Housing and Urban Issues
Stresses on urban communities continue to affect housing, food security, child services, homelessness, business development and crime. Coverage includes stories about new solutions to how cities are run, how they develop as urban centers and about the people who live there.
Only 2% of post-fire applications have been approved as residents battle regulations, high costs and competition from foreign buyers snapping up burned lots
Clear, consistent planning and messaging helped New Rochelle, N.Y., build thousands of housing units with minimal blowback.
Americans have always feared crowding and congestion, blaming the anonymity of the city for a decline in community feeling. But cities’ energy and vitality continue to pull people toward urban life.
Modern multifamily buildings are far safer than those built long ago. It’s another reason for policymakers to remove regulatory barriers to constructing them.
Josh Green’s plan relies heavily on redeveloping state land and expediting permits — but nearly half the pipeline homes haven’t cleared essential approvals.
Under a law effective July 1, officers may force observers to stay 25 feet back, a mandate critics say shields law enforcement from public scrutiny during active scenes.
A new law in New Jersey requires cities to plan for a share of the state’s housing needs. The Republican candidate for governor is tapping into local frustration about it.
Mayor Katrina Thompson says she refuses to govern her small town outside Chicago from a position of fear.
Trillions of dollars of wealth, much of it in homes and other property, will be moving from baby boomers to millennials. Local governments should begin preparing for dealing with that generation’s values.
It's vital to democracy, but the economics of the business and corporate ownership continue to challenge the independent reporting communities need.
Columbus, Ohio, is one of the fastest-growing cities in the country, its economy driven by an unusual culture of cooperation led by Mayor Andrew Ginther.
As traditional development slows, accessory dwelling units now represent 30–45 percent of new permits and more than half of the affordable homes in unincorporated areas.
In recent months, major cities including San Francisco, San Jose, San Diego, Fresno and Los Angeles have significantly stepped up efforts to clear encampments. Officials say it's an overdue shift in policy around homelessness.
Forbidding high-rises were a product of a misguided, elitist ideology. We could have done better than leveling vibrant neighborhoods.
Roughly 2,000 modular units are underway, but opponents fear rents may still remain out of reach.
HUD recently changed the eligibility criteria for grants to support the Trump administration’s positions on a range of issues, from immigration enforcement to gender identity. The move bars applicants from most states.
The proposed program mirrors the COVID-era “Save The Dream” initiative, though in a reduced form: eligibility narrowed and benefits capped much lower than before.
Congress has substantially increased support for the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program. That should help finance thousands more units.
A sweeping report shows that inadequate building, high interest rates and wage stagnation have pushed housing costs too high for workers in surprising numbers of professions.
Unsheltered homelessness surged in North Miami-Dade by 74 percent, while shelter capacity shrank after the closure of major facilities.
The state program boosts incentives for builders and provides financial assistance for buyers, aiming to bring modest homes well below median prices.
When it comes to generating a revival, trying to copy what has succeeded somewhere else usually doesn’t work.
Religious property owners are largely exempt from zoning codes, allowing some churches to build tiny home villages.
At least 20 of the nation’s 25 largest cities face budget gaps in 2026. As cities lean on reserves and costs outpace revenues, experts warn state flexibility will be critical.
After Katrina, most of the city's schools became charters. Although the change brought results, the importance of accountability measures should not be forgotten.
Two years ago, lawmakers in the Big Sky State passed one of the most comprehensive state-level housing reform packages in the country. This year, they doubled down on their success.
Detectives credit long hours, strong community trust, and cross-unit collaboration for solving every homicide case since 2022.
A new statewide energy code seeks to lower emissions and utility bills, but homebuilders may push back over concerns about affordability.
The president’s deployment of the military to our cities undermines a critical constitutional safeguard for democracy. Just look at what’s happened in some other countries.
Median home values have risen 60 percent since 2012, yet the city has 20,000 fewer housing units than before the storm, with nearly 29,000 still vacant.
The judgments we make about them can be difficult to shake, even when their reality has changed a lot.
