Housing
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Bipartisan federal housing bill becomes law
Widely championed by municipal groups, the bill provides more federal housing funding and new financing tools and could ease some regulatory burdens.
By Julie Strupp • July 13, 2026 -
Courtesy of Kennedy Wilson
LA to get 4,000 affordable housing units via adaptive reuse, new construction
The former LA World Trade Center will be converted into 512 affordable units to kick off the effort.
By Julie Strupp • July 8, 2026 -
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TrendlineTop 5 stories from Smart Cities Dive
From worsening climate change to a shifting transportation landscape and the housing affordability crisis, cities have their work cut out for them.
By Smart Cities Dive staff -
Permission granted by Waterton
4 takeaways from the NLIHC national renter survey
Many renters facing unaffordable rents lack other housing options, according to the 2025 National Renter Survey by the National Low Income Housing Coalition.
By Ryan Kushner • July 7, 2026 -
Mario Tama/Getty Images via Getty Images
$900M in homelessness funding restored to California local governments
The state nearly doubled its prior proposal to fund a program that city leaders have called “the backbone of the state’s local homelessness response system.”
By Ryan Kushner • July 6, 2026 -
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Judge rules against HUD’s ‘rapid, untimely overhaul’ of homeless funding
Although the agency’s “hastily” made changes were deemed procedurally incorrect, the court denied a request to block anti-housing-first policy changes in the next round of Continuum of Care grants.
By Ryan Kushner • July 2, 2026 -
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Aging, mobility and resilience projects get $8.3M from AARP
Fast-track projects ranging from safer streets and transit access to home-sharing and disaster preparedness were among those funded at a record level this year.
By Vicky Uhland • July 1, 2026 -
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How a changing US immigration landscape is impacting the housing crisis
Housing demand is falling due to restrictive immigration policies, but the affordable housing shortage continues, says the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies.
By Ryan Kushner • June 30, 2026 -
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This low-cost housing option is expensive to build. New law, regulatory tweaks could change that.
Rule changes proposed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and Congress’ pending Road to Housing Act could clear the way for cheaper manufactured homes. But will cities accept them?
By Ryan Kushner • June 26, 2026 -
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These 10 metro areas have added the most housing units since 2020: report
Texas metro areas have led the nation’s 6.6% uptick in metro-area housing units, an Urban Institute analysis found.
By Ryan Kushner • June 25, 2026 -
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Trump blocks Road to Housing Act after it passes Congress
Municipal leaders, who have long sought federal action to address the housing crisis, say this bill is the answer. President Trump said he won’t sign it until an election law overhaul is approved.
By Ryan Kushner • June 24, 2026 -
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Starter homes cost $1M in a record 242 US cities: Zillow
Cities with million-dollar starter homes now span 26 states, up from nine before the pandemic, a Zillow analysis found.
By Ryan Kushner • June 23, 2026 -
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7 takeaways from Harvard’s 2026 state of housing report
“Construction is down, home sales are flat and cost burdens are up,” the lead author of the annual Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies report said.
By Ryan Kushner • June 18, 2026 -
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As a Maryland city mulls upzoning, a Realtor association study touts its benefits
A “missing middle” housing proposal in Rockville, Maryland, would boost the city’s housing stock 4.5%, the local Realtor association said.
By Ryan Kushner • June 17, 2026 -
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OpinionWe can’t build our way out of the housing crisis while losing homes every day
The path forward is not just about adding supply. It is also about protecting it.
By Michael T. Pugh • June 17, 2026 -
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HUD suspends LA homeless services funding
A pause on federal funding for the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority could become permanent pending an investigation, the federal agency said.
By Ryan Kushner • June 15, 2026 -
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Town sues Massachusetts over plans to build housing on state-owned land
Wellesley, Massachusetts, officials called the plan to build 180 housing units on a state-owned parking lot “commendable” but said the ends don’t justify the means.
By Ryan Kushner • June 12, 2026 -
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More cities are embracing AI permitting systems. HUD funding is available for them.
Local governments have until July 13 to apply for up to $3 million in grants for automated permitting and building code systems.
By Ryan Kushner • June 11, 2026 -
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Seattle’s social housing experiment takes first major steps
Seattle Social Housing Developer agreed to purchase its first building and wrapped up a lottery to determine who will live there.
By Ryan Kushner • June 9, 2026 -
Courtesy of Donaldson Impact Investments
How local incentives helped clinch an apartment deal in a rent-controlled Maryland county
Investors took advantage of Montgomery County’s by-right Payment in Lieu of Taxes program to buy a multifamily building that will be converted to a mixed-income affordable housing community.
By Leslie Shaver • June 8, 2026 -
Robyn Griggs Lawrence/Smart Cities Dive
Housing tops nation’s urban agenda, mayors say
Mayors from cities of all sizes and both sides of the political spectrum urged Congress to pass the ROAD to Housing Act at the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ annual meeting.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • June 5, 2026 -
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Illinois governor vows continued housing push as statewide zoning proposal hits a wall
The Illinois Municipal League actively opposed the housing bill that it said would preempt local land use and zoning authority.
By Ryan Kushner • June 5, 2026 -
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HUD’s point-in-time count misses this form of homelessness
Millions of people are estimated to be in “doubled-up” housing situations. Monitoring the trend could help cities prevent more of them from ending up on the street, one researcher says.
By Ryan Kushner • June 4, 2026 -
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How Charleston, South Carolina, is setting the stage for thousands of affordable homes by 2032
An “aggressive” new housing strategy includes pre-permitting city land and preapproving housing designs to fill gaps more quickly, the mayor said.
By Ryan Kushner • June 2, 2026 -
Permission granted by Frederick County, Maryland
Nominate a project for the 2026 Smart Cities Dive Community Project Awards
The awards will highlight innovation and effective use of technology to solve real community problems.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • June 2, 2026 -
Spencer Platt/Getty Images via Getty Images
Homelessness dropped 3% last year after record highs: HUD
A 4% decrease in people seeking emergency shelter was the largest contributor to the decline, according to the annual report.
By Ryan Kushner • June 1, 2026
