The agency will identify federally owned parcels appropriate for housing development and streamline the regulatory process to lease or transfer land to housing authorities and nonprofit developers.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Department of the Interior announced plans to build housing on federal lands to address the housing crisis, reports Rebecca Picciotto in The Wall Street Journal. “The two secretaries also vowed to streamline the regulatory process so building on a federal lands doesn’t get held up with environmental reviews, transfer protocols and other priorities, according to the announcement.”
However, just 7.3 percent of federal lands fall within major metro areas, where the housing crisis is most acutely felt. The action would have little impact in cities like New York, where just 3.4 percent of land is federally owned, but could significantly increase housing supply in states like Nevada and Utah.
The proposal faces some unique challenges. “In some areas, the surrounding infrastructure and zoning laws would have to allow for home building, or be changed to do so. President Trump’s plan would also contend with logistical and environmental challenges.” Some federal lands are in remote or sensitive areas that would be damaged by new infrastructure, which would also raise the cost of construction.
According to HUD, lands identified as appropriate for development would be leased or transferred to public housing authorities, nonprofits, or local governments. But the agency also left open the possibility it could “occasionally” be sold to private developers.
FULL STORY: Trump Wants to Build Homes on Federal Land. Here’s What That Would Look Like.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
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Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

In Both Crashes and Crime, Public Transportation is Far Safer than Driving
Contrary to popular assumptions, public transportation has far lower crash and crime rates than automobile travel. For safer communities, improve and encourage transit travel.

Report: Zoning Reforms Should Complement Nashville’s Ambitious Transit Plan
Without reform, restrictive zoning codes will limit the impact of the city’s planned transit expansion and could exclude some of the residents who depend on transit the most.

Judge Orders Release of Frozen IRA, IIJA Funding
The decision is a victory for environmental groups who charged that freezing funds for critical infrastructure and disaster response programs caused “real and irreparable harm” to communities.
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