Affordable Housing

17th Street, Denver, Colorado

Denver Approves First-Ever Affordable Housing Fund

The Denver City Council approved a hard-fought, $150 million affordable housing fund this week.

September 21, 2016 - The Denver Post

Closed Beach

Why California's By-Right Affordable Housing Proposal Died

California's average home prices are 2.5 times the national average and rising, so why is it so hard to build a political coalition to build more housing, and especially more affordable housing?

September 16, 2016 - Los Angeles Times

Del Mar Station TOD

Four Ways L.A. Metro Is Increasing Affordable Housing

A median-income family in the L.A. metro area spends 73 percent of their income on housing and transportation alone. L.A. Metro explains why and how they're taking huge steps to get affordable housing on land they own—where it will do the most good.

September 7, 2016 - Shelterforce/Rooflines

Brooklyn Construction

Brooklyn Housing Supply Begins to Match Demand

About 6,500 apartments in 19 towers within 10 square blocks on Flatbush Avenue are expected to be available within two years, but don't expect rents to plunge. Renters should look for perks like one or more months of free rent.

August 31, 2016 - The New York Times

Hillary Clinton

Affordable Housing and the 2016 Election

The cost of housing affects millions across the country, but the issue has been conspicuously absent in the campaigns. Hillary Clinton's plan includes an imprecise remedy, while Donald Trump's pronouncements have been vaguer still.

August 26, 2016 - Next City

Fringe Development

California's $400 Million for By-Right Affordable Housing Dies in the Legislature

An affordable housing proposal proposed by Gov. Jerry Brown failed to marshal the necessary support in the State Legislature, facing opposition from a coalition of labor and environmental groups, as well as the League of California Cities.

August 24, 2016 - San Francisco Housing Action Coalition

Helping the homeless

Homelessness Is Falling Despite Worsening Conditions. Why?

In 2015, compared to 2009, the nation had more people and lower incomes, but higher rents. All things being equal, the number of people who are homeless should have gone up. But it did not. It went down. What changed, and what's next?

August 21, 2016 - Shelterforce/Rooflines

As Affordability Worsens, State and Local Governments Act on their Own

New data points to the continued worsening of rental housing affordability. Due to a lack of federal response, some state and municipal governments are taking matters into their own hands in an attempt to add to their supply of affordable housing.

August 20, 2016 - Shelterforce/Rooflines

Gentrification Concerns Sink Inclusionary Housing Development Proposal in Manhattan

Several publications were reporting the expected defeat of a proposed development project in Manhattan this week. The 15-story project was the first private application of the city's new Mandatory Inclusionary Housing policy.

August 17, 2016 - Politico New York

Could an Anti-Homelessness Program Stabilize Affordable Housing?

Periodically in the affordable housing world, a few of us acknowledge that the vast majority of low-income people live in unsubsidized rentals in one- to four-unit buildings, and we wonder how to preserve and improve those units. Here is a way.

August 17, 2016 - Shelterforce/Rooflines

In 2016, Legal Battle Lines Are Drawn in the Back Yard

The legal, and social, challenges to building more second units in Los Angeles.

August 14, 2016 - The Washington Post - Wonkblog

Gowanus

Neighborhoods Push for Benefits in New York Zoning Plan

The Brooklyn neighborhood of Gowanus was recently added to Mayor de Blasio’s sweeping zoning reform plan. But Gowanus also has plans of its own.

August 14, 2016 - New York Times

Trailer Park

Learning from the Humble Trailer Park

An examination of the common trailer park reveals a few key lessons about land use, urban design, and private governance.

August 13, 2016 - Strong Towns

Seattle

Debating Seattle's Growth

There's plenty to talk about in a city where rents have increased by 51 percent since 2010.

August 12, 2016 - Publicola

Rental Apartments

Spiting Mandatory Inclusionary Housing to Save Mandatory Inclusionary Housing

The question of whether New York City's new mandatory inclusionary housing policy should apply to a 17-story project in Manhattan could have wide-ranging implications.

August 10, 2016 - The New York Times

New York Apartments

One Fourth of East Harlem Housing Set to Lose Affordability

The area could lose up to 500 units of affordable housing every year for the next 30 years if the city doesn't extend existing protections.

August 9, 2016 - Regional Plan Association

Angelino Heights

A Paradigm Shift for Affordable Housing: Preserve What's Left

A Los Angeles affordable-housing developer says the industry needs to focus more on keeping existing housing affordable.

August 6, 2016 - The Planning Report

Vancouver

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.

August 4, 2016 - CBC News

Senior Pedestrians

A Case for Integrating Housing and Healthcare Services

Connecting affordable housing and healthcare programs can improve both—especially for seniors and disabled people.

July 28, 2016 - CityLab

Construction

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?

July 27, 2016 - Politico

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

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.