the candidates agree that a slow, complex sales process and strong councilmanic prerogative hinder the development of city-owned lots.

How California’s Newest Housing Laws Could Affect Housing Production
While it’s too soon to assess the full effects of recently passed legislation on housing production in the state, planners and housing advocates express cautious optimism that the new laws could help alleviate the state’s housing shortage.

‘Missing Middle Housing’ Bill Passes in Washington Senate
The legislation would permit duplexes and, in some cases, fourplexes in residential areas in most Washington towns.

Eviction Protections Expire in Los Angeles County as Evictions Rise Around the U.S.
L.A.’s pandemic-era renter protections are credited with stabilizing homelessness in the region, but they ended at the end of March. Meanwhile, evictions are on the upswing around the country, led by L.A.’s neighbor to the east, Las Vegas.
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