Housing
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Federal build-to-rent limits could reduce housing supply, researchers warn
Provisions in the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act forcing the sale of BTR homes could mean 72,000 fewer houses are built each year, a recent Urban Institute study found.
By Julie Strupp • April 2, 2026 -
Office-to-housing conversions grew 28% last year
New York City led other cities in converted residential units by a wide margin, followed by Washington, D.C., and Chicago, according to RentCafe.
By Ryan Kushner • March 30, 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 -
Highsmith, Carol M. (2011). "Robert C. Weaver Federal Building, headquarters of HUD, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Washington, D.C" [Photograph]. Retrieved from Wikimedia Commons.
HUD investigates Washington state housing program
The agency claims the Covenant Homeownership Program, which aims to remedy historic housing discrimination, may be racially discriminatory toward White people and other groups.
By Julie Strupp • March 30, 2026 -
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New York City program aims to fast-track affordable housing on city-owned land
The Neighborhood Builders Fast Track program will cut pre-development timelines for some projects nearly in half, Mayor Zohran Mamdani said.
By Ryan Kushner • March 27, 2026 -
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Indiana city bans groups from sending it homeless individuals from other jurisdictions
Fort Wayne, Indiana, is imposing penalties of up to $2,500 for organizations that relocate unhoused individuals to the city without approval.
By Ryan Kushner • March 26, 2026 -
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Detroit to dedicate 100% of city-owned commercial property sales proceeds to affordable housing fund
The measure is expected to generate $4 million annually for affordable housing development and preservation.
By Ryan Kushner • March 25, 2026 -
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Office-to-housing conversion initiatives proliferate in California
State policymakers have been pursuing policy changes that remove barriers to converting older commercial buildings into housing, with mixed success.
By Keith Loria • March 25, 2026 -
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Trump housing order could mean new barriers to federal funding for cities
Local governments may need to ease zoning and environmental rules to stay eligible for federal support, an attorney says.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • March 25, 2026 -
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Opinion // Surface Transportation LegislationTo make housing more affordable, invest in infrastructure
Homes need roads, water systems and power to serve them. A good start is renewing the federal surface transportation funding set to expire in September, writes a building materials executive.
By Nathan Creech • March 23, 2026 -
Retrieved from New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development on March 23, 2026
NYC reinvigorates push for ADUs
The city launched a dedicated website and is restarting a program to offer up to $395,000 to help qualifying homeowners build an ancillary dwelling unit.
By Ryan Kushner • March 23, 2026 -
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How housing policy reform drove down rents in Austin, Texas
Removing regulatory barriers and subsidizing affordable housing helped clear the way for 120,000 new homes in the city between 2015 and 2024, according to Pew.
By Ryan Kushner • March 19, 2026 -
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Multifamily starts jump in January
New apartment construction rose on a monthly and yearly basis, buoying residential building overall.
By Julie Strupp • March 16, 2026 -
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Could transit agency-owned land help solve California’s housing problem?
A new study identified nearly 3,000 parcels suitable for affordable housing development.
By Ryan Kushner • March 16, 2026 -
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Bipartisan affordable housing legislation just cleared the Senate. Here’s what it could mean for cities.
The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act does not tamper with local zoning regulations or include unfunded mandates, experts say.
By Ryan Kushner • March 13, 2026 -
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Trump administration unveils new plan for some homeless veterans: legal guardianship
The Department of Veterans Affairs is teaming up with the Department of Justice for the initiative, which an advocacy group calls dehumanizing.
By Ryan Kushner • March 12, 2026 -
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HUD appeals ruling that paused its plans to cut Housing First
The agency wants to shift away from long-term supportive housing in favor of transitional housing with work requirements and addiction treatment mandates.
By Julie Strupp • March 12, 2026 -
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Florida advances bill to bypass local zoning, allow residential development on brownfields
The Infill Redevelopment Act would increase housing supply in the state’s denser South Florida counties.
By Ryan Kushner • March 11, 2026 -
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How Durham, North Carolina, kick-started affordable housing development
A $95 million bond agreement in 2019 has led to a swell of affordable housing units in the city. More local governments are following suit.
By Ryan Kushner • March 10, 2026 -
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Nearly 40,000 ‘shovel-ready’ affordable homes in California are stuck in financial limbo, report finds
Billions in additional state funding are needed to unlock construction for 461 approved developments, according to a new analysis by Enterprise Community Partners.
By Ryan Kushner • March 9, 2026 -
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2 major cities update homelessness plans to focus on permanent housing
Both Phoenix and Oakland, California, saw increases in unsheltered homelessness in recent years.
By Ryan Kushner • March 6, 2026 -
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NYC public housing has a vacancy problem, an investigation found. Squatters are filling the gaps.
The number of vacant New York City Housing Authority apartments increased nearly 140% from 2022 to 2025, a New York City Department of Investigation report found. The vacancies are posing safety risks.
By Ryan Kushner • March 5, 2026 -
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4 ways Oklahoma can ease its affordable housing crisis
An Urban Institute study detailed challenges in Oklahoma’s housing market but also noted solutions for the state.
By Ryan Kushner • March 4, 2026 -
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Got a spare room in Portland, Oregon? The city might give you $1K to rent it out.
The home-sharing program is one of several city efforts to activate "underutilized" housing, Mayor Keith Wilson said.
By Ryan Kushner • March 3, 2026 -
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New bipartisan bill bars major investors from buying single-family homes
Legislation released in the wake of President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address aims to boost homeownership, but experts say it won’t solve the root problem plaguing housing affordability and access.
By Julie Strupp • March 2, 2026 -
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Frederick County, Maryland, plots a ‘more active’ approach to housing shortages
The county needs to build nearly 32,000 housing units in the next decade to meet demand, a new report found.
By Ryan Kushner • March 2, 2026
