Requiring all cities and towns to building affordable housing is bad policy. The focus should be on building housing in existing urban areas near jobs and transit, not in rural and suburban towns.
"The conflict between two competing and legitimate needs - low- and moderate-income housing and breathing room - is a national problem. Anyone who drives into rural areas of Pennsylvania, New York and other northeastern states is struck by the number of houses mushrooming on what just a few years ago were huge stretches of farmland.
Under New Jersey's plan, which could take effect in October, one unit of affordable housing would have to be built for every five units of market-rate housing. The current required ratio is one for every eight. Commercial developers, meanwhile, would be required to provide one new affordable housing unit for every 16 jobs generated by commercial development. Both requirements could go a long way toward meeting the state's need for at least 115,000 new affordable housing units.
The downside is that the rules will put more pressure on rural towns to build housing: assigning them an "obligation" for new affordable units within their borders. That makes little economic sense. Many small towns offer no real job opportunities and no public transportation to places where the jobs exist."
FULL STORY: Affordable Housing, at a Price

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
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