In Cambridge, Massachusetts, residents speak positively of the renovations to their public housing stock. The housing authority attributes its success to an innovative mix of RAD with other funding sources.
Cambridge, Massachusetts offers a compelling model for public housing preservation at a time when many housing authorities face shrinking federal support and deteriorating buildings. By combining RAD with Section 18, MTW flexibility, LIHTC, and ARRA stimulus funds, the Cambridge Housing Authority was able to renovate or rebuild more than 2,300 units while minimizing resident displacement and retaining long-term public control.
Residents report improved building systems, better comfort, and newly activated community spaces. Cambridge’s approach — layering funding tools strategically and maintaining strong tenant engagement — highlights what’s possible for other PHAs navigating aging housing stock and limited resources.
Read the full story: What We Can Learn From Cambridge’s Public Housing Overhaul
Long Island public housing applicants face longest wait times in America
Applicants to large, medium and small housing authorities in Long Beach all face exceptionally long waiting periods.
Book review: Co-ops, commons and the conundrum of cashing in on the American dream
Jonathan Tarleton’s "Homes for Living: The Fight for Social Housing and a New American Commons" shows what happens when a loophole in housing legislation opens the door to the privatization of a common good — and when an affordable home suddenly becomes a commodity.
Seattle social housing agency can now issue bonds
The new Seattle Social Housing Developer funds affordable housing through a tax on the city's highest-paying companies.
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.
Non-stop party: Chicago voters weigh permanent festival grounds
A stable place for bleachers, stages and drainage may streamline the setup and teardown of large events.
Metra may invest $9.1 billion in regional rail
The agency released a draft of a study examining potential ways to offer more frequent train service.
California city breaks ground on transit connector
The project includes three mobility hubs and a pedestrian bridge.
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