Housing Crisis

Maine Program Funds Rural Affordable Housing
Developers can access up to $185,000 per unit to build affordable multifamily rental housing in small towns.

Zoning Reform Proposed in Austin
Proposed changes would create more room for mid-density housing and shift away from single-family homes on large lots.

New Research Blames Affluent Suburbs for Housing Crisis
Small, often wealthy enclaves build far less multifamily housing than their larger counterparts, exacerbating the dearth of affordable housing near big cities and job centers.

Lack of Multi-Family Zones Contributes to Nashville’s High Housing Costs, Study Says
Nashville and surrounding communities allow for a relatively small amount of multi-family housing, according to a new zoning atlas of Middle Tennessee. A regionally focused nonprofit is using the atlas to push for zoning reforms.

Tacoma Coalition Calls for ‘Tenants’ Bill of Rights’
The group wants to put more power in the hands of tenants, but the city has its own, competing proposal for addressing the housing crisis.

Continuing the Fight for Housing in New York State
After the governor’s ambitious housing proposal failed to make headway in the state legislature, one lawyer argues Hochul should use executive power to move the needle forward on housing production.

Landmark Land Use Bill Fails in Colorado Legislature
Colorado Governor Jared Polis’s effort to allow for more housing construction by preempting local control of zoning failed to achieve the required level of political support in the state legislature.

California Growth Report: Housing Up, Population Down
Good and bad news can be found in the most recent demographic report from the California Department of Finance. The population dropped by nearly 140,000 last year while housing grew at the highest rate in 14 years.

Essay: Will America Ever Change its Urban Patterns?
If there has ever been a good time to change our urban patterns, the time is now.

St. Paul Apartment Construction Slows; Rent Control Under Scrutiny
Apartment permits declined by 48 percent in the past year in St. Paul. The city’s voters approved one of the nation’s most aggressive rent stabilization ordinances in November 2021.

Montana Passes Sweeping Legislative Package to Rescind ‘California-Style-Zoning’
The Montana State Legislature recently approved a package of zoning reform bills modeled closely on bills approved in West Coast states, including the state of California, in recent years.

How California’s Newest Housing Laws Could Affect Housing Production
While it’s too soon to assess the full effects of recently passed legislation on housing production in the state, planners and housing advocates express cautious optimism that the new laws could help alleviate the state’s housing shortage.

Montana Legislature Considering Historic Package of Pro-Housing Development Bills
State legislators agree the cost of housing is a growing problem, but there is little consensus on how to boost the supply of affordable housing.

California Attorney General Wants to Get Serious About Housing
A bill sponsored by the AG’s office would give the state’s top attorney more power to intervene in lawsuits related to the state’s housing laws.

Confronting the Crisis on Public Transit
Problems, old and new, are threatening what remains of our public spaces. How we respond right now could be make or break for public transit.

The Quiet Housing Crisis in Rural America
While housing shortages in major cities are grabbing headlines, rural communities are seeing higher rates of growth in housing prices and a silently spreading homelessness crisis.

White House Budget Proposal Includes Over $175 Billion for Housing
The proposed budget seeks to expand the housing voucher program, incentivize housing production, and promote zoning reform, but will likely face strong opposition from congressional Republicans.

What Led to Austin’s Housing Crisis?
How the Texas capital quickly became one of the country’s hottest—and least affordable—housing markets.

Housing Reform Package Under Consideration by Rhode Island General Assembly
The Rhode Island House Speaker has introduced a package of 14 bills intended to ease housing construction without stepping on any toes at the local level.

Huntington Beach Mounts Legal Challenge to State-Mandated Density
The Orange County beachfront community has had enough of the California State Legislature’s preemption of local zoning laws.
Pagination
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