The landmark environmental bill, CEQA, has been credited with preventing irreversible damage to natural habitats. But it’s also provided an avenue for resistant neighbors to block new housing in urban areas.
Many renters could be in peril if they haven’t sought assistance and don’t pay April rent. Housing experts now expect a flood of evictions to hit courtrooms around the state in mid-April.
In the 1970s, the city created a new generation of homesteaders by practically giving away vacant homes. Now, the idea has been revitalized by a city councilor. But not everyone is convinced it will work.
Experts agree that certain issues, such as public safety, housing and inequities, must be addressed for the city’s downtown to fully recover from the economic devastations of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Public engagement can have downsides. Neighborhood participation in the housing permitting process makes existing political inequalities worse, limits housing supply and contributes to the affordability crisis.
Housing costs were rising faster than income before historic inflation made things worse. The CEO of Habitat for Humanity blueprints what local governments can do to ease the current crisis.
A California case involving local sugary-drink taxes demonstrates the value of taking to the courts to push against industry-backed laws that block city and county policies that promote health and equity.
The federal funds provide an opportunity for cities to address and make tangible progress toward addressing the systemic inequities that have lingered for far too long.
Lawmakers heard public testimony on housing this week: some encouraging suburbs to site more-affordable units and others claiming that towns should be left alone to maintain local character. The state is one of the nation’s most-segregated.
Only a dozen of our big cities have as many people per square mile as the average U.S. city had seven decades ago. The ones that have done best have employed effective strategies.
An unlucky generation is coming into its own — getting married, having kids and buying homes. The nation’s fastest-growing Sun Belt metros, with their strong job markets and affordability, stand to reap the rewards.
The most affordable homes face the highest risks from disasters for three key reasons.
‘Quiet Title’ laws across the Midwest can disproportionately affect homeowners who don’t speak English, like Natalia Esteban who emigrated from Mexico over 20 years ago.
From 1890-1930, they exploded across the American landscape, offering people the chance to own a home just outside the city. Lack of government support curtailed their growth, but these historic neighborhoods serve as models for efficient urban planning.
The tragedies in Philadelphia and the Bronx have put a spotlight back on the country’s deplorable housing market for the poorest families. Proposals to fix and fund the problem are on the table.
The practice has become a focus of housing reform but eliminating it might not make much difference if other regulations aren’t considered.
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