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.
When Borders Blur: Regional Collaboration in Action
As regional challenges outgrow city boundaries, “When Borders Blur” explores how cross-jurisdictional collaboration can drive smarter, more resilient urban planning, sharing real-world lessons from thriving partnerships across North America.
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.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Restaurant Patios Were a Pandemic Win — Why Were They so Hard to Keep?
Social distancing requirements and changes in travel patterns prompted cities to pilot new uses for street and sidewalk space. Then it got complicated.
Map: Where Senate Republicans Want to Sell Your Public Lands
For public land advocates, the Senate Republicans’ proposal to sell millions of acres of public land in the West is “the biggest fight of their careers.”
Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.
San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.
California Homeless Arrests, Citations Spike After Ruling
An investigation reveals that anti-homeless actions increased up to 500% after Grants Pass v. Johnson — even in cities claiming no policy change.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
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