Public land could unlock 85K new homes in Greater Boston, report says
In some Massachusetts communities, the local government is one of the biggest property owners. That land could be key to reducing strain on the region’s housing supply.
Public land could unlock 85K new homes in Greater Boston, report says
In some Massachusetts communities, the local government is one of the biggest property owners. That land could be key to reducing strain on the region’s housing supply, according to a new report from the Boston Foundation.
Urban H: Housing, Heat and Health
In 2023, heat records were broken on all continents and the world saw the highest global temperatures in over 100,000 years. With buildings and roads retaining heat and creating urban heat islands, warmer cities have not only become increasingly uncomfortable but are also posing health risks such as heat exhaustion and respiratory disorders to their inhabitants. In the US, the 175 largest cities–which account for 65 percent of the total population–have seen a disproportionate number of heat-related deaths in the past 15 years.
Anti-Displacement Ordinance Introduced in Louisville by Tenant Advocates
Tenant leaders and advocates in Louisville, Kentucky, introduced the “Anti-Displacement Fair Housing Ordinance,” also known as the “Historically Black Neighborhoods Ordinance” (HBNO), in August 2023. The first of its kind to be introduced in a southern state, the ordinance aims to address the rampant displacement and gentrification affecting Black communities in low-income neighborhoods in the Louisville metropolitan area.
Temporary accommodation nation
Temporary accommodation is the sharp end of England’s housing crisis. Official data shows that there are now more than 117,000 households in this unenviable situation— an increase of 23 per cent in the past three years—including 151,000 children under the age of 16. Together, they could occupy every home in Cambridge.
Who’s Responsible for the Housing Crisis?
Americans love local government. In a December 2023 Pew Research Center survey, 61 percent of respondents had a favorable view of their local government, whereas 77 percent had an unfavorable view of the federal government. But behind this veneer of goodwill is a disturbing truth: Local government is driving a housing crisis that is raising rents, lowering economic mobility and productivity, and negatively impacting wages.
A Teen’s Murder, Mold in the Walls: Unfulfilled Promises Haunt Public Housing
The year before Desaray died, President Joe Biden called for the federal government to spend tens of billions of dollars to fix dilapidated public housing that he said posed “critical life-safety concerns.” The repairs, Biden said, would mostly help people of color, single mothers like Gilliard who work in low-income jobs, and people with disabilities.
How Do We Solve America’s Affordable Housing Crisis? BU Research Helps Inspire a Federal Bill That Suggests Answers
A new federal bill, introduced by Senator John Fetterman (D-Pa.) and Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), aims to solve the crisis by making it easier to peel back local rules that can block new construction—and that are often weaponized by those who don’t want new housing in their backyards. And the bill’s approach was inspired, in part, by Boston University research.
Pennsylvanians want to make it easier to build housing, but the politics are complicated, new polls show
The poll showed a strong majority of the respondents in favor of building more homes quickly over preserving local government control over development.
Creating and Managing Rental Registries: Cities’ Experiences and Exploring Use of Lived Experience to Evaluate Impact
According to HUD’s American Healthy Homes Survey II, 22.3 million housing units in the U.S. have one or more significant lead-based paint hazards. Many unsafe housing units are in disadvantaged neighborhoods where most people rent their homes and may be unable to afford better, safer housing. For a city’s most vulnerable residents, a rental registry with proactive inspections is a lifeline.