Biden Administration considers ways to influence local housing regulations

The Biden Administration is considering how to spur more affordable housing construction with strategies to influence reform of local housing regulations.

The administration recently sent its Economic Report of the President to Congress with a whole chapter entitled Increasing the Supply of Affordable Housing. In that report, the White House suggested actions the federal government could take to encourage communities to change to local land-use and zoning regulations.

The report states that “limiting housing density and building heights or imposing minimum lot sizes or parking requirements—can create artificial barriers that hinder growth and drive up the cost of housing.” To overcome these barriers, “public funds could be tied to zoning reforms and used to reduce financing constraints for affordable housing developments, and workforce training could increase the supply of labor used to construct housing.”

Possible remedies for housing shortages, according to the report, include legalizing accessory dwelling units (ADUs), and eliminating minimum parking requirements, minimum lot sizes, minimum square feet requirements, and density restrictions.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams is expected to cut red tape to make it easier and less costly to build housing projects in the city. Adams would exempt projects with fewer than 175 units in low-density residential areas and those with fewer than 250 units in commercial, manufacturing, and medium- and high-density residential areas from environmental review.

MFPRO+ News | Dec 22, 2023

Document offers guidance on heat pump deployment for multifamily housing

ICAST (International Center for Appropriate and Sustainable Technology) has released a resource guide to help multifamily owners and managers, policymakers, utilities, energy efficiency program implementers, and others advance the deployment of VHE heat pump HVAC and water heaters in multifamily housing.

Urban Planning | Dec 18, 2023

The impacts of affordability, remote work, and personal safety on urban life

Data from Gensler's City Pulse Survey shows that although people are satisfied with their city's experience, it may not be enough.

Berkeley, Calif., raises height limits in downtown area - Photo: Wikipedia

MFPRO+ News | Dec 18, 2023

Berkeley, Calif., raises building height limits in downtown area

Facing a severe housing shortage, the City of Berkeley, Calif., increased the height limits on residential buildings to 12 stories in the area close to the University of California campus.

Cincinnati affordable historic development street view

Affordable Housing | Dec 14, 2023

What's next for affordable housing in 2024?

As 2023 draws to a close, GBBN’s Mary Jo Minerich and Amanda Markovic, AIA sat down to talk about the future. What’s next in terms of trends, technology, and construction of affordable housing?

Image by Rudy and Peter Skitterians from Pixabay - U.S. poorly prepared to house growing number of older people

MFPRO+ News | Dec 11, 2023

U.S. poorly prepared to house growing number of older adults

The U.S. is ill-prepared to provide adequate housing for the growing ranks of older people, according to a report from Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies. Over the next decade, the U.S. population older than 75 will increase by 45%, growing from 17 million to nearly 25 million, with many expected to struggle financially.

Austin, Texas, has devised a toolkit for creating 'equitable transit-oriented developments,' or ETODs.

Transit Facilities | Dec 4, 2023

6 guideposts for cities to create equitable transit-oriented developments

Austin, Texas, has developed an ETOD Policy Toolkit Study to make transit-oriented developments more equitable for current and future residents and businesses.

Mary’s Place Family Center for families experiencing homelessness

Office Buildings | Dec 1, 2023

Amazon office building doubles as emergency housing for Seattle families

The unusual location for services of this kind serves over 300 people per day. Mary's Place spreads across eight of the office's floors—all designed by Graphite—testing the status quo for its experimental approach to homelessness support.