Author Archive
Molly Bolan
Management
How renters often get left behind in disaster recovery
Renters with tight budgets face unique struggles in recovering from natural disasters. Few localities and states have targeted plans to help them beyond the first few months of recovery.
Management
Hungry for affordable housing, communities turn to land trusts
The old-school approach is garnering renewed interest amid a nationwide housing crisis. The model promises permanently affordable housing.
Management
Housing finally becomes a focus in a presidential campaign
With home prices at record highs, the Harris-Walz campaign has outlined a policy agenda that it says will spur construction of 3 million new units in four years.
Infrastructure
A year after the Maui wildfires, are new housing policies keeping locals housed?
Hawaii has adopted several laws to head off disaster gentrification and ensure affordable housing is available to local residents. The nation is watching to see how those efforts play out.
Management
States, cities want to help Generation Z buy their first home
Many Gen Zers see homeownership as an “unattainable dream.” Cities and states are stepping in to invest in programs to help them become homeowners.
Infrastructure
Zoning reform made way for an explosion of smaller homes in California. Will it work elsewhere?
Encouraged by California’s success, states across the country are passing laws to allow for more accessory dwelling units to address a shortage of affordable homes. But a slew of factors can keep the housing solution from taking off.
Management
How matchmaking can address two housing needs
As America’s population rapidly ages and housing costs soar, some states are playing matchmaker and matching young people in need of affordable housing with older adults with room to spare.
Management
Want to reform housing? Take a look at parking.
When a single parking space adds tens of thousands of dollars to a residential development, those costs get passed on to residents.
Management
What makes a top performing city?
The tech and hospitality industries drive sustainable economic performance, but broadband access, affordability and resilience also play key roles, according to the Milken Institute.
Management
Housing crisis comes to Capitol Hill
While lawmakers acknowledge the national shortage of affordable housing, experts testifying before a Senate panel disagree over how to solve it.
Management
Why it’s tough to stamp out housing voucher discrimination
In many places, it's illegal for landlords to discriminate against tenants using Section 8 vouchers. Enforcing those rules is difficult, but governments are forging ahead.
Featured eBooks
Management
Rent growth cools, but affordability is still out of reach
Even though rents aren’t rising as quickly as they were last year, they’re still too damn high for an increasing number of households.
Management
How tech can democratize community engagement
In contentious city planning meetings, the louder voices in the room often control the narrative, but technology can reframe the conversation and streamline the engagement process.
Management
Can cities clear homeless camps without offering an alternative?
The Supreme Court will hear a case on how far local governments can go to enforce bans on sleeping and camping in public spaces.
Management
It’s easy to lose sight of the root cause of the housing crisis
It’s not big investors, luxury developers or federal mortgage programs that are most responsible for driving up housing costs.
Management
States increasingly join the land use reform rodeo
For a long time housing-related land use issues have been primarily dealt with at the local level, but that’s changing as a case in Montana shows.
Management
Do land-use reforms spur housing development? You betcha.
After years of adjusting land-use regulations, Minneapolis boosted its housing stock by 12%, while rents grew at just 1%. Meanwhile, the rest of Minnesota increased its stock by 4% as rents rose 14%.
Workforce
Teachers can’t afford housing, so school districts are building homes
When potential teachers are considering a position, they often want to know what’s available for affordable housing. “If I don’t have an answer for that, I lose that applicant,” one school district superintendent says.
Management
These pandemic-era relief programs expired in 2023
As the federal government rolled up its pandemic-era social safety net, state and local governments stepped in to fill the gaps in housing, child care and food assistance.
Management
What HUD’s annual homelessness count misses
Rather than relying on a single metric, communities need to develop a data infrastructure they can use to track, reduce and end homelessness.
