A case study emerging from the Brookings Institution’s Community of Practice on Regional Housing Solutions.
Margaret Kaplan, community development director of the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency, writes the latest installment of a series of articles on the Brookings Institutions website that highlights innovative strategies and tools designed to help increase and diversify the supply of quality rental housing in opportunity and priority reinvestment areas.
Kaplan is sharing information about Minnesota’s Consolidated Request for Proposals—"an initiative that brings together multiple funding partners to advance state and regional housing priorities" and has funded $298.9 million in investment from Minnesota Housing and partners in the past years, "resulting in $883 million in housing development activity for the creation or preservation of 5,074 affordable housing opportunities."
Kaplan shares more of the history of the Consolidated Request for Proposals since its creation in 1994, it's key characteristics, and the changes implemented over the years.
FULL STORY: The state’s role in financing regional housing priorities: Minnesota’s Consolidated RFP
Minnesota Investing $346 Million in Affordable Housing
A $988 million bonding bill approved by Minnesota state legislators earlier this year is paying off in funding for affordable housing projects around the state.
Preserving Houston’s ‘Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing’
Unsubsidized, low-cost rental housing is a significant source of affordable housing for Houston households, but the supply is declining as units fall into disrepair or are redeveloped into more expensive units.
Boston Affordable Housing Program Meets 1,000-Unit Goal
The program offers zero-interest loans to developers that keep rental units affordable for at least 50 years.
Florida Considers Legalizing ADUs
Current state law allows — but doesn’t require — cities to permit accessory dwelling units in single-family residential neighborhoods.
HUD Announces Plan to Build Housing on Public Lands
The agency will identify federally owned parcels appropriate for housing development and streamline the regulatory process to lease or transfer land to housing authorities and nonprofit developers.
Conservatives’ Decongestion Pricing Flip-Flop
When it comes to solving traffic problems, the current federal administration is on track for failure, waste, and hypocrisy.
Can Geothermal Energy Fuel Hawaiʻi’s Future?
Gavin Murphy, a New Zealand-based consultant with experience in indigenous-led geothermal projects, argues that Hawaiʻi is poised to achieve energy independence and economic growth by respectfully developing its untapped geothermal resources.
Climate Gardening: Cultivating Resilient Landscapes in Los Angeles
TreePeople’s 4th Annual Urban Soil Symposium explored how climate gardening, soil health, and collaborative land management strategies can enhance urban resilience in the face of climate change.
Electric Surge: EV Chargers Outnumber Gas Nozzles in California
California now has 48% more electric vehicle chargers than gasoline nozzles, reflecting its rapid shift toward clean transportation and aggressive zero-emission goals despite federal pushback.
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