Affordable Housing

Vancouver's Attempt to Preserve Affordable Housing Causes Waves
On August 2nd, a new 15 percent tax on real estate deals with foreign buyers went into effect. The goal was to cool the hyperactive housing market, but the implementation has caught many by surprise.

A Case for Integrating Housing and Healthcare Services
Connecting affordable housing and healthcare programs can improve both—especially for seniors and disabled people.

A 'Housing New York' Report Card
The de Blasio Administration set lofty goals for the creation and preservation of housing in New York. So how's that going?

Market Not Cooperating With Boston's Housing Goals
Just because the public sector has set a goal to deliver thousands of new workforce housing units, doesn’t mean the market, or the private sector for that matter, will cooperate.

A Portrait of the Nation's Inclusionary Zoning Policies
The number of inclusionary zoning programs is growing quickly around the country. A recent study by the National Housing Conference takes stock of this prominent affordable housing tool.

Portland Seeks Affordability By Subtracting Parking
Portland's City Council has sided with housing advocates against neighborhood groups who wanted new developments to include parking spaces.

$9.3M Awarded to Affordable Housing Development in Philly
The Pennsylvania Governors Office announced that eight developers were awarded a total $9.3M in tax credits from the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA) to build 495 affordable housing units in the city of Philadelphia.

Op-Ed: We Shouldn't Rush to Regulate Airbnb
Is Airbnb a prime target for regulation, or is it just another way to expand the marketplace for bedrooms? Dan Bertolet urges caution. After all, couldn't less Airbnb just mean more hotels?
Hamburg Sets Inclusionary Zoning Pace in Western New York
With less than 60,000 residents, Hamburg, New York might fly under the housing policy radar, but the small town is the first in Western New York to approve inclusionary zoning. Buffalo could be next.

Tiny Houses Aren't the Solution
Vox publishes an article debunking tiny houses as the housing silver bullet some hope they will become.

The Real Reasons Affordable Housing Isn't Being Built in California
The policy tools used to address our nation's housing shortfall often seem to worsen the problem. But this is because they ignore the underlying infrastructure and financing to support growth.
The Unintended Consequences Lurking in Gov. Brown's Affordable Housing Proposal
California Governor Brown's proposal to streamline affordable housing may cause more problems than it solves, both for affordable housing and community planning, argues Murtaza Baxamusa who teaches planning at USC and develops affordable housing.

Barcelona Facing New Housing Problems, and Airbnb
Barcelona is facing increasing pressure on its housing market, primarily in rental prices. The Mediterranean city, which last year became the third most popular European destination after Paris and London, is facing a new housing crisis.

San Antonio Wants a Housing Bond, but its Charter Won't Make it Easy
San Antonio provides a case study of the difficult politics of funding affordable housing measures.
Housing Initiatives to Appear on Northern and Southern California Ballots in November
Last week the Los Angeles City Council and Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors approved housing initiatives. "Build Better LA" requires large developments to have affordable units. Silicon Valley voters will vote on a $950 million housing bond.

New Orleans Mayor Announces Five-Year Affordable Housing Plan
Faced with increasing numbers of residents more than 50 percent of their income on housing costs, the mayor of New Orleans has announced his intentions to build or preserve 7,500 affordable units by 2021.

Only Three Cities Pass the 'Trilemma' Test
Good jobs, affordable housing, and quality of life rarely come in a total package. In fact, according to new analysis from the Oregon Office of Economic Analysis, only three cities in the United States combine all three.
Did Amazon Really Just Create a Pop-up Homeless Shelter?
As cities around the U.S. scramble to figure out how to address the housing affordability crisis, one of them has now leaned on the benevolence of what some consider the least benevolent of them all.
Philly Developer Must Comply With Zoning Deal Before Tenants Can Occupy Luxury Units
City officials in Philadelphia are scrambling to deal with the fallout after a developer suddenly backed out of a deal that allowed additional height in exchange for affordable housing units for a 250-unit development near the Delaware River.

Bay Area Election Roundup: Wetlands, Housing, Ballot-Box Planning, Sales Tax
A regional measure to tax all property owners in the 9-county Bay Area to adapt to sea level rise passes; S.F. voters support raising the affordable housing bar; Richmond voters reject ballot-box planning; San José approves sales tax increase.
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