The city council approved the first loan for an affordable housing effort championed by Mayor Cherelle Parker.
The Philadelphia City Council approved a $800 million loan that will kick off the city’s Housing Opportunities Made Easy initiative, a plan to create or preserve 30,000 housing units, reports Aaron Moselle in WHYY.
The program includes increased funding affordable housing preservation and production as well as a home repair program and eviction prevention assistance. “Under the legislation, 90% of funding for the Basic Systems Repair Program and the Adaptive Modifications Program will go to households earning up to 60% of area median income, or about $71,640 annually for a family of four.”
The vote comes after months of wrangling over the finer details of the plan. The first annual budget for H.O.M.E., approved in December, “calls for $277 million in spending for more than two dozen programs for renters and homeowners, many of which already exist. ”
Read the full story: Philly City Council vote unlocks $800M for housing, shifting more aid to lowest-income residents
Quantifying the Impact of Pandemic Housing Assistance
The massive federal injection of funding into housing programs has had major impacts on many Americans’ ability to stay housed and out of debt, but fears loom as the end of some funding sources nears.
Cleveland program has housed 200 people since 2024
The A Home For Every Neighbor initiative successfully moves people into housing in under two weeks.
NYC expands housing vouchers by $175M in new budget
Mayor Mamdani agreed to drop an Adams-era lawsuit that attempted to block the expansion of the voucher program.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
Chicago Avenue bridge construction delays enrages city leaders
The bridge has been closed since 2025. The city originally aimed to re-open it in December, and now expects to finish construction in 2027.
NYC bus network redesign speeds up Queens buses
Rush routes have seen a 4.6% speed increase after the redesign.
California High-Speed Rail Authority picks trainset manufacturer
The California High-Speed Rail Authority aims to start servicing passengers by 2033.
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.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority