Some cities are fighting back against the mortgage crisis, using eminent domain to seize and write down troubled mortgages, keeping homeowners in their homes and keeping local economies afloat, writes Peter S. Goodman.
Mayors like Sacramento's Angelique Ashby see the mortgage crisis as much more than just a mortgage crisis. In addition to forcing homeowners to abandon ship, bank foreclosures and underwater mortgages are wreaking havoc on many aspects of local communities in a chain of economic reactions, from shrinking tax bases to reduced spending to weak job markets to failing local businesses. All of this has consequences even further down the line, like cutbacks in city departments, shrinking fire and police departments, and on and on.
Ashby - who works in a district where 70% of homeowners are underwater- is asking the City to consider a proposal to use to eminent domain to seize and write down troubled mortgages, helping to keep homeowners in their homes and hopefully stem many of these other issues as well.
FULL STORY: Eminent Domain As Underwater Mortgages Fix: Why Some Cities Are Considering Unorthodox Measure

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

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

Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?
As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?

Wildlife Rebounds After the Eaton Fire
Following the devastation of the Eaton Fire, the return of wildlife and the regrowth of native plants are offering powerful signs of resilience and renewal.

LA to Replace Inglewood Light Rail Project With Bus Shuttles
LA Metro says the change is in response to community engagement and that the new design will be ready before the 2028 Olympic Games.

Paris Voters Approve More Car-Free Streets
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo says the city will develop a plan to close 500 streets to car traffic and add new bike and pedestrian infrastructure after a referendum on the proposal passed with 66 percent of the vote.
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