The maintenance of existing affordable housing units often falls through the cracks as funding programs target new construction.
An article in The Real Deal highlights the efforts of Los Angeles city leaders to preserve existing affordable housing units, thousands of which are set to sunset from affordability requirements in 2027. “California’s Affordable Housing Preservation Notice Law requires property owners intending to exit an affordability program, including subsidy contracts, regulatory agreements or covenants, to provide sufficient advance notice to impacted residents and their local government.”
According to the city, there are two avenues for preserving these affordable units: “The first includes addressing the cost of preserving affordability by paying the difference between the cost of rent at the time of covenant creation, and current market rate rents.” The second option is performing maintenance and upgrades on existing buildings to keep them livable.
“City officials have identified four potential funding sources to expand affordable housing preservation, including the federal HOME program, the state Permanent Local Housing Allocation (Senate Bill 2) and Linkage Fee funds.” One roadblock is that some programs, like HOME, direct funds toward new construction rather than the preservation of existing housing.
Read the full story: LA officials consider how to preserve affordable housing
Vacant downtown LA office building will be transformed into 512 affordable homes
The World Trade Center will create hundreds of new apartments with rents starting as low as $937.
LA delays state housing mandate with 'low-rise ordinance'
The new ordinance allows the city to delay implementing SB 79, a state law requiring more density near transit.
LA Opposes California Bill to add Housing Next to Transit Hubs
In a narrow vote, the city council voted to oppose SB79, a bill that would bypass local zoning laws to allow denser development near transit stops.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Amtrak, CN end decades-long dispute with eight-year agreement
The new operating agreement establishes an updated framework for the companies to work together, including processes to resolve disputes.
Nation's most wind-powered state turns to coal as data centers increase energy demand
For the first time in decades, Iowa has increased its generation of coal power.
Alabama scores up to $2.5 billion federal loan for largest infrastructure project in state’s history
The Mobile River Bridge and Bayway Project aims to ease congestion at Alabama’s worst bottleneck.
Trump is considering data centers on 6 states' public land — some state officials say they had no idea
If the administration approves the proposed projects, data center and data center-related developments will cover 17,600 acres of public land.
Despite court ruling, Trump is keeping nearly all wind projects in the US on hold
At least 110 wind energy projects have not heard from the government since a federal judge ruled that the Trump administration's freeze on wind turbine clearances was likely illegal.
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.
KFH Group Inc.
Greater Baltimore Committee
Eagle County Government
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello