Recent figures from the U.S. Census Bureau show that poverty is at a high point in America. Hit especially hard is the Sun Belt.
With high foreclosure rates and troubled housing markets, Sun Belt cities are in a tough spot. As Next American City's Willy Staley writes, their future is unclear.
"It is of course no surprise that the poverty rates in the Sun Belt and California and Florida should outstrip the national average; these are the places where the cheap credit which bridged the gap between slow-growing middle-class wages and fast-growing real estate prices helped take our economy down. But these places, of course, were the boom-towns of our last economic expansion. This, I think, poses a real problem to recovery: if there was an inherent, structural flaw in our economy that led to the creation of these places, and if this recession is the market correcting itself, what will happen to these cities?"
FULL STORY: Rise in Poverty Hits Sun Belt Hard

Florida Considers Legalizing ADUs
Current state law allows — but doesn’t require — cities to permit accessory dwelling units in single-family residential neighborhoods.

San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.

HUD Announces Plan to Build Housing on Public Lands
The agency will identify federally owned parcels appropriate for housing development and streamline the regulatory process to lease or transfer land to housing authorities and nonprofit developers.

Surf’s Upcycling: Hawai‘i’s Latest Green Building Material is Recycled Surf Boards
“Surf Blocks” are fire-resistant, termite-proof, and close the loop on mountains of waste from the state’s beloved sport.

Building Age-Friendly Homes
Designing for the unique needs of elderly people can help them maintain social connections and mental acuity.

Nightlife and the 15-Minute City
Plans for compact, walkable cities often don’t address nighttime concerns like transportation and lighting, which can make neighborhoods more vibrant and safe around the clock.
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