The city worked with the owners of an apartment building to maintain lower rents so longtime residents would not be displaced after renovations.
"The City of Detroit is giving a $1.4-million tax subsidy to an apartment building owner to ensure special rent deals for about 45 low- and moderate-income tenants, who might otherwise be forced to leave the 18-story tower when it goes upscale," reports JC Reindl.
The Elmwood Club Plaza Apartments, a senior housing project funded by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, was built in the 1970s. Several years ago, the building’s units switched to market-rate rental apartments, and planned renovations have left longtime residents facing the possibility of huge rent increases.
A tax abatement will freeze property taxes at current rates and keep rents lower for current residents. "The arrangement at Elmwood Club is one result of Detroit officials' policy push in recent years to compel private developers to set aside portions of newly built or newly renovated apartment buildings — typically 20% — for tenants who can only afford cheaper rents," notes Reindl.
FULL STORY: Detroit uses landlord subsidy to save renters from gentrification
Charlotte Neighborhood Faces Uncertain Future
Neighborhoods like Cherry in the fast-growing city of Charlotte are faced with intense pressures in the real estate market. The city is scrambling to craft a plan that can leverage the city's assets to the benefit of the whole city.
Federal Resilience Program a Lifeline for Affordable Housing Providers
The little-known Green and Resilient Retrofit Program funds upgrades and repairs that improve efficiency and comfort in existing housing stock.
HUD: Homelessness Up by 12 Percent
The agency’s annual point-in-time count identified over 650,000 Americans living without permanent housing.
Seattle Legalizes Co-Living
A new state law requires all Washington cities to allow co-living facilities in areas zoned for multifamily housing.
NYC Officials Announce Broadway Pedestrianization Project
Two blocks of the marquee street will become mostly car-free public spaces.
The City of Broken Sidewalks
Can Los Angeles fix 4,000 miles of broken sidewalks before the city hosts the 2028 Olympic Games?
Southeast LA Road Safety Advocates Call for Improved Infrastructure
Streets in southeastern Los Angeles County have a severe lack of protected bike lanes and traffic safety measures, leading to high numbers of fatalities in a community where many residents depend on walking and biking for daily needs.
USDOT: Low-Income Households Bear Highest Transportation Cost Burden
Transportation costs are the second-highest household expenditure behind housing for all income levels.
Minneapolis Awards Affordable Housing Funds
The city awarded over $17 million to affordable housing construction and rehabilitation projects.
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.
Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization
Village of Glen Ellyn
City of Laramie
American Planning Association, Sustainable Communities Division
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Cambridge, Maryland
Newport County Development Council: Connect Greater Newport
Rockdale County Board of Commissioners