Affordability

Red and white "For Sale" sign in front yard of suburban house.

Report: Just 7 Percent of Homes for Sale Affordable to Black Households

The affordability crisis continues to impact American households across the board, with 16 percent of listings affordable to the average household.

January 31, 2024 - Yahoo Finance

Main Street in Bentonville, Arkansas with three-story brick buildings, people sitting at tables on sidewalk, and sign on building for "The Walmart Museum."

Growing Pains in Northwest Arkansas

Like other small communities suddenly made popular during the Covid-19 pandemic, the region is struggling to maange its explosive growth.

September 20, 2023 - Axios

Pedestrians crossing a busy crosswalk on New York City street with tall buildings in background

Foot Traffic Ahead: Report Reveals the Resilience of Walkable Places

Reports of the city’s death have been greatly exaggerated, according to new research from Smart Growth America.

January 30, 2023 - Smart Growth America

View of stone-paved street with pedestrians and "Farmers Market" neon sign on left and old buildings on right in Seattle, Washington

Push and Pull: The Link Between Walkability and Affordability

The increased demand for walkable urban spaces could make them more and more exclusionary if cities don’t pursue policies to limit displacement and boost affordability.

January 27, 2023 - Smart Cities Dive

Rendering of modern black and brown one-story backyard home design

Taking the ADU Model to the Next Level

How can we get more accessory dwelling units built, keep them affordable, and make them a force for increasing racial equity?

January 26, 2023 - Shelterforce Magazine

Quincy Market

Boston Mayor Fights for Rent Control

Mayor Wu says putting a rent control policy in place is just one of several ways the city plans to improve housing affordability and prevent evictions, but the proposal requires state approval.

January 24, 2023 - The Boston Globe

View of Los Angeles skyline on sunny day with palm trees in foreground

Opinion: Los Angeles Needs More Housing, Fast

The shortage of housing at all price points in the region is the main driver of high costs and the growing homelessness crisis.

January 4, 2023 - Los Angeles Times

A Link light rail transit train navigates a corner with an empty field and parked cars in the background.

Airport-Adjacent Seattle Suburb Aims for a Transit-Oriented Overhaul

The challenges and opportunities of transforming from a car-centric to a transit-oriented, affordable built environment are on display in a Seattle suburb.

November 9, 2022 - The Urbanist

Seattle

What Should the ‘Next Seattle’ Look Like?

With the city getting ready to update its comprehensive plan, one writer examines some models for improving affordability, accessibility, and community in Seattle.

July 14, 2022 - The Urbanist

Housing Construction

The State of the Nation’s Housing: 2022 Report

An annual report from the Joint Center for Housing Studies (JCHS) reveals that a growing number of American households face housing insecurity and spiking costs of living.

June 23, 2022 - Enterprise Community Partners

Two people carry groceries in plastic grocery bags.

When Costs of Living Outpace Housing Costs

Even when they qualify for affordable rents, tenants in high-cost neighborhoods find themselves shut out of essential amenities and services.

May 10, 2022 - The New York Times

House key with house-shaped keychain on table

Thousands of Affordable Homes Threatened as 30-Year LIHTC Restrictions Expire

The Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program has helped create more than 3 million affordable housing units across the country. But if something isn’t done soon, thousands of those homes could be lost forever as affordability periods expire.

April 12, 2022 - Shelterforce Magazine

gaslamp Quarter

San Diego Housing Costs Cresting San Francisco Prices

The notoriously pricy Bay Area city has been dethroned as the country's most expensive metropolis.

March 7, 2022 - San Francisco Gate

Rental Cars

Study: Lifetime Cost Of Small Car $689,000; Society Subsidizes 40 Percent of This

Motor vehicles are costly, and every time somebody purchases a car they expect governments to provide roads and businesses to provide parking for its use. A new study totals these costs.

February 9, 2022 - Forbes

African American

Building Up the 'Zoning Buffer' to Increase Housing Supply Without Raising Land Values

New research helps explain why urban housing prices are escalating and how communities can increase affordability. It emphasizes the need to upzone sufficient urban land to create a large competitive market for parcels ready for infill development.

February 7, 2022 - UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies

New York City Construction

The Housing Supply Debate: Evaluating the Evidence

Let's rely on science, not ideology and propaganda, when planning solutions to urban unaffordability. Look for credible evidence in the peer-reviewed publications referenced here.

May 13, 2021 - Todd Litman

Leaving California

Exporting California's Housing Challenges? Correcting the Record on Out-Migration

Michael Storper and Patrick Condon opine on what California's population demographics really reveal about housing, density, economic development, jobs, and affordability.

March 16, 2021 - The Planning Report

Auto-Dependency

Automobile Dependency: An Unequal Burden

Automobile-dependent planning has changed automobiles from a luxury into a necessity. Excessive vehicle costs leave many households without money to purchase essential food, shelter and healthcare. They need more affordable transportation options.

December 15, 2020 - Todd Litman

Street Food

The Right to the City: Planners’ Role in Creating Affordable and Inclusive Communities

In a modern, post-industrial society, economic opportunity depends on disadvantaged households’ ability to find suitable housing in an economically successful city. Planners can make that happen.

March 5, 2020 - Todd Litman

I-45 and I-69

Houston More Expensive Than New York? Not So Fast

A recent study claiming that transportation costs in Houston, among other expenses, raise the cost of living almost to the same level as living in New York City. Some took exception to the study's methodology.

January 29, 2020 - E21

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