Housing Costs

Green Monopoly houses on game board

Richard Florida Explains the Housing Crisis

The urbanist puts the blame for rising housing costs largely on landlords and property owners, arguing that much of the wealth created by modern capitalism is ‘plowed back into dirt.’

September 13, 2022 - Bloomberg CityLab

"Apartment for Rent" sign installed perpendicularly on a while building wall

Single-Family Home Prices Cool, Rents Continue to Rise

Despite a slowdown in the single-family market, record-high rents show no signs of dropping.

September 8, 2022 - Globe St.

A woman with a baby in a stroller and two men are milling around in front a sign that reads Austin Texas: Live Music Capital of the World.

Austin in the Top Five for Out-Migration

Fortunes are changing in Austin—a longtime magnet for new arrivals is dealing with skyrocketing housing costs and increasing amounts of out-migration.

September 2, 2022 - KVUE

Chicago Suburb

Chicago Renters Struggling to Afford Housing

Experts have little hope that growing rent costs will stabilize anytime soon.

August 24, 2022 - Chicago Tribune

Single-family house with two-car garage under construction

Opinion: To Boost Economic Development, Build Housing

Rather than providing incentives to lure employers to their cities, local leaders should focus on supporting enough affordable workforce housing to accommodate new and existing residents.

August 23, 2022 - The Philadelphia Citizen

For Rent

Explaining Rent Inflation

The delayed effects of changes in rent costs make rent inflation a difficult figure to pin down.

August 19, 2022 - The Atlantic

An image of the Sample Gates at the entrance of the college campus of Indiana University Bloomington, with a street and the city in the background.

Cost of Living Rising Sharply for College Students

High inflation, rising tuition costs, and a competitive housing market are making it hard for college students to make ends meet.

August 18, 2022 - Bloomberg Wealth

Aerial view of Salida, Colorado with mountains in background

Colorado Workers Squeezed by Housing Crisis

In Colorado’s booming resort towns, even sleeping in your car has become an unaffordable luxury.

August 11, 2022 - Denver Post

View looking down on construction of multiple buildings in San Francisco's Transbay Transit Center District

San Francisco Housing Construction Far Slower Than Other Tech Hubs

Experts blame high land and construction costs and restrictive regulations for San Francisco’s dismal rate of housing construction, which lags behind other fast-growing cities like Austin and Seattle.

August 3, 2022 - San Francisco Chronicle

Close-up of person holding receipt with grocery store shelves in background

The Local Causes of Inflation

Although it is widely seen as a national issue, decisions made at the local level often have a stronger impact on inflation than federal policies.

August 2, 2022 - Vox

California Houses

No End in Sight to U.S. Housing Shortage

Despite recent cooling in the overheated U.S. housing market, high costs and labor and supply shortages are causing continuing hardship for potential homebuyers and renters.

July 26, 2022 - The Hill

Texas State Capital

Austin Metro Home Sales Slow Dramatically

After a whirlwind of rising costs and sharply spiking demand for housing in smaller cities, the housing market is cooling down to pre-pandemic levels.

July 21, 2022 - KVUE

Rental Construction

Report: Nation Short 3.8 Million Housing Units

Housing underproduction in the United States is growing more severe and more widespread.

July 20, 2022 - Up for Growth

A group of tents inhabited by unhoused people line a freeway overpass in Los Angeles, California

What’s at the Root of Homelessness? A Lack of Affordable Housing

Despite the common belief that drug abuse and mental illness are some of the main factors that cause people to become unhoused, a new book concludes that high housing costs and low availability, more than anything else, push people into homelessness.

July 13, 2022 - Los Angeles Times

Sunset view of Aspen, Colorado

Aspen Imposes New Limits on Short-Term Rentals as Housing Prices Soar

The Aspen City Council hopes the stricter regulations on short-term rentals and new home construction will stem the astronomical rise of housing costs in the mountain town.

July 13, 2022 - The Colorado Sun

Brick apartment building with For Rent sign

Rents Likely To Stay High as Home Sales Market Cools

The Fed’s recent decision to raise interest rates is causing a slowdown in the housing market, but rents are poised to remain high as demand for rental housing continues to outpace supply.

July 13, 2022 - Bay Citizen via The New York Times

View of high-rise apartment building in St. Paul, Minnesota at sunset

St. Paul Landlords Raising Utility Costs To Circumvent Rent Control

After the city passed a rent stabilization ordinance, landlords are reworking leases to include new utility charges, effectively raising rents by as much as 14 percent.

July 12, 2022 - Minnesota Reformer

Billboard that says "Gentrification Sucks!" in Los Angeles, California

Who’s To Blame for Gentrification?

Most likely, no one in particular—but policy changes can alleviate the housing shortage and prevent displacement.

July 7, 2022 - Governing

COVID-19 Eviction Crisis

Almost 36,000 California Households Got Eviction Notices Last Year

Despite efforts to implement rental assistance programs and eviction moratoriums during the COVID-19 pandemic, tens of thousands of California households were served eviction notices last year, with more falling behind on rent payments.

July 7, 2022 - San Francisco Chronicle

University of Arizona

Tucson Development Boom Threatens Displacement of Longtime Residents

Median rent in Tucson rose by 30 percent since a year ago, prompting fears of displacement among many residents struggling to afford housing.

July 6, 2022 - Phoenix Business Journal

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

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.