In November, the city of Poway, California rejected a veterans' housing project. The story is informative for the way communities rally to obstruct the addition of low-income housing.
Maya Srikrishnan recounts a recent decision by the Poway City Council to deny a proposal by Habitat for Humanity San Diego to build "22 for-sale, affordable homes for veterans on a roughly 2.5-acre piece of land that the city is legally bound to use for subsidized housing."
The fact that the project was intended for veterans reveals the reasoning behind community opposition to low-income housing projects—and a much more common narrative. "The opposition in Poway listed concerns over crime, density, funding, parking and traffic – issues that quell low-income housing developments throughout the region," writes Srikrishnan.
Srikrishnan argues that Poway's decision, in the context of the needs of the nation's veterans, stands above other examples of NIMBYism in articulating the fear of low-income housing. The article includes the political back in forth between the members of the community opposed the project, the case made to address some of the fears about the project, and testimony from some of the veterans hoping to see the project get built.
FULL STORY: ‘We Do Not Owe Them a House in Poway’
Mixed-Income Development in Chicago's Jefferson Park Faces Protest
A development on Chicago's Northside faces protests and picketers who don't want new density, height, or low income residents.
Charlottesville Comprehensive Plan Update Attracts Opponents
An updated version of the Charlottesville comprehensive plan update is now available for public comment, and a recent article in the local paper lets plan opponents air their grievances.
New York Suspends Land Use Reviews for Shelters
The Adams administration in New York City will relax the review process for homeless shelters to create new space for arriving asylum seekers.
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.
