New Orleans is among the first cities to respond to the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Affirmatively Furthering Affordable Housing rule.
Jessica Williams reports: "Long divided by race and class, New Orleans has become even more segregated in recent years, and residents in majority-black neighborhoods often have the least access to jobs, affordable housing and other opportunities, according to a recently released plan that city officials say could help solve those issues."
"The plan, mandated under a new U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development rule, seeks to ameliorate the woes of minority communities by investing in neighborhoods that have long been less well off than others," adds Williams. "Separately, it seeks to make it easier for residents of those areas to move to whiter, more affluent areas that have prospered."
The federal rule Williams refers to: the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule, released in its final form in July 2015. New Orleans is one of about 12 cities experimenting with the federal mandate, so the current plan could end up as a model for other cities around the country.
"In New Orleans, advocates hope the new federal requirements will focus attention on the city’s affordable housing shortage, which officials and housing advocates say is partly due to post-Hurricane Katrina gentrification as well as to zoning policies that keep multiple-family developments out of certain neighborhoods," explains Williams.
The article includes a lot more fine-grained analysis, digging into the recommendations of the report for specific neighborhoods in New Orleans.
FULL STORY: How it happened, how to fix it: Plan set to combat New Orleans segregation, gentrification
Boston to Require Fair Housing Review for New Developments
The Boston Zoning Code is one of the first in the nation to Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing.
As New Orleans Property Values Climb, Property Taxes Relief Considered
New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell is searching for ways to mitigate the impacts of "skyrocketing property values" while also holding on to some of the new revenue created by the corresponding rising property taxes.
How New Orleans Rehoused 90 Percent of Homeless Residents
Homelessness spiked in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. But the city has made substantial progress in providing housing and services to keep people off the streets.
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
Median Home Prices Top $1 Million in Over 200 California Towns
Towns once known for their affordability are seeing sharply rising home prices.
LA County Receives Reconnecting Communities Grants
Seven grant awards totaling $162 million will be used for planning, capital projects, and regional partnerships to reduce environmental harm and improve access in disadvantaged communities.
Seine Pollution Could Hinder Olympic Swim Events
Events like the triathlon could be impacted if tests continue to reveal high levels of dangerous bacteria in Paris’ famous river.
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