A new map tool breaks down the availability of rental housing around the United States by county. While some markets are tighter than others, it’s impossible to find a place in the United States that has enough rental units per low-income households.
Writing for the Urban Institute’s MetroTrends blog, Graham MacDonald and Erika Poethig shares some analysis of the new map's presentation. Among the more concerning of the information found on the map: “For every 100 extremely low-income (ELI) renter households in the country, there are only 29 affordable and available rental units.” Moreover, the shortage of available rental units available for low-income households impacts every single corner of the country: “Not one county in the United States has an even balance between its ELI households and its affordable and available rental units.”
“This situation would be much worse without HUD rental assistance, which we estimate provides almost 3.2 million affordable and available units to ELI households.”
Read the full story: We’ve mapped America’s rental housing crisis
Evictions Increase as Renters Struggle to Compete
Shaila Dewan details the increasing rates at which renters all over the country forced from their homes by eviction.
Senate Bill Calls for National Housing Emergency
If passed, the bill could trigger the use of the Defense Production Act to speed up production of construction materials.
December Must-Reads: Top 10 Articles From Last Month
As cities and states change zoning laws to accommodate more housing, federal funding cuts and immigration raids that are impacting the construction labor market could slow efforts to alleviate the housing crisis.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
Housing is the top priority of Seattle’s sole new councilmember
Jenks campaigned on building 1,000 new units of affordable housing.
New tax cuts may slash $1.5 billion in funding for Miami transit, public parks
Amendment 3 will save Miami-Dade homeowners $2,700 in 2028.
Arizona, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania hope to finally advance climate goals post-midterms
The three states have spent years under Republican or divided control.
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 Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority