Affordable Housing

Manufactured home trailers in Aurora, Colorado

New Loan Fund Will Help Mobile Home Residents Purchase Land

A Colorado law makes it easier for residents to buy the mobile home parks they live in to protect against sharp rent increases.

June 9, 2022 - The Daily Yonder

Vacant, shuttered motel

New York Law Eases Hotel Conversions

A state law signed by Governor Kathy Hochul loosens zoning restrictions to encourage the conversion of underutilized hotels into housing.

June 9, 2022 - Press Office, Governor of New York State

Trailer Parks

The Housing Crisis in America’s Mobile Home Parks

With demand surging and rent costs rising sharply, mobile home parks are becoming unaffordable for their most vulnerable residents.

June 7, 2022 - The Washington Post

Yellow and black motel sign

Northwoods Motels Revived as Housing

As more vacationers opt for private lake homes or rental cabins, developers in northern Wisconsin are converting motels into badly needed worker housing.

June 5, 2022 - WXPR

A row of homes, some brightly colored, on a sunny day in Austin, Texas.

Austin Considering Zoning Tools to Support Affordable Housing Development

An expansion of the city’s vertical mixed-use (VMU) affordable development program is the furthest along of a package of reforms intended to spur the construction of affordable housing.

June 2, 2022 - Community Impact Newspaper

Google Street view of site of proposed One45 towers in Harlem, New York City

Market Rate Condos Could Replace Harlem Towers Proposal

After facing community opposition and a call for more deeply affordable housing units, developers withdrew their proposal for Harlem’s One45, prompting questions about the future of the site.

June 2, 2022 - Patch

The top floors of a row of pre-fab apartments or condos are shown against a blue sky.

How an ‘Aversion to Change’ Worsens the Housing Crisis

A long-standing tradition of opposing multifamily housing construction continues to hamper housing production even as demand for affordable options grows.

June 1, 2022 - Smart Cities Dive

Multi-Family Housing

Zoning Reform Works, but Is No Magic Bullet

Improving housing affordability and boosting housing production requires more than just eliminating single-family zoning.

May 26, 2022 - Bloomberg CityLab

Manhattan Construction

New York Affordable Housing Program Set To Expire

A program that has supported the construction of thousands of affordable units could lapse if state lawmakers don’t approve an extension or revision.

May 25, 2022 - New York Post

Shuttered strip mall in Niland, California

Strip Malls as a Housing Solution

The American strip mall may be a dying breed of commercial development, but could the buildings serve a new use as sustainable housing?

May 22, 2022 - Yale Environment 360

State Capital of Utah

Affordable Housing Proposal Faces Backlash in Salt Lake City

A public hearing last week revealed widespread opposition to a plan to loosen density and height limits and reduce parking requirements to encourage more developers to build affordable housing.

May 17, 2022 - The Salt Lake Tribune

Cottages on Western Avenue, Chicago, Illinois

Redevelopment Threatens Iconic, Affordable Chicago Homes

The ‘workers’ cottages’ are being replaced with larger, more expensive homes, threatening one of the city’s original forms of affordable housing.

May 16, 2022 - WTTW

Tampa Bay Storm

Resilience and Affordable Housing Key Topics at Florida Conference

The conference brought together local planners and policymakers to develop strategies for boosting resilience in coastal areas while maintaining affordable housing stock.

May 13, 2022 - St. Pete Catalyst

hand holding house key with house-shaped keychain and house in background

What Is Supportive Housing?

Supportive housing combines affordable housing with social services providers to help people experiencing homelessness, disability, or other hardships transition to permanent housing.

May 11, 2022 - Diana Ionescu

Early morning view of new neighborhoods and Route 215 from the top of Lone Mountain in Northwest Las Vegas.

Report: Nevada Housing Shortage Worst in the Nation

Nevada’s explosive growth is creating a severe housing shortage, with the state needing almost 80,000 affordable housing units to meet demand.

May 11, 2022 - Las Vegas Weekly

Wood-framed apartment building under construction with red crane in background

Critics Call Out City Housing Plans for Unrealistic Projections

Meanwhile, cities say the state’s housing needs assessment sets impossible goals for affordable housing production.

May 11, 2022 - The Orange County Register

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

View of homes in Boise, Idaho

Boise Launches Accessory Dwelling Unit and ‘Moveable Tiny Home’ Pilots

The city moved to loosen restrictions on accessory dwelling units and other forms of innovative housing solutions.

May 9, 2022 - Idaho Press

Downtown Honolulu as seen from the top of Diamond Head

Report Calls for Comprehensive Plan To Eliminate Homelessness in Maui

A commission report found that Maui does not have a comprehensive plan for supporting unhoused residents, leaving efforts largely to nonprofit organizations.

May 9, 2022 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Single Family Residential Construction

How Construction Costs Affect Housing Prices

The high cost of housing in the United States can be attributed in part to the high costs, regulatory and otherwise, of building new housing.

May 5, 2022 - Sightline

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.

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100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.