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.
Push and Pull: The Link Between Walkability and Affordability
The increased demand for walkable urban spaces could make them more and more exclusionary if cities don’t pursue policies to limit displacement and boost affordability.
HUD Plans to Revive Fair Housing Rule
The department is proposing an updated version of the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule, which requires local governments to take action to end residential segregation.
The Shifting Boomer Bulge: More Bad News for America’s Housing Crisis?
In the first of a two-part series, PlaceMakers’ Ben Brown interviews housing guru Arthur C. Nelson on the sweeping demographic changes complicating the housing market.
New York Governor Advances Housing Plan Amid Stiff Suburban Opposition
Governor Kathy Hochul’s ambitious proposal to create more housing has once again run into a brick wall of opposition in New York’s enormous suburbs, especially on Long Island. This year, however, the wall may have some cracks.
A Serious Critique of Congestion Costs and Induced Vehicle Travel Impacts
Some highway advocates continue to claim that roadway expansions are justified to reduce traffic congestion. That's not what the research shows. It's time to stop obsessing over congestion and instead strive for efficient accessibility.
Historically Redlined Neighborhoods Have Higher Rates of Pedestrian Deaths, Study Says
The consequences of historic redlining continue to have consequences in the present day United States. Add another example to the list.
Tolling All Lanes
Bay Area transportation planners are studying a radical idea to reduce traffic congestion and fund driving alternatives: tolling all lanes on a freeway. Even more radical, the plan considers tolling parallel roads.
Federal SMART Grants Awarded for Transportation Safety, Equity Projects
The grant program focuses on the use of technology to improve safety, accessibility, and efficiency in transportation.
City of Greenville
City of Greenville
Resource Assistance for Rural Environments (RARE) AmeriCorps Program
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact: Mobility, Community, Possibility
City of Spearfish
City of Lomita
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.
