July 30: What we’re reading this week
Some articles we found interesting this week:
Residents seeking subsidized housing opportunities are experiencing waits ranging from 2-5 years and event longer. This article discusses the issue facing residents in Boston.
Single-Family Zoning Linked With Income and Race Segregation:
An analysis of zoning laws in Connecticut finds people in single-family areas are more likely to be white and have higher incomes than those in areas that allow more housing. The findings add to a growing recognition of how zoning is linked with segregation and exclusion.This interview with the author of the book Inclusive Transportation explores how to repair the damage caused by roads and highways that divide many communities.
Many people are not aware of a fund established by Wake County with additional contributions from Raleigh, as well as several banks and local businesses to help preserve naturally occurring affordable housing (“NOAH”). This article explores the acquisition of a property in Raleigh that used the fund to help finance the deal. Unfortunately, it also shows how even with this help, keeping communities affordable for the low and very low-income residents remains challenging. Read it in INDY Week.
This is a fascinating article that takes a very different approach to YIMBYism, exclusionary zoning and NIMBYism. And here is a SLATE article criticizing the article and Liberal Suburbs Have Their Own Border Wall.
Acknowledging that its aggressive inclusionary zoning laws and high development fees are hindering the construction of new housing, San Francisco is reducing fees and the inclusionary zoning mandate in the hopes of spurring more housing construction. It’s also worth noting that San Francisco also has rent control, which some argue also restrains the construction of new rental units, via Urban Institute.
Your Next Landlord Might be a Few Hundred Random People. Read it here.
Raleigh’s first tiny home village broke ground this past weekend. It will be interesting to see if this new form of housing gains traction. Via ABC11.
How Parking Ruined Everything. Read it here.
Triangle Business Journal’s Soughata Mukherjee suggests an interesting approach to encourage builders to build smaller homes on land purchased at subsidized prices with help from municipalities. Read it here.
Long Read: People often cite Portland as an urban oasis, but the reality is anything but. Fighting for Save Anthony: The Struggle to Save Portland, in the New York Times.