Housing Equity

Two-story duplex with matching dark red doors in Boston, Massachusetts.

Commentary: Growth Without Affordable Housing Requirements is “Hard-wiring Segregating Into the Future”

Development should come with affordability. Here's the case for inclusionary housing, and why opponents aren't seeing the full picture.

January 18, 2026 - Shelterforce Magazine

Ornate Victorian rowhouses in Washington DC.

The DC Homeowners Selling Well Below Market Rates to 'Pay it Forward'

As prices in the nation’s capital have soared, some sellers want their homes to stay in reach of families like their own. The Douglass Community Land Trust is helping them make it happen.

October 8, 2025 - Shelterforce Magazine

Aerial view of narrow two-story Chicago townhomes.

‘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.

April 18, 2025 - Shelterforce Magazine

Department of Housing and Urban Development building in Washington, D.C. Concrete Brutalist high-rise.

What Trump’s Executive Orders Mean for US Housing Programs

Orders related to DEI and accessibility, among others, may threaten housing programs for those who need them most.

March 3, 2025 - Shelterforce

Two older women sitting on green sofa looking at paperwork or bills.

LGBTQ+ Elders Face Compounded Challenges in Accessing Fair and Equitable Housing

Lessons for building affirming, inclusive, and trauma-informed housing developments for older LGBTQ+ adults.

October 14, 2024 - Sydney Kopp-Richardson

Apartment For Rent Sign

HUD Proposal Would Soften ‘One-Strike’ Policy

Formerly incarcerated people are often barred from publicly subsidized housing, putting them at higher risk for homelessness and recidivism.

May 20, 2024 - Truthout

Red and white "For Sale" sign in front yard of suburban house.

Report: Just 7 Percent of Homes for Sale Affordable to Black Households

The affordability crisis continues to impact American households across the board, with 16 percent of listings affordable to the average household.

January 31, 2024 - Yahoo Finance

Close-up of rental application laying on table with green pen laying across the paper

White House Targets Landlord ‘Junk Fees’

The administration is urging states to more heavily regulate application fees, administrative fees, and other often hidden costs imposed on renters.

July 21, 2023 - Marketwatch

Eviction notice on table with surgical face mask lying next to it.

Evictions Surge as Protections End

With pandemic assistance funding running out, many U.S. renters face the threat of eviction, with families with children at a disproportionately high risk for losing their housing.

July 6, 2023 - The Hill

A map showing proposed zones for future development in the city of Rochester, New York.

APA Releases ‘Equity in Zoning’ Guide

The guide provides a framework for assessing and improving equity in housing policy.

February 9, 2023 - American Planning Association

Close-up of calendar on day 1 of month with "Pay Rent" written in red marker

White House Announces Policies Aimed at Protecting Renters

The administration acknowledges its limited powers in solving the nation’s housing affordability crisis, but says new actions will examine unfair rental practices and recommend policies to state and local governments.

January 25, 2023 - The Washington Post

Aerial view of Alexandria, Virginia from over Potomac River

Alexandria Could Undertake Major Zoning Reform

The city is developing a plan to address housing affordability and equity and encourage more housing production.

November 22, 2022 - Alexandria Now

Single-family house with two-car garage under construction

Not Just Use: More Zoning Regulations to Unlock Housing Equity

Prohibiting single-family zoning alone won’t accomplish the needed transformation of the built environment in the United States.

August 31, 2022 - American Planning Association

Aerial view of Milwaukee, Wisconsin skyline with large old homes in the foreground

Report: Milwaukee Racial Homeownership Gap Increasing

The inequality in the city’s housing market is growing at a rate surpassing other peer cities.

August 1, 2022 - Wisconsin Policy Forum

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

Central Los Angeles

California Approves Revised Los Angeles Housing Element

State officials officially approved the city’s housing plan, which was initially rejected for not doing enough to enhance housing equity.

June 30, 2022 - Urbanize LA

An image of St. Paul, Minnesota and the Mississippi River at nightfall.

Minneapolis Housing Activists Hope To Revive 2014 Federal Complaint

A 2014 complaint about segregated housing lodged with the Department of Housing and Urban Development could revive integrationist housing policies to improve opportunities for all residents.

May 18, 2022 - Governing

Oregon

Building Safety, Climate Change, and Equity

A Portland coalition is drawing attention to the disproportionate impacts of unsafe and inefficient housing on low-income households and pushing for legislation that would mandate building improvements and tenant protections.

March 1, 2022 - High Country News

Portland Houses

Biden Administration Recognizes the Legacy of Housing Discrimination

In a memorandum, the President acknowledged the federal government's role in patterns of segregation and disinvestment that continue to affect communities of color across the country.

February 10, 2021 - Urban Institute

Victorian Townhomes

Philadelphia Aims to Create or Preserve 100,000 Units of Housing

The city of Philadelphia released a document detailing its intentions around housing and related policies. The plan, which has been described as "ambitious," places a focus on equity.

October 11, 2018 - PlanPhilly

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.