Budding developers can access funding and low-cost vacant lots for affordable housing construction.

A symposium organized by the Omaha Municipal Land Bank and the nonprofit Spark brought together local developers interested in developing infill properties, reports Cindy Gonzales in the Nebraska Examiner.
The symposium also connected emerging developers, bankers, architects, and others interested in housing development. According to Land Bank executive director Leslie Smith, encouraging infill development could have community benefits beyond just new housing, raising local property values. One such project, ‘Curtis Corner,’ built nine new homes on a formerly vacant lot in North Omaha.
The city recently sold 50 properties for as low as $1 with one catch: the new owners have a deadline to develop housing on the lots. “And as long as the homes are restricted for the designated income-qualified population, the buyer can access gap funding from nonprofit sources such as the local Spark Capital program to bridge the cost between construction and sale price.” The Land Bank is using a $1.25 million state grant to clean up and prepare 20 or more lots for building.
FULL STORY: Unprecedented moves seek to ramp up affordable housing options in Omaha

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

Congressman Proposes Bill to Rename DC Metro “Trump Train”
The Make Autorail Great Again Act would withhold federal funding to the system until the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), rebrands as the Washington Metropolitan Authority for Greater Access (WMAGA).

The Simple Legislative Tool Transforming Vacant Downtowns
In California, Michigan and Georgia, an easy win is bringing dollars — and delight — back to city centers.

The Small South Asian Republic Going all in on EVs
Thanks to one simple policy change less than five years ago, 65% of new cars in this Himalayan country are now electric.

DC Backpedals on Bike Lane Protection, Swaps Barriers for Paint
Citing aesthetic concerns, the city is removing the concrete barriers and flexposts that once separated Arizona Avenue cyclists from motor vehicles.

In These Cities, Most New Housing is Under 441 Square Feet
With loosened restrictions on “micro-housing,” tiny units now make up as much as 66% of newly constructed housing.
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