Pittsburgh mayor Bill Peduto thinks Section 8 housing subsidies could get two birds with one stone: help low-income households find affordable housing and reduce blight.
Chris Potter reports on a new proposal by Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto to use Section 8 funds to subsidize home ownership. The "Bridges Beyond Blight" program would take "the anticipated value of 30 years’ worth of one household’s vouchers to purchase and renovate a home." Normally the money provided by those vouchers would help subsidize rental housing for low-income households.
Under the Bridges Beyond Blight program, "[p]ublic housing officials would select the homes and finance the work, then set up buyers with a mortgage whose payments would also be set at 30 percent of their income," according to Potter. Mayor Peduto hopes that redirecting that funding from rental subsidies to ownership subsidies would achieve an extra goal beyond helping low-income households find affordable housing—it would also reduce blight by getting people into vacant homes.
The article includes more information about the political support the policy might find, both from local organizations and the federal government.
FULL STORY: Peduto administration pitches use of Section 8 funds to subsidize home ownership
Pennsylvania Law Removes Obstacles to Blight Reduction
“We don’t need every old coal miner’s house” to stay standing, says Sen. David Argall (R-Schuylkill).
Pittsburgh Revitalization Plans Stuck on Blight
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette recently published an investigation of the city's efforts to buy and rehabilitate vacant properties in the troubled neighborhood of Homewood.
Lack of Federal and State Subsidies Slow Homeless Housing Development in L.A.
Developments funded by Los Angeles' Proposition HHH homeless housing bond has been delayed for three key reasons.
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
Planning for Accessibility: Proximity is More Important than Mobility
Accessibility-based planning minimizes the distance that people must travel to reach desired services and activities. Measured this way, increased density can provide more total benefits than increased speeds.
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.
Eviction Looms for Low-Income Tenants as Rent Debt Rises
Nonprofit housing operators across the country face almost $10 billion in rent debt.
Brightline West Breaks Ground
The high-speed rail line will link Las Vegas and the Los Angeles area.
Colorado Bans No-Fault Evictions
In most cases, landlords must provide a just cause for evicting tenants.
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.
