Prices rise and experiments abound
Deep Dives
Explore related topics with these Wikipedia articles, rewritten for enjoyable reading:
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Section 8 (housing)
13 min read
The article discusses HUD funding cuts to voucher programs and Home Forward pausing new voucher issuance. Understanding Section 8's history, mechanics, and policy debates provides essential context for the affordability crisis described.
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Exclusionary zoning
10 min read
The article references Baltimore's efforts to 'undo longstanding exclusionary zoning' and debates over single-family zoning reform. This Wikipedia article explains the historical origins and racial dimensions of zoning policies that the article assumes readers understand.
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Rent regulation
15 min read
Massachusetts is pursuing rent stabilization after a long ban on rent control. This article covers the economic debates, historical implementations, and varied approaches globally - providing deeper context than the article's brief mention of 'market distortions.'
Housing systems across the United States are under pressure from multiple directions. Changes to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) have left local providers scrambling to maintain programs, while cities are getting creative with existing laws and turning to zoning reforms, accessory dwelling units, and transit-oriented projects to boost supply. At the same time, rising home prices and worsening affordability are reshaping how Americans approach housing and homeownership.
States re-evaluate policies amid HUD changes
Disruptions to supportive housing across the U.S.
HUD’s shift away from permanent supportive housing is causing upheaval across the country, with local agencies warning they may lose long-standing programs even as needs intensify.
In New England, providers cited by the Boston Globe say the new funding rules for the Continuum of Care program could destabilize hundreds of residents who rely on long-term rental support. The rules cut support for permanent supportive housing in favor of transitional, work-or-treatment-required shelter models, prompting a multistate lawsuit to block the cuts.
In Los Angeles, LAist reports that local officials estimate HUD’s new funding requirements could remove long-term rental support for roughly 5,000 people currently housed in permanent supportive units. On top of that, plans to gut more than 80 percent of the HUD staff who administer homelessness grants have left providers scrambling to redesign programs, renegotiate contracts, and brace for widespread displacement if the cuts take effect.
And in Michigan, the Detroit Free Press reports that agencies across the state may have to shut down supportive housing, rapid-rehousing, and shelter programs that thousands rely on to stay housed. With winter approaching and demand for services high, Michigan nonprofits say the abrupt shift away from permanent housing models leaves them scrambling to find replacement funding or prepare for rising homelessness as contracts expire.
Supply, vacancy, and funding pressures for Portland’s low-income housing
Portland’s subsidized housing system is showing strain from multiple angles. A recent study conducted by the real-estate analytics firm CoStar and reported by The Oregonian found that nearly 1,900 subsidized apartments — about 7.4 percent of the city’s roughly 25,409 “affordable” units — are currently vacant. Housing providers cited by The Oregonian warn that even the subsidized rents remain too high for many low‑income households, potentially explaining why units sit empty even as demand remains high.
At the same time, Oregon Public Broadcasting reports that the
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