Fair Housing

HUD

Under Ben Carson, HUD Abdicates Fair Housing Responsibilities

Civil rights advocates are claiming that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is no longer in the business of enforcing fair housing laws.

December 28, 2018 - The Washington Post

Apartment renter

Fair Housing Bill Targets Voucher Discrimination

A bipartisan bill tackles landlords' unwillingness to rent to housing voucher holders.

November 21, 2018 - Housing Wire

A Black woman stands in front of a home holding an umbrella and smiling.

Lessons From Cities With Majority Black Homeownership

Locations with majority black homeownership have plenty to teach about closing the country's home ownership gap.

August 19, 2018 - Pew

Supreme Court of the United States

The New Supreme Court and the Future of Fair Housing

The retirement of Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy introduces the possibility that a future court will overturn the doctrine of disparate impact central to fair housing practices and policies.

July 2, 2018 - CityLab

HUD

Amid Turmoil, HUD Relaxes Fair Housing Enforcement

The department's activities, or lack thereof, under the Trump administration have caused housing advocates a lot of consternation. Under Ben Carson, is HUD abandoning its fair housing mission?

April 3, 2018 - The New York Times

Seattle Apartments

Pressing Pause on 'Rent Bidding' Apps

Several new apps allow landlords to place available units out to bid. The city of Seattle is concerned the apps might exacerbate prices in an already expensive rental market.

March 28, 2018 - Smart Cities Dive

Hate Groups in the U.S. Are Both 'Concentrated and Considerably Spread Out'

A new study shows that these groups exist in around 10 percent of counties, and those counties are scattered across all 50 states.

March 19, 2018 - CityLab

Bed Stuy view

New HUD Rule Could Redefine the Geography of Section 8 Voucher Payments

A new rule will make it easier to send vouchers for rent assistance to wealthier neighborhoods. The Trump Administration is not a willing partner in this effort.

January 29, 2018 - Next City

Trump Campaign

Pushing Against HUD, Fair Housing Activists Look to Procedure

With the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Rule on the ropes, a legal strategy has emerged to challenge HUD's plan to delay enforcement.

January 19, 2018 - CityLab

Robert Weaver Building

Trump Deals a Blow to Fair Housing Rules

The Trump Administration is gutting a key requirement of the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Rule enacted by the Department of Housing and Urban Development under the Obama Administration.

January 5, 2018 - The New York Times

Multi-Family Building

Fair Housing Act May Cover Renters with Criminal Records

The largest private landlord in the U.S. faces a discrimination suit for refusing to rent to people with criminal records.

January 4, 2018 - Center for Investigative Reporting

Affordable Housing

The Unequal Distribution of Public Housing Across Los Angeles

KPCC has published an interactive map showing the publicly funded affordable housing developments in Los Angeles County.

August 31, 2017 - KPCC

U.S> Department of Housing and Urban Development

Trump Administration Suddenly Drops Fair Housing Concerns in Westchester, New York

The news that the Trump Administration hired a former party planner to oversee HUD's New York and New Jersey office went viral in June. The hire has already had an effect on affordable housing policy in Westchester County, New York.

July 19, 2017 - lohud

San Jose, California

San Jose Approves Tenant Protections, Studying a Ban on Voucher Discrimination

The city of San Jose, California is crafting regulations to give renters and low-income residents more rights and access to fair housing.

May 14, 2017 - The Mercury News

Texas State Capitol building

Fair Housing Advocates Sue Texas Governor Over Housing Voucher Law

A Dallas non-profit has sued Texas Governor Greg Abbott over what it calls a blatantly racist law that allows landlords to refuse payment in federal housing vouchers.

February 22, 2017 - The Dallas Morning News

The Fair Housing Battleground Returns to Texas

All eyes are on Texas to see whether fair housing policies enacted by the Obama Administration will have any chance to stick.

February 4, 2017 - Next City

HUD

Republican Bills Would Gut HUD's 'Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing' Rule

Republican-sponsored congressional legislation would rescind a landmark achievement of the Department of Housing and Urban Development during the Obama Administration.

January 24, 2017 - National Low Income Housing Coalition

Gay Marriage celebration

Planning and the Alt Right in the Time of Trump

The rise of white nationalist politics has many implications for the ideas of a just city.

January 18, 2017 - Jason Reece

Housing

The Landlord vs. the Fair Housing Lawyer: Race and Planning in the 2016 Election

The 2016 election presents a contest between two campaigns with fundamentally different views of fair housing in the United States—at a time when fair housing is a growing challenge with deep ramifications for the nation.

October 12, 2016 - Jason Reece

Commuter Train

A Tale of Two Neighborhoods: TOD, Fair Housing, and Economic Mobility

"Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing"—as a new rule by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development proposes to do—can vary widely, even in the same city.

September 3, 2015 - Kyle Smith and Brendan Saunders

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.