With higher-valued properties under assessed and lower-valued properties over assessed, advocates say there's still a problem with Detroit's property tax system.
Despite the city's claims that Detroit’s property tax assessments are now accurate, advocates argue the system still overtaxes lower-valued homes — disproportionately harming Black homeowners and threatening generational wealth.
The article follows Tahira Ahmad, a lifelong Detroiter who claims she has overpaid more than $30,000 in taxes due to an overassessment. Her story reflects a larger crisis: between 2011–2015, over 100,000 Detroit homes were foreclosed due to unpaid property taxes — an issue a researcher calls “legal violence.”
Advocates are demanding reforms, compensation for overpaid taxes, and stronger oversight to address what they say is an ongoing injustice.
FULL STORY: Detroit Says Problems With Property Tax Assessments Are Fixed. Advocates Disagree
Richmond Program Promotes Black Homeownership
Economic Mobility and Black Homeownership Pilot identified barriers to homeownership and provides homebuyers with down payment assistance and counseling.
Closing the Homeownership Knowledge Gap
An Oakland program geared at Black homeowners wants to empower households to understand the opportunities in building and renting accessory dwelling units.
Report: Milwaukee Racial Homeownership Gap Increasing
The inequality in the city’s housing market is growing at a rate surpassing other peer cities.
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.
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.
Guerilla urbanists are building DIY bus stop benches in Chicago
A before-and-after of one of the bus stops with a new bench. The new benches are not officially sanctioned or permitted, but the residents who placed them hope they will be the start of a network of DIY benches across the city.
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