Denver is considering its first steps toward an affordable housing preservation strategy, with time running out on the covenants that restrict rents on thousands of affordable housing units around the city.
"The City Council is considering changes to strengthen Denver's affordable housing preservation ordinance," reports Jon Murray. "With some 4,500 housing units in the city coming open for conversion to fast-rising market-rate rents in the next five years, when their affordability covenants or restrictions expire, the revisions would give the city more leverage to keep that from happening."
Among the bills proposed changes: a provision "requiring landlords to give more notice to the city, a full year in advance, if they intend to convert a property to market-rate or sell it" and new powers granting the "city and its partners also would gain the right of first refusal to match any offer to buy a property."
The bill is meant to help implement Mayor Michael Hancock's $150 million affordable housing plan, announced at the end of August 2015. As Murray reported in an earlier article, Mayor Hancock has proposed a development impact fee and increased property taxes to help create or preserve 6,000 affordable housing units over the next ten years.
FULL STORY: Denver looks to preserve existing affordable housing with new law
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
World's Largest Wildlife Overpass In the Works in Los Angeles County
Caltrans will soon close half of the 101 Freeway in order to continue construction of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing near Agoura Hills in Los Angeles County.
U.S. Supreme Court: California's Impact Fees May Violate Takings Clause
A California property owner took El Dorado County to state court after paying a traffic impact fee he felt was exorbitant. He lost in trial court, appellate court, and the California Supreme Court denied review. Then the U.S. Supreme Court acted.
California Grid Runs on 100% Renewable Energy for Over 9 Hours
The state’s energy grid was entirely powered by clean energy for some portion of the day on 37 out of the last 45 days.
New Forecasting Tool Aims to Reduce Heat-Related Deaths
Two federal agencies launched a new, easy-to-use, color-coded heat warning system that combines meteorological and medical risk factors.
AI Traffic Management Comes to Dallas-Fort Worth
Several Texas cities are using an AI-powered platform called NoTraffic to help manage traffic signals to increase safety and improve traffic flow.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
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.