A guide to affordable housing definitions and federal housing assistance programs.

A primer by Rory Arnold on the Quicken Loans website outlines the sometimes squishy definitions of affordable housing and how federal, state, and local governments address housing affordability at the policy level.
The article includes the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)’s definition of affordable housing — housing that costs no more than 30 percent of the household’s gross monthly income including utilities. The standard is intended to leave households with enough income for other necessities.
Affordable housing income limits, dictated by area median income (AMI), are another way government programs allocate assistance. “Affordable housing programs typically are designed to make buying a home more affordable for borrowers with limited income. Your income cannot exceed 80% of the AMI where you live in order to be eligible for many affordable housing programs.” In some cases, the high AMI in an area means that households with the lowest incomes get left out of housing assistance programs.
The article also outlines various federal loan and assistance programs aimed at homebuyers, as well as rental assistance programs such as the Housing Choice Voucher Program, and includes a checklist for finding and applying for affordable housing programs.
FULL STORY: What Is Affordable Housing? A Complete Guide

Good Planning Under Bad Leadership
Planners must sometimes work under bad leadership. Here are suggestions for responsive planning in challenging political environments.

Amtrak Cascades Line Breaks Ridership Record
The route linking Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver, BC served nearly one million riders in 2024.

Legendary Parking Guru Donald Shoup Dies at 86
Urbanists are mourning the loss of a dynamic voice for parking reform and walkable cities.

LA County Leaders Seek to Increase Penalties for Rent Gouging
Landlords who raise rents sharply after disasters could face fines of up to $50,000.

How ‘Anti-DEI’ Efforts Impact Sustainable Transportation Studies
Research into accessibility, transit equity, and traffic safety is losing federal funding at an alarming rate.

River Seine ‘Teeming’ With Life
Decades of restoration efforts are yielding positive results as dozens of species of fish return to the once-polluted waterway.
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.
City of Brookings
City of White Salmon
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
M-NCPPC Prince George's County Planning Department
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service