What US mayors want from the next president, Congress

The creation of a first-ever city mental health block grant, affordable housing investments and gun safety legislation are among the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ requests.

By Ysabelle Kempe • June 27, 2024

Clark makes headway on first affordable housing project in Tysons, Virginia

Amazon is funding $56 million of the project through its housing equity fund.

By Zachary Phillips • June 25, 2024

Explore the Trendline➔

Top 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

The most sought-after destinations for renters this spring

Select Midwest metros remain the most popular cities searched for by apartment hunters.

By Mary Salmonsen • June 18, 2024

NYC approves second set of zoning changes

The changes aim to boost commercial corridors, promote life sciences activity and bolster manufacturing in the city. One ends a decades-old rule that barred certain commercial building uses.

By Joe Burns • June 13, 2024

5 US cities prime for office-to-residential conversions

An Urban Institute analysis names the cities that could benefit most from adaptive reuse projects based on office real estate markets and housing supply needs.

By Ysabelle Kempe • June 6, 2024

States see wave of squatting-related legislation

Florida, New York and other states passed laws this spring enabling removal of residents who are not legal occupants. Similar bills are being considered in other jurisdictions.

By Mary Salmonsen • May 29, 2024

EPA launches new Energy Star residential standard

Requirements for certification include heat pumps, resident electric vehicle charging stations, electric cooking appliances and highly energy-efficient construction.

By Mary Salmonsen • May 17, 2024

To win the war on rats, NYC convenes National Urban Rat Summit

“The best way to defeat our enemy is to know our enemy,” Mayor Eric Adams said. Municipal experts from cities across the U.S. will be in attendance.

By Ysabelle Kempe • May 17, 2024

Rents are on the rise again, moving close to all-time highs

New York City is the market with the strongest year-over-year rent growth this month.

By Mary Salmonsen • May 15, 2024

Hawai’i counties can regulate short-term rentals under new law

Some local leaders have voiced support for reducing short-term rentals in their area as the state faces a housing affordability crisis.

By Noelle Mateer • May 9, 2024

HUD’s $4.8B green retrofit program announces first construction project deal

A new heat pump system will replace the existing gas-powered system at an apartment community housing low-income older adults.

By Ysabelle Kempe • May 9, 2024

A unique zoning policy creates financial certainty, affordable housing developers say

“I can actually know what my costs are,” a housing authority’s executive director said of one city’s zoning overlay, which relaxes certain requirements for 100% affordable housing.

By Adina Solomon • May 7, 2024

Colorado’s for-cause eviction bill signed into law

Colorado is the sixth U.S. state to establish a law that prevents landlords from evicting tenants or denying lease renewals without cause.

By Mary Salmonsen • May 3, 2024

How tracking homelessness in real time ‘by name’ can guide local action

Federally mandated annual “point-in-time” counts paint a picture of homelessness in broad strokes. But some communities are collecting information to understand what happens in between.

By Ysabelle Kempe • May 3, 2024

Atlanta office conversion goes to foreclosure

Atlanta, like many cities, has plenty of office conversion candidates. However, those projects come with challenges. 

By Leslie Shaver • April 30, 2024

A first-in-the-nation home repair program sees overwhelming demand

A "gaping need" exists nationwide for programs that improve housing quality, said a senior research analyst at the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies.

By Kalena Thomhave • April 25, 2024

Are homeless encampment bans ‘cruel and unusual?’

The Supreme Court begins to examine laws that restrict camping even when no shelter space is available as advocates for the homeless and city officials weigh in.

By Danielle McLean • April 22, 2024

‘Street to home, same day’: LA’s master leasing program to tackle homelessness

The city plans to rent out blocks of housing units and sublease them to tenants who might otherwise struggle to qualify for rentals.

By Gaby Galvin • April 18, 2024

House bill aims to turn unused or underused government facilities into affordable housing

The U.S. General Services Administration, along with two other federal agencies, would be required to report to Congress on federal properties that are suitable for residential conversion.

By Nish Amarnath • April 15, 2024

Biden has proposed ‘the boldest housing plan in a generation,’ his economic advisor says

The plan would expand tax credits for affordable housing developers, a proven way to boost supply, National Economic Advisor Lael Brainard said.

By Kalena Thomhave • April 10, 2024

How to ease the path to transit-oriented housing development

Public transportation agencies “just [don’t] have the land resources on hand to make it feasible,” said the author of a recent Urban Institute analysis on funding transit-oriented development.

By Kalena Thomhave • April 9, 2024

Federal affordable housing financing program gets extended

The White House expects the move to generate 38,000 rental units over the next 10 years.

By Danielle McLean • April 1, 2024

Housing subsidy for community college students launches in Maryland county

“Stable and affordable housing is a significant determinant of academic success and economic mobility,” Howard County Executive Calvin Ball said in support of the effort.

By Danielle McLean • March 28, 2024

DC’s downtown revival plan, from office conversions to ‘neighborhood safety centers’

Facing public safety concerns, the possible loss of two professional sports teams and costly office-to-residential conversions, Washington, D.C., officials released highlights of a proposed revitalization.

By Danielle McLean • March 22, 2024

Chicago’s novel idea for paying off affordable housing, development bond

The city plans to cut back a program that critics said kept property tax revenue in wealthier neighborhoods and diverted it from public services.

By Danielle McLean • March 8, 2024