House bill would slash funds for transit, Amtrak, equity programs

The proposed fiscal 2024 federal transportation budget would cut two major grant programs and impose restrictions on how certain funds could be used.

By Dan Zukowski • July 19, 2023

Rising insurance costs could force apartment sales, threaten new development

When insurance increases kill affordable deals, they knock much-needed moderately priced housing out of the market.

By Leslie Shaver • July 19, 2023

Residential conversions continue to rise as office values decline

Work-from-home trends and market conditions have made conversion projects more feasible.

By Mary Salmonsen • July 18, 2023

The top 10 states residents want to move into (and out of)

Florida stands out for its high amount of churn, as both the No. 2 state Americans want to move to and the top state current residents want to leave.

By Mary Salmonsen • July 17, 2023

Demand for parking may have dire climate, housing consequences, author says

“The more parking you provide, the more likely people will be to own a car,” said author Henry Grabar on a webinar. 

By Dan Zukowski • July 12, 2023

US housing ‘crisis state’ calls for more affordable housing, zoning reform, state-local collaboration, panel says

State efforts to spur housing development were lauded at the panel discussion, which was tied to the release of the annual state of U.S. housing report from the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies.

By Gaby Galvin • June 29, 2023

San Francisco invites proposals to convert downtown office spaces into housing, other new uses

The city’s initiative to repurpose underused downtown commercial space solidifies legislation passed last week to simplify commercial building conversion processes.

By Nish Amarnath • June 29, 2023

To improve multifamily housing energy efficiency and resiliency, HUD offers $4.8B for retrofits

The first round of the $4.8 billion GRRP covers upgrades for 28 rent-assisted properties.

By Mary Salmonsen • June 22, 2023

Which zoning changes best alleviate the housing crisis? Seattle-area cities have a new way to find out.

An interactive online tool from the Urban Institute estimates the impact on housing development of four different zoning changes around transit construction in the Puget Sound area.

By Kalena Thomhave • June 22, 2023

When wildfires hit, homes built under fire-resistant codes are surviving. Communities are noticing.

Building code changes resulted in more saved homes in the 2018 Camp Fire in California. With more frequent, intense wildfires likely, Western communities are taking a look but hearing concerns about costs and property rights.

By Amanda Loudin • June 16, 2023

Police are shaping and enforcing homelessness policies. It’s making the problem worse, researchers say.

Programs that police or criminalize homelessness go against evidence-based housing-policies and may actually promote cycles of homelessness, said researchers from Boston University and Cornell University.

By Danielle McLean • June 15, 2023

The 8 metros with negative rent growth

Despite the deceleration, rent growth in May continued in many cities, particularly in the Midwest and Northeast.

By Jennifer Goodman • June 8, 2023

Affordable housing bill vetoed by Colorado governor, sparking backlash from legislators

The bill’s co-sponsors clapped back, claiming in a statement that Gov. Jared Polis had kowtowed to special interests at the last minute.

By Michael Brady • June 8, 2023

‘Street crisis team’ aims to curb police involvement in homelessness response in San Francisco

Decreasing police use can reduce cycles of incarceration, which are expensive for cities and harm people experiencing homelessness, said a public health expert.

By Ysabelle Kempe • June 7, 2023

Single-family rental construction more active than ever

Lifestyle changes and high home prices are driving demand for build-to-rent homes.

By Mary Salmonsen • June 6, 2023

Lawmakers urge HUD to prohibit biometric recognition tech in federally-funded housing

Racial bias, harassment for minor rule violations were among their concerns, the lawmakers said in their letter to Housing and Urban Development.

By Mary Salmonsen • June 5, 2023

NYC region faces significant health inequities: report

All decisions made in the region, from building more housing to expanding highways, affect public health outcomes, one of the report's authors said.

By Ysabelle Kempe • May 24, 2023

Collecting data to support energy-burdened communities poses unique challenges, experts say

Census data isn’t collected often enough to reflect neighborhood demographic shifts, and asking communities to self-report can present additional burdens, panelists said at a clean energy summit.

By Diana DiGangi • May 24, 2023

The ‘infrastructure decade’ is here, but challenges loom for local governments at the helm

“Money is flowing, grant applications are live, private capital is ready to move. But there are real constraints to achieving public goals,” Brookings Metro Senior Fellow Adie Tomer said at an event last week.

By Ysabelle Kempe • May 23, 2023

Feds to give ‘first-of-its-kind’ homelessness support to California and 5 cities

The “ALL INside” initiative will work closely for up to two years with selected communities, including Dallas and Chicago, offering each the assistance of a dedicated federal official.

By Ysabelle Kempe • May 19, 2023

Los Angeles mayor announces next steps in plan to build shelters, housing on city properties

Mayor Karen Bass said she would spend the rest of her term trying to make “the disposition and development of City owned land faster, cheaper, and more streamlined” in a Tuesday letter to the public.

By Ysabelle Kempe • May 18, 2023

How NYC is preparing its infrastructure for extreme weather

Thu-Loan Dinh, who helps lead infrastructure design for the city’s Department of Design and Construction, discusses the agency’s biggest resilience concerns and how to address them.

By Julie Strupp • May 17, 2023

Rents continue rising, with moderate growth expected through 2023

Major U.S. metros, except Phoenix and Las Vegas, experienced rent increases from March to April, a new report found.

By Mary Salmonsen • May 15, 2023

Housing is increasingly unaffordable for teachers in many metropolitan areas

Rental costs can range from 47% of a teacher’s salary in San Francisco to 17% in Wichita, Kansas, according to a National Council on Teacher Quality analysis.

By Anna Merod • May 12, 2023

Parking minimums will soon be history in Austin, Texas

“Our priority should be allowing space for people rather than mandating space for cars,” City Council member Zohaib Qadri said.

By Michael Brady • May 12, 2023