Per a 2017 state law, all cities and towns must submit plans for providing enough housing in their jurisdictions, but a lack of clarity and enforcement mechanisms gives the law little real power.
According to an article by Alex Putterman in The Register Citizen, 11 Connecticut cities failed to meet the state’s deadline to submit affordable housing plans. “Under a state law passed in 2017, towns and cities must submit affordable housing plans to the state at least once every five years and post them publicly online. The plans must ‘specify how the municipality intends to increase the number of affordable housing developments in the municipality,’ the law states.”
However, the law doesn’t include penalties for jurisdictions that don’t comply. “The law also provides few details on how towns should create their plans or how much affordable housing the plans should seek to generate, leading to wide variance in depth and quality from one town to the next.” Some of the 11 towns with missing plans are finalizing their strategies, while others have not committed to adopting a plan at all.
FULL STORY: Two years after deadline, these 11 CT towns still haven't submitted affordable housing plans
LA delays state housing mandate with 'low-rise ordinance'
The new ordinance allows the city to delay implementing SB 79, a state law requiring more density near transit.
San Diego wants to limit upzoning law to just 16% of transit-adjacent parcels
The city's planning director says some areas are unfit for immediate upzoning due to a lack of resources or hazards such as wildfire risk.
Five simple zoning changes that any city can make to increase housing affordability
Zoning for more affordable housing is not rocket science, says Donald Elliot, author of "An Even Better Way to Zone." Here’s his five-step guide to getting started.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin
People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.
US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico
A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.
5 New England states march closer to 800 megawatt wind energy project
Securing federal approval for the project may be complicated under the Trump administration, which has historically been hostile towards domestic wind power.
Baltimore to break ground on $50 million Transit Priority Project
The project will bring faster bus trips, safer streets and better bike connections to Baltimore.
Airbnb launches $250 million 'last-dollar financing' housing accelerator, makes first investment in Austin
The company will put $6.4 million towards affordable housing development in Texas’ capital.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association