Huntington Beach is one of a few cities that is weighing the option to purchase its own foreclosed properties, and eventually making them affordable housing.
"'From what I've heard I think it's a positive thing if we can get a house back in circulation,' said Huntington Beach Mayor Keith Bohr. 'They're just there vacant open to vandalism and not maintained. That's not good for anybody.'
Some local real-estate experts think the program is worth considering. However, they question the execution of such a program, wondering whether taxpayers would truly benefit in the long run.
'I think it's a great idea,' said Dennis C. Smith, mortgage broker and co-owner of Stratis Financial in Huntington Beach. 'My concern is they're putting people into homes that can afford to buy them '
He suggested city officials follow Habitat for Humanity's model.
'They get low interest rate loans, the families have to spend so many hours working on the homes (or) if there's some way the city can extract some pound of flesh back to the community,' Smith said.
FULL STORY: Surf City may buy & sell foreclosed homes
Federal Court Dismisses Huntington Beach Housing Lawsuit
A federal judge on November 13 dismissed a lawsuit the Orange County city filed against the state and the Southern California Association of Governments in March in an attempt to exempt itself from state housing laws.
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.
Energy Reliability Vs. the Environment
A controversial but unanimous vote by California officials last week to keep three older, coastal natural gas power plants operating beyond their termination dates shows that environmental protection takes a back seat to keeping the lights on.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.
San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.
Defunct Pittsburgh Power Plant to Become Residential Tower
A decommissioned steam heat plant will be redeveloped into almost 100 affordable housing units.
Trump Prompts Restructuring of Transportation Research Board in “Unprecedented Overreach”
The TRB has eliminated more than half of its committees including those focused on climate, equity, and cities.
Amtrak Rolls Out New Orleans to Alabama “Mardi Gras” Train
The new service will operate morning and evening departures between Mobile and New Orleans.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont