Affordable Housing

San Diego invested $1.5 billion in tax increment to increase housing in its downtown but displaced affordable housing with unaffordable housing. Housing planner, developer and advocate, Murtaza Baxamusa gives some answers and asks some questions.

March 3, 2017 - UrbDeZine

A development on Chicago's Northside faces protests and picketers who don't want new density, height, or low income residents.

March 1, 2017 - Chicago Reader

Rising land values has made some of the land Sydney, Australia's affordable housing sits on prime targets for redevelopment and gentrification.

February 21, 2017 - South China Morning Post

Urbanist Jane Jacobs' support for mixed use development has long been seen as the best urban design strategy, but this vision assumed that the retail space under housing could be rented. What if that is no longer the case?

February 19, 2017 - Shelterforce/Rooflines

Six regions have been selected for funding as part of the Strong, Prosperous and Resilient Communities Challenge, or SPARCC. A local news outlet reports on the potential benefits of the program for Atlanta.

February 15, 2017 - Atlanta Business Chronicle

Mayor Ed Lee comes out against the city controller's proposed percentages for affordable housing, saying the numbers, "…have no relevance to what we economically can accomplish"

February 14, 2017 - San Francisco Chronicle

An in-depth look into the political controversies stirred up in the Boston neighborhood of Jamaica Plain as a result of a proposed, density-adding zoning plan.

February 12, 2017 - The Boston Globe

With rents on the rise even in "inexpensive" cities like New Orleans, artists and musicians are getting priced out. Affordable housing designated for artists is one way to help them stay.

February 10, 2017 - PBS NewsHour

Entrepreneur Tyrone Poole's Oregon start-up matches prospective tenants with rental units they qualify for, eliminating legwork and application fees.

February 3, 2017 - CityLab

Pasadena is adopting accessory dwelling unit (ADU) reform in response to state legislation designed to spur affordable housing options by easing restrictions on ADUs. But is it really entrenchment dressed as reform?

January 30, 2017 - UrbDeZine

Across the country, affordable housing projects depend on tax credits to encourage investment; the possibility of a lower tax rate has already affected their funding.

January 28, 2017 - Next City

Josie Huang reports on a new audit from the Los Angeles City Controller finding that the city's density bonus program is falling short of its goals for delivering affordable housing.

January 27, 2017 - KPCC

Many families cannot afford to live in San Francisco, where housing prices are high and houses fit for families raising children are hard to come by.

January 21, 2017 - San Francisco Chronicle

Vicki Been is leaving her leadership role at the Department of Housing Preservation and Development for a job at New York University.

January 19, 2017 - Politico New York

Karen Parolek discusses the 'Missing Middle' that is too often overlooked in discussions about affordable housing.

January 13, 2017 - Modern Cities

Activists call for policy makers to curb deaths among Sacramento, California's homeless population.

January 12, 2017 - Next City

Plans that focus on giving funds to renters and home buyers won't make housing affordable, and can inflate housing prices and rents.

January 6, 2017 - City Observatory

A Santa Ana small lot development could be an example of how California could become more affordable by building more dense urban-style homes throughout the state.

January 4, 2017 - Los Angeles Times

The Seattle Weekly explores the question of how Seattle, a quickly growing and desirable city, is working to ensure housing options for its low-income residents.

January 3, 2017 - Seattle Weekly

Seattle's incentive zoning program is paying dividends and funding projects. Look for 110 affordable units to be built in the Capitol Hill neighborhood by 2019.

January 1, 2017 - The Urbanist