Utah lawmakers opened their 2026 legislative agenda with a proposal to revive a once-bedrock fixture of the American Dream of homeownership: starter homes. By streamlining permit approvals and rezoning for smaller property lots, Beehive State legislators will try to pry open a path to first-time homeownership. The bill would reduce minimum lot sizes to encourage […]
Utah lawmakers target starter homes with lot size reform Read More »
Another state vs. local jurisdiction showdown is brewing up in Indiana. Lawmakers there are poised to strip cities of much of their power over where and how new housing is built, setting up a clash over who holds the reins of local growth and – critically – housing development. Indiana’s proposed bill would transform how
Indiana bill targets housing affordability with state zoning changes Read More »
The latest “not in my backyard” tactic in California’s local zoning disputes and state housing law battles? Filing a complaint with the state bar association. A case in point: An attorney who failed in an effort to derail a Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., upzoning lodged a complaint with the California State Bar about a March
How a state bar filing could derail a California upzoning plan Read More »
California has become a test lab for housing reform. The state stands as an ongoing experiment-in-process for how far lawmakers will go to legalize the development of more homes and how hard local officials and neighborhood activists will fight to stop it. The latest flashpoint struck on Thursday, as the Los Angeles transit agency board
California housing reform faces new test as LA Metro resists transit zoning law Read More »
The rent stabilization bug has hit Providence, RI. Municipal officials there are jumping on the bandwagon with other cities and states whose local officials have adopted or are weighing the policy as a housing affordability strategy. Providence City Council President Rachel Miller, alongside council allies, introduced an ordinance this week that would cap most annual
Providence mulls 4% rent cap as national rent control debate boils Read More »
A group of Pennsylvania lawmakers wants to scrap local limits on shared living in a move that could reopen the door to boarding houses, single-room occupancy buildings, and other shared housing statewide. House Bill 2109 – with support from seven state legislators signing on sponsor a committee vote – would bar municipalities from using zoning
Pennsylvania bill targets local curbs on shared housing Read More »
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani suffered defeat in his first skirmish with multifamily property owners as part of a strategic war to remake the city’s rent-stabilized housing. On Friday, Summit Properties USA became the winning bidder for more than 5,000 rent-regulated units owned by bankrupt Pinnacle Development Group. The sale went through despite Mamdani’s
Mamdani notches a loss in opening gambit to take on NYC landlords Read More »
Affordability has become the defining test of political electability today. From housing to groceries, voters increasingly judge candidates by their ability to reduce everyday costs. Virginia Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger (D) focused on improving affordability during her campaign. To follow through, she rolled out a housing agenda that leans heavily on preservation of existing affordable homes,
Spanberger unveils Virginia housing affordability plan Read More »
California Gov. Gavin Newsom gave the state’s “yes-in-my-backyard” coalition celebrated wins this year on housing legislation. Those same pro-housing activists have now sued him over an August executive order that exempts fire-ravaged areas in Los Angeles from a 2021 state law — Senate Bill 9 — that paved the way for higher density on single-family
YIMBY group sues Newsom over SB 9 pause in L.A. wildfire zones Read More »
A surge in Sun Belt in-migration for well over a decade blessed Georgia with population growth that prompted a spate of apartment and home construction. Despite a heavy dose of added supply in the past few years, there was no catching up. The state still has a housing shortage, particularly in the Atlanta metropolitan area.
Georgia lawmakers aim to speed housing permits for affordability Read More »