Experts on housing law discuss the potential repercussions of a recent Supreme Court decision that struck down the EPA’s authority in limiting greenhouse gas emissions. Could conservative judges apply the same rationale to limit HUD's authority?

Although the Supreme Court’s June decision in West Virginia v. EPA squarely focused on the federal government’s powers to combat climate change, the ruling sent a tremor though the lawyers and advocates who fight to make sure communities provide fair access to housing and work to desegregate their neighborhoods.
In a 6-3 vote, the court’s conservative majority struck down the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan, saying Congress had never given the EPA clear authority to limit greenhouse gas emissions. While the ruling was not unexpected, its dependence on a judicial theory called the “major questions doctrine” raised concerns that the conservative justices could use it to knock out other parts of the administrative state they disagree with.
The question of how much authority Congress can delegate to government agencies like the FDA and OSHA has come up in previous cases, but the EPA suit is the first where a majority decision explicitly cited the major questions doctrine.
In a dissenting opinion, Justice Elena Kagan argued that the Clean Air Act gives the EPA ample authority to regulate any air pollutants, including greenhouse gases, and cited the concept of Chevron deference, in which courts honor agency interpretations of ambiguous laws. But Chief Justice John Roberts rejected her take on the case, writing in the majority decision that “it is not plausible” that legislators gave...
FULL STORY: Could This Supreme Court Ruling Affect Fair Housing?

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.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking
Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

Cal Fire Chatbot Fails to Answer Basic Questions
An AI chatbot designed to provide information about wildfires can’t answer questions about evacuation orders, among other problems.

What Happens if Trump Kills Section 8?
The Trump admin aims to slash federal rental aid by nearly half and shift distribution to states. Experts warn this could spike homelessness and destabilize communities nationwide.

Sean Duffy Targets Rainbow Crosswalks in Road Safety Efforts
Despite evidence that colorful crosswalks actually improve intersection safety — and the lack of almost any crosswalks at all on the nation’s most dangerous arterial roads — U.S. Transportation Secretary Duffy is calling on states to remove them.
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.
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie