Analyzing newly released data from the American Community Survey, Jed Kolko finds reason to believe that construction of singly-family housing is outpacing demand.
"Newly released data from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) show that the vacancy rate for single-family homes actually ticked up a bit in 2013," reports Jed Kolko. "That’s a big surprise. It suggests even today’s low level of single-family construction might still be too much, too soon."
To make that argument, Kolko breaks down the data on changes in households and housing between 2012 and 2013, finding low rates of household formation, and "[low] household formation means less demand for new construction," writes Kolko.
Kolko then goes on to break down the vacancy data, finding that multi-family vacancies are down while single-family vacancies are up—leading Kolko to conclude that the building industry is focused on the wrong housing type.
FULL STORY: Are We Building Too Many Single-Family Homes?
Starter Homes Are a Non-Starter
As prices rise, especially in desirable urban markets, what used to be called "starter homes" rarely come up for sale. And when they do, they go for more than first time home-buyers can afford.
New Housing Starts Reveal Shift Toward Multi-Family Housing Construction
AP reports on the Anderson Forecast from UCLA that looks into CA's housing slump and shows two distinct markets, one on the rise and the other (single-family housing) falling.
Robotaxi Charging Lots Could Complicate San Francisco Housing Development
Multiple sites slated for housing development are now being turned into charging and storage lots for autonomous vehicles, making housing an unintended victim of the robotaxi revolution.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.
The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs
The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.
San Diego Votes to Rein in “Towering” ADUs
City council voted to limit the number of units in accessory buildings to six — after confronting backyard developments of up to 100 units behind a single family home.
Texas Legislature’s Surprising Pro-Housing Swing
Smaller homes on smaller lots, office to apartment conversions, and 40% less say for NIMBYs, vote state lawmakers.
Even Edmonton Wants Single Staircase Buildings
Canada's second most affordable major city joins those angling to nix the requirement for two staircases in multi-family buildings.
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.
Borough of Carlisle
Smith Gee Studio
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)