Housing
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Courtesy of Donaldson Impact Investments
How local incentives helped clinch an apartment deal in a rent-controlled Maryland county
Investors took advantage of Montgomery County’s by-right Payment in Lieu of Taxes program to buy a multifamily building that will be converted to a mixed-income affordable housing community.
By Leslie Shaver • June 8, 2026 -
Robyn Griggs Lawrence/Smart Cities Dive
Mayors speak with one voice: Housing tops nation’s urban agenda
At the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ annual meeting, bipartisan mayors from cities of all sizes called affordable housing their most pressing challenge and urged Congress to pass the ROAD to Housing Act.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • June 5, 2026 -
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TrendlineTop 5 stories from Smart Cities Dive
From worsening climate change to a shifting transportation landscape and the housing affordability crisis, cities have their work cut out for them.
By Smart Cities Dive staff -
Andrew Harnik via Getty Images
Illinois governor vows continued housing push as statewide zoning proposal hits a wall
The Illinois Municipal League actively opposed the housing bill that it said would preempt local land use and zoning authority.
By Ryan Kushner • June 5, 2026 -
Permission granted by Family Promise
HUD’s point-in-time count misses this form of homelessness
Millions of people are estimated to be in “doubled-up” housing situations. Monitoring the trend could help cities prevent more of them from ending up on the street, one researcher says.
By Ryan Kushner • June 4, 2026 -
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How Charleston, South Carolina, is setting the stage for thousands of affordable homes by 2032
An “aggressive” new housing strategy includes pre-permitting city land and preapproving housing designs to fill gaps more quickly, the mayor said.
By Ryan Kushner • June 2, 2026 -
Permission granted by Frederick County, Maryland
Nominate a project for the 2026 Smart Cities Dive Community Project Awards
The awards will highlight innovation and effective use of technology to solve real community problems.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • June 2, 2026 -
Spencer Platt/Getty Images via Getty Images
Homelessness dropped 3% last year after record highs: HUD
A 4% decrease in people seeking emergency shelter was the largest contributor to the decline, according to the annual report.
By Ryan Kushner • June 1, 2026 -
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A housing raffle is one community’s effort to ensure new homes go to current residents
Elk Grove Village, Illinois, created a “first-of-its-kind” public-private partnership to give residents first dibs on a new batch of single-family homes.
By Ryan Kushner • May 29, 2026 -
Andrew Harnik via Getty Images
Lawsuit targets fair housing rule change
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s final rule amending how the Equal Credit Opportunity Act is applied “effectively guts” fair lending protections, according to four plaintiffs.
By Gabrielle Saulsbery • May 28, 2026 -
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images via Getty Images
To expand housing, Maryland is turning to its largest landowner: itself
New laws zone land near transit for housing and delay local impact fees for developers.
By Ryan Kushner • May 28, 2026 -
Retrieved from New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development on May 27, 2026
Preapproved housing designs can cut costs — and cities are embracing them, Pew says
Front-loading the permit approval process can shave months off of preconstruction timelines and cut architectural and design costs, according to a new report.
By Ryan Kushner • May 27, 2026 -
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Municipal groups push for ROAD to Housing Act approval
The latest version of the landmark housing bill appears to be nearing the finish line in Congress and includes a “major win for counties,” one group said.
By Ryan Kushner • May 22, 2026 -
Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
HUD releases housing regulation ‘best practices’ for state, local governments
The recommendations follow a Trump order to cut red tape but stop short of density directives for municipalities.
By Ryan Kushner • May 21, 2026 -
Samuel Corum via Getty Images
House overwhelmingly passes amended ROAD to Housing bill
Housing groups applauded the passage of the major bipartisan legislation on Wednesday and urged the Senate to approve it.
By Julie Strupp • May 21, 2026 -
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Here’s what’s changed in the revised ROAD to Housing bill
The House amended the major bipartisan housing legislation with some key differences from the Senate’s version.
By Julie Strupp • May 20, 2026 -
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NYC unveils plan to speed up affordable housing development
Mayor Zohran Mamdani is proposing a slew of reforms that he says would shave eight months off the development process by streamlining environmental reviews, pre-development financing and permitting.
By Ryan Kushner • May 19, 2026 -
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HUD chief defends proposed budget cuts amid Senate scrutiny
Secretary Scott Turner had occasional heated exchanges with legislators as he sought approval for a 13% reduction in his agency’s fiscal 2027 budget.
By Ryan Kushner • May 18, 2026 -
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US House releases ROAD to Housing bill without build-to-rent sale mandate
The bill is “the most significant legislation to increase housing supply in years” and could provide “more housing affordability in communities across the country,” housing industry advocates say.
By Julie Strupp • May 18, 2026 -
Retrieved from Governor Gavin Newsom.
California governor proposes $500M to address homelessness — with new strings
Localities seeking Homeless Housing Assistance and Prevention funding would have to demonstrate efforts to address homeless encampments in Gov. Gavin Newsom’s revised state budget proposal.
By Ryan Kushner • May 15, 2026 -
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3 cities making strides in housing affordability
Ivory Innovations recognized a housing finance program in Boston and housing policies in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and New Rochelle, New York, for their ingenuity.
By Ryan Kushner • May 13, 2026 -
Kent Nishimura via Getty Images
HUD trims environmental reviews for multifamily projects
Streamlined standards could help ease affordability pressures nationwide, federal officials and housing industry leaders say.
By Julie Strupp • May 12, 2026 -
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Illinois cities push back on state proposal to bypass local zoning
After Gov. JB Pritzker proposed sweeping statewide housing measures, municipal groups say they’re expanding housing options on their own terms.
By Ryan Kushner • May 11, 2026 -
Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images via Getty Images
HUD continues shift away from ‘housing first,’ harm reduction in homelessness funding
Transitional housing, childcare, job training and addiction treatment are priorities for its Continuum of Care funding opportunity to be published June 1.
By Ryan Kushner • May 7, 2026 -
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Affordable housing development is boosting Oklahoma’s economy: report
Every dollar in tax credit equity across 45 multifamily housing projects is yielding higher economic returns in the state, an Urban Institute study found.
By Ryan Kushner • May 4, 2026 -
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Housing energy efficiency requirements rescinded by HUD, USDA
The 2021 International Energy Conservation Code added $20,000 to the cost of new home construction, according to Trump administration estimates.
By Ryan Kushner • April 29, 2026
