More Americans can’t afford decent housing.
Low interest rates and tax cuts on investment income for the wealthiest Americans has helped to push home ownership rates to the highest levels in U.S. history. Some 68 percent of American householders own their own homes. The number of new homes built in the United States annually has reached roughly 1.4 million, also a record. More than 40,000 new homes are built annually in Michigan, according to figures compiled by Michigan State University's Land Policy Program. Yet the mismatch between rising living costs and stagnant working wages also is pushing homeownership rates down in some states, including Michigan, and contributing to housing shortages. Some 73.8 percent of Michigan householders owned their homes in 2000, according to the U.S. Census, down from a record 74.4 percent in 1970. Michigan is one of 11 states that have seen homeownership rates decline since 1970.
Thanks to Keith Schneider
FULL STORY: America’s Fading Dream: Homeownership for Working People
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
Ohio Lawmakers Propose Incentivizing Housing Production
A proposed bill would take a carrot approach to stimulating housing production through a grant program that would reward cities that implement pro-housing policies.
Chicago Awarded $2M Reconnecting Communities Grant
Community advocates say the city’s plan may not do enough to reverse the negative impacts of a major expressway.
New Park Opens in the Santa Clarita Valley
The City of Santa Clarita just celebrated the grand opening of its 38th park, the 10.5-acre Skyline Ranch Park.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Town of Zionsville
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Planning for Universal Design
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