The affordability crisis continues to impact American households across the board, with 16 percent of listings affordable to the average household.

An article by Gabriella Cruz-Martinez in Yahoo Finance highlights how the housing crisis disproportionately impacts Black and Latino households. According to research from Redfin, “The average Black household could afford just 7% of listings for sale last year on a median income, while white households could afford 22% of listings. The share was nearly as bad for Latino households, which could afford just 10% of homes for sale.”
Across the country, only 16 percent of homes were affordable to the average homebuyer, ethnicity notwithstanding, a drop of 41 percent since 2022. In some of the most expensive markets like Anaheim, California, affordability rates are below 0.5 percent for Black and Latino households and 2 percent for white households. “At a national level, an average homebuyer in 2023 had to earn an annual income of at least $109,868 if they were aiming to spend under 30% of their income on a monthly mortgage payment for a median-priced home.”
The prognosis is less grim for 2024, as rent prices have started to decrease, but average rent costs remain above pre-pandemic levels. “According to Redfin, the increase in housing supply throughout 2024 and a burst of new construction could cause prices to drop by 1% on average by year-end.”
FULL STORY: Lack of affordable homes for sale hits minorities hardest, analysis shows

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

San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.

The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs
The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.

Trump Approves Futuristic Automated Texas-Mexico Cargo Corridor
The project could remove tens of thousands of commercial trucks from roadways.

Austin's First Single Stair Apartment Building is Officially Underway
Eliminating the requirement for two staircases in multi-story residential buildings lets developers use smaller lots and more flexible designs to create denser housing.

Atlanta Bus System Redesign Will Nearly Triple Access
MARTA's Next Gen Bus Network will retool over 100 bus routes, expand frequent service.
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.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)