housing affordability
Rhode Island's 'Blue State' Policies Criticized
Aaron M. Renn has written a scathing review of the state of affairs in Rhode Island, which he describes as a result of decades of unfettered "blue state" policies.
Boston Mayor's Agenda Prioritizes Middle Class Housing Affordability
Boston is experiencing a period of brisk residential construction—most of which will enter the luxury market. New Mayor Martin Walsh has set the creation of middle class housing as a top priority for the city.
A Comprehensive Examination of the Bay Area Housing Crisis
The Google Bus protests got the media’s attention, and the Ellis Act has politicians' attention, but the Bay Area’s current tech-housing-gentrification crisis is a big, complicated mess.
How Not To Measure Housing Affordability
Critics argue that smart growth reduces housing affordability. Their criticisms are partly legitimate and largely wrong, based on incomplete and biased analysis.
Breaking Down Housing Affordability for Teachers
As coastal real estate markets—especially in California—grow more expensive, it’s harder for teachers to afford a home. A recent article breaks down the affordability of homes for teachers around the country.
A Map of Housing Affordability in Each State
A recent report from the National Housing Conference has moderately good news about the housing market—in many states, the number of working households “severely cost-burdened” by the cost of housing dipped slightly in 2012.
Affordable Housing in New York City—What’s Next
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has set a lofty goal of creating or preserving 200,000 units of affordable housing in New York City. How can the mayor's team deliver on that promise?
Canadian Social Housing Vulnerable as Federal Funding Disappears
Low-income Canadians who depend on subsidized housing will face uncertainty in the coming years as federal funding agreements come to a close. Ottawa has, as of yet, no plans to renew them.
Canadian Home Affordability Declines
New research by the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) indicates that the percentage of average household income required to cover home payments has increased in the last two quarters as a result of both higher prices and interest rates.
House Hunting? Run the Numbers Before Running to the ‘Burbs
As housing (un)affordability continues to plague Canada’s big cities, some would-be city dwellers are looking to the suburbs to meet the budget. Using a hypothetical Toronto couple as its basis, number-crunching suggests little long-term savings.
Apartment Building Boom In Portland - Without Auto Parking
OPB investigates the flood of new apartment buildings going up in downtown Portland and finds that two-thirds lack any motor vehicle parking - which is great for renters without cars seeking affordable housing, but can anger the neighbors.
Ranking Housing Affordability in America
Nate Berg reports on information compiled in the 8th Annual Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey, and asks to what extent the affordability of housing is tied to land use policies and how much is related to other factors.
Parking Minimums Make Housing More Expensive
A new report from NYU's Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy reveals that the parking minimums required for new developments are a significant part of why housing in New York is so expensive.
New Housing/Mobility Measurement For Affordability Is 45%
The housing affordability rule of thumb is that you should not pay more that 30% of your income in rent or mortgage payment. Yet that ratio doesn't include the transportation costs that vary by community. What would it be if it was included?
A Blunt Tool
How can one measure the housing affordability of a city or region? One common option is to focus on a region’s median home price (or the median home price divided by median income). I’ve used this method myself, and regional medians will often be the best tool available. But sometimes, this method leads to absurd results. For example, the median home price for metropolitan Atlanta is $150,000, which makes Atlanta seem like a remarkably affordable housing market.(1)
How Affordable is Your City?
CNN ranks 10 American cities according to housing affordability, and finds that foreclosures, median incomes and the availability of developable land all influencing housing affordability.
Planning Foreclosures
As the economy continues to lumber through the most protracted period of recession since the early 1980s, the financial sector has received the brunt of the blame. It’s been easy for the planning profession to distance themselves from what seem at first to be macroeconomic trends. That view, however, is becoming increasingly difficult to uphold.
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.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority
