A new citywide tenants union, designed to provide an umbrella for smaller organizations and new levels of education and access to renters, is taking shape in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Margaret J. Krauss reports that the city of Pittsburgh will soon have its very own citywide tenants union, a result of the advocacy of the Northside Coalition for Fair Housing and other organizations.
The Pittsburgh Tenants Union will act as an umbrella organization, advocating for individuals — with safety concerns such as mold — as well as smaller tenants unions. Broadly, the organization will educate people about their rights, as well as actions they can take to address issues with landlords.
Krauss sets the need for a citywide tenants union amid a discussion about the Pittsburgh housing market, which mimics the trends around much of the country: too many people are priced out of the market. According to Krauss, "while construction of multi-family units throughout the U.S. is on a tear, the cost of those apartments remains out of reach for low- and moderate-income families. Fully half of renters nationwide make less than $34,000, and just 10 percent of new units are accessible to them."
So far the Pittsburgh Tenants Union has 100 new members, and is in the process of identifying specific goals.
FULL STORY: Pittsburgh joins other Pa. cities with city-wide tenants union
Barcelona Buys Building to Prevent Tenant Evictions
One apartment building — and its tenants who faced eviction — became a potent symbol of the city’s growing housing crisis.
Rural Renters at Increased Risk of Eviction
Rural residents often have a harder time accessing legal assistance and eviction prevention resources.
Pittsburgh Mayor Proposes Zoning Changes to Curb Housing Shortage
The mayor’s plan includes legalizing ADUs in single-family neighborhoods, eliminating parking requirements, and adding new affordability requirements to buildings with over 20 units.
Florida Considers Legalizing ADUs
Current state law allows — but doesn’t require — cities to permit accessory dwelling units in single-family residential neighborhoods.
HUD Announces Plan to Build Housing on Public Lands
The agency will identify federally owned parcels appropriate for housing development and streamline the regulatory process to lease or transfer land to housing authorities and nonprofit developers.
Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing
Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?
New Jersey Affordable Housing Law Turns 50
The Mount Laurel Doctrine tasks each city and town with creating enough affordable housing to meet their needs, but half a century after its passage, the law still faces opposition in some parts of the state.
NYC Outdoor Dining Won’t Include Booze — For Now
Hundreds of restaurants will be unable to serve alcohol in their outdoor dining areas this summer due to a delay in permitting.
San Francisco Turns On California’s First Speed Cameras
The city is the first in the state to use automated traffic enforcement to reduce speeding and traffic deaths.
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.
Florida Atlantic University
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
City of Piedmont, CA
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland