January 14: What we’re reading this week
Some articles we found interesting this week:
Several years ago, Wake County decided to conduct its revaluation process every 4 years rather than 8 years. The County recently completed the revaluation and property owners will be able to access their new real estate assessment on January 18. Here is more information about the process here. WRAL reports some property owners' valuation will increase by more than 50%. However, that does not mean property taxes will go up by that amount.
Some municipalities have imposed a “McMansion Tax” on larger homes as a way to fund more affordable housing. However, this CityLab article discusses how Los Angeles’ McMansion Tax is bringing in far less revenue than expected.
Pew Trust has an interesting analysis of the results of Minneapolis land use reforms that are somewhat similar to what Raleigh recently enacted. It discusses how rent remained flat as new apartments construction accelerated.
Austin Takes a Big Bet on Tiny Homes to Ease Homelessness, via the New York Times.
Can converting old hotels into small apartments help address Raleigh’s housing affordability crisis? A developer recently completed such a conversion in the heart of Midtown.
As the US population ages, there will be a dramatically higher need for people to age in place. This ShelterForce article argues that all new housing should be built with accessibility in mind.
Many affordable housing advocates cite Vienna’s “Social Housing” as a model worth emulating. This article discusses how to try to do just that in the United States.