Bradenton, a medium-sized city on the Gulf Coast of Florida, offers a case study in affordable housing policy.
Mark Young reports from the city of Bradenton about the efforts of Catherine Hartley, the city's director of planning and community development, to streamline the city's codes to prioritize affordable housing.
Hired in April, Hartley has spoken consistently for the need to tackle the issue of affordable housing. Next month, the city council will begin to put some of those words to action by hosting "a series of workshops to streamline codes to make [affordable housing] easier."
Hartley is also pushing for incentive programs for affordable housing developers as well as for low-income families to "purchase and renovate vacant homes within the city as part of an infill development program."
Affordable housing standards under federal and state guidelines are income-based, so Hartley would like to see the city push toward a possible home buying assistance program using existing grant programs like the community development block grant and State Housing Initiative Partnership program.
Hartley and the city of Bradenton are also looking to the model provided by their home county of Manatee, which recently "reappointed 11 members to its affordable housing advisory board," and in September, "the committee began looking at the county’s codes in the same way the city will now do."
FULL STORY: Bradenton looks to streamline affordable housing opportunities
A Proposed Legislative Solution to California's Out-Migration Epidemic
The Sacramento Bee follows-up a revealing report on lower income workers leaving California due largely to exorbitant housing costs with an editorial endorsing legislation by Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco to address the source of the problem.
To Build More Housing, Cities Must Be Smarter in How They Use Land
How strategic land use policy decisions can alleviate the housing crisis and limit unsustainable sprawl.
Oregon Cities Debate Expanding Boundaries
A recent bill allows cities to apply for a one-time expansion to Oregon’s historic urban growth boundaries, which limit development at the edges of cities.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?
As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?
The Five Most-Changed American Cities
A ranking of population change, home values, and jobs highlights the nation’s most dynamic and most stagnant regions.
San Diego Adopts First Mobility Master Plan
The plan provides a comprehensive framework for making San Diego’s transportation network more multimodal, accessible, and sustainable.
Housing, Supportive Service Providers Brace for Federal Cuts
Organizations that provide housing assistance are tightening their purse strings and making plans for maintaining operations if federal funding dries up.
Op-Ed: Why an Effective Passenger Rail Network Needs Government Involvement
An outdated rail network that privileges freight won’t be fixed by privatizing Amtrak.
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.
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions