Since at least the housing crash, government programs like the mortgage interest deduction that subsidize homeowners over the millions of Americans that rent their homes have come in for criticism. A proposed New York tax might address the imbalance.
"This week, [New York Governor Andrew] Cuomo formally announced the tax-relief blueprint that he'll pursue this year as he prepares for re-election," reports Emily Badger. "And, most notably, the package now includes a renter's tax credit that he says would aid 1.7 million people in New York City."
Though the proposal seems to have been included for political reasons, rather than ideology, "the credit at least acknowledges [renters] presence in New York State (and the fact that many of them may be more in need of housing aid than some homeowners)," writes Badger. "Housing policy that balances the needs of homeowners and renters is sorely needed well beyond New York, but renters in the rest of the country can hardly count on a similar political calculus."
Read the full story: New York State Floats a Tax Credit for Renters
NYC 'Rental Ripoff' report calls for crackdown on negligent landlords
The report outlines strategies for empowering renters and transferring properties from 'low-road' landlords to those who focus on improved tenant outcomes.
The Pacific Northwest is an unlikely front in the fight for cooling
A 2021 heat dome killed over 250 people in the Pacific Northwest, bringing into sharp focus the potential of extreme heat to have deadly consequences even in historically cool climates.
Oklahoma has Over 200,000 Vacant Homes. None are Affordable to Low-income Families.
The state faces a shortage of over 80,000 rental units for extremely low-income households while hundreds of thousands of vacant units face financial or legal barriers to restoration.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Amtrak, CN end decades-long dispute with eight-year agreement
The new operating agreement establishes an updated framework for the companies to work together, including processes to resolve disputes.
Northwest rail fans eager for Sept. 30 debut of Amtrak’s Airo fleet
Get ready for that new train smell and more seats. But they won’t go faster or run more frequently on the Cascades route in Washington and Oregon.
Trump administration unlawfully slashed $7 billion in clean energy grants, judge rules
The Environmental Protection Agency ended the Solar For All program, which provided the grants, after President Donald Trump’s inauguration.
Record-breaking wildlife overpass in Colorado brings 91% reduction in animal collisions
Prior to the overpass, vehicles were hitting one deer per day on Colorado’s Interstate 25.
California lawmakers approve just 5% of much-needed LA28 transportation funding
State legislators appear just as unwilling as Trump to pay for Olympics-related transportation projects.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Thousand Oaks
City of Wisconsin Rapids
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello