Public Meetings Privilege Housing Opponents — Here’s How to Fix It

Seattle’s City Council has been pushing more public meetings for the Comprehensive Plan and rezone process — despite significant outreach that the City has already carried out. Research shows that public meetings systematically and structurally privileges wealthier, older homeowners, and even indicates that the public meeting process cannot be easily reformed.

Priced out: How Boston’s college housing crunch displaces longtime residents

Stacy Fox, executive director of the Boston University Initiative on Cities, leads university-wide programs and research focused on urban policy, governance and community engagement. “There’s an increased demand for housing, which impacts the rental prices,” Fox said. “A group of students who want to live together might be more able to pay higher rents than a family who lives nearby, and this can sometimes lead to displacement of long-time residents.”

Trump has vowed to bring down housing costs. What is his administration doing?

Though the Trump administration has stressed homeownership as “a ticket to the American dream” as it attempts to herald in “the golden age of America,” housing has appeared to take somewhat of a backseat to the issues of foreign policy and the border in the opening months of the president’s second term. And some of his moves on those fronts — like levying tariffs and upping deportations — risk contributing to higher costs and hurdles to homeownership for everyday Americans.

Zoning & Planning Committee Report – March 24, 2025

Zachary LeMel, Chief of Long Range Planning, presented the attached
presentation, which outlined the previous teardown analysis. He also explained that the
current proposal to prevent teardowns is before the committee instead of one to prevent
teardowns due to the drastic measures needed to prevent teardowns, the benefits of
regulating contextual development, and the need for time to evaluate other recent zoning
amendments.

Harris County’s routinely long Commissioners Court agendas are often short on details

A Houston Landing review of the cities and counties in the Houston region, found Harris County is among the worst when it comes to posting details of the hundreds of agenda items, including million-dollar contracts, audits and infrastructure projects that make up the county’s $2.6 billion budget. Of the 49 jurisdictions reviewed, 36 post supplemental or background information for agenda items. Ten governments post only their agendas. Three — including Harris County — post incomplete information.

Louisville Launches ‘Anti-Displacement Tool’

The city of Louisville will begin using a new algorithmic tool to assess the potential for displacement of proposed housing projects, according to a Shelterforce article. “The tool analyzes whether a given project meets the neighborhood’s housing needs and income levels, ensuring that rents match local incomes. If the development does not meet these standards, then the city cannot subsidize it.” City officials hope the tool will make development more equitable and ensure that city funding does not contribute to the displacement of long-term residents.

Making the case for good cause eviction in Maryland

Maryland’s General Assembly is currently looking at a bill that would block landlords from evicting tenants without a legitimate reason. On February 18th, members of Renters United Maryland called on lawmakers to require a “good cause” or “just cause” for any eviction, such as a lease violation or non-payment.

‘Anti-Displacement Tool’ to Direct City Funding to Projects that Won’t Price Out Residents

The City of Louisville will soon begin using a newly developed algorithmic tool that aims to stop city funding from going to housing projects that would displace local residents. The tool was mandated by a tenant-led 2023 law and, after a year of development by researchers at Boston University, was approved for use in November 2024. Now, it’s ready to be deployed on upcoming development proposals.

Can Louisville’s New ‘Anti-Displacement Tool’ Redirect City Funds Toward Affordable Housing?

The City of Louisville, Kentucky, will soon begin using a newly-developed algorithmic tool that aims to stop city funding from going to housing projects that would displace local residents. The tool was mandated by a tenant-led 2023 law and, after a year of development by researchers at Boston University, was approved for use in November 2024. Now, it’s ready to be deployed on upcoming development proposals.