Housing Crisis
Bill to Allow Smaller Homes on Smaller Lots Resurrected in Texas House
A top priority of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, the legislation would make it easier to construct homes on smaller lots. A House Democrat briefly killed the bill.
Are ADUs New Jersey’s Affordable Housing Solution?
Accessory units can bring gentle density increases and boost the housing supply with minimal impact on local infrastructure.
Spain Moves to Ban 66,000 Airbnbs
The national government is requiring the short-term rental operator to remove thousands of illegal listings from its site as part of an effort to stem a growing housing crisis.
Dallas Code Reform Makes Way for Missing Middle Housing
The Dallas City Council voted to change the city’s building code to allow up to eight residential units in three-story buildings.
Local Governments Sue HUD Over Funding Cuts
A new lawsuit alleges that the Trump administration’s revised guidelines for housing and homelessness assistance funds will decimate key programs.
Austin’s Building Boom Not Reaching Lowest-Income Families
Despite having the highest rate of affordable housing construction in the nation, Austin is still underproducing housing for the neediest households.
April Must-Reads: Top 10 Articles From Last Month
A key federal housing assistance program is in peril, Maui tries to balance housing affordability with its tourism-based economy, and a landmark Virginia law could set a new standard for road safety.
Texas Bills Could Push More People Into Homelessness
A proposal to speed up the eviction process and a bill that would accelerate enforcement of an existing camping ban could make the state’s homelessness crisis worse, advocates say.
‘Minnesota Nice’ Isn’t so Nice When You Can’t Find a Place to Live
The Economic Development and Housing Challenge Program can help address the scourge of homelessness among Indigenous people.
Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?
As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?
Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.
‘Clybourne Park’ Sets Stage for Housing Equity Discussions
Clybourne Park, a play exploring race, real estate, and community tensions, can set the stage for discussion on the lasting impacts of housing discrimination, gentrification, and the fight for affordability.
Texas Churches Rally Behind ‘Yes in God’s Back Yard’ Legislation
Religious leaders want the state to reduce zoning regulations to streamline leasing church-owned land to housing developers.
Grand Rapids Mayor Proposes Garage Conversion Plan
The mayor says allowing homeowners to convert garages to dwelling units could alleviate the city’s housing shortage.
The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?
Why Housing Costs More to Build in California Than in Texas
Hard costs like labor and materials combined with ‘soft’ costs such as permitting make building in the San Francisco Bay Area almost three times as costly as in Texas cities.
Opinion: DC Encampment Sweeps Hide, but Don’t Solve, Homelessness
President Trump recently ordered the clearing of encampments built by unhoused people on federal land in Washington, D.C.
Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.
March Must-Reads: Top 10 Articles From Last Month
Proposed housing solutions, Chicago transit in peril, and executive actions in limbo.
San Diego School District Approves Affordable Housing Plan
The district plans to build workforce housing for 10 percent of its employees in the next decade and explore other ways to contribute to housing development.
Pagination
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.
planning NEXT
City of Thousand Oaks
City of Wisconsin Rapids
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA)
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello