HUD appeals ruling that paused its plans to cut Housing First

The agency wants to shift away from long-term supportive housing in favor of transitional housing with work requirements and addiction treatment mandates.

By Julie Strupp • March 12, 2026

Florida advances bill to bypass local zoning, allow residential development on brownfields

The Infill Redevelopment Act would increase housing supply in the state’s denser South Florida counties.

By Ryan Kushner • March 11, 2026

Explore the Trendline➔

Top 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

How Durham, North Carolina, kick-started affordable housing development

A $95 million bond agreement in 2019 has led to a swell of affordable housing units in the city. More local governments are following suit.

By Ryan Kushner • March 10, 2026

Nearly 40,000 ‘shovel-ready’ affordable homes in California are stuck in financial limbo, report finds

Billions in additional state funding are needed to unlock construction for 461 approved developments, according to a new analysis by Enterprise Community Partners.

By Ryan Kushner • March 9, 2026

2 major cities update homelessness plans to focus on permanent housing

Both Phoenix and Oakland, California, saw increases in unsheltered homelessness in recent years.

By Ryan Kushner • March 6, 2026

NYC public housing has a vacancy problem, an investigation found. Squatters are filling the gaps.

The number of vacant New York City Housing Authority apartments increased nearly 140% from 2022 to 2025, a New York City Department of Investigation report found. The vacancies are posing safety risks.

By Ryan Kushner • March 5, 2026

4 ways Oklahoma can ease its affordable housing crisis

An Urban Institute study detailed challenges in Oklahoma’s housing market but also noted solutions for the state.

By Ryan Kushner • March 4, 2026

Got a spare room in Portland, Oregon? The city might give you $1K to rent it out.

The home-sharing program is one of several city efforts to activate "underutilized" housing, Mayor Keith Wilson said.

By Ryan Kushner • March 3, 2026

New bipartisan bill bars major investors from buying single-family homes

Legislation released in the wake of President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address aims to boost homeownership, but experts say it won’t solve the root problem plaguing housing affordability and access.

By Julie Strupp • March 2, 2026

Frederick County, Maryland, plots a ‘more active’ approach to housing shortages

The county needs to build nearly 32,000 housing units in the next decade to meet demand, a new report found.

By Ryan Kushner • March 2, 2026

Teachers struggle to afford housing. What are districts doing about it?

To help recruit and retain staff, more school districts are stepping in to give them a break on rent — and even a leg up on homeownership.

By Anna Merod • Feb. 27, 2026

What Trump said about housing in his State of the Union address

The president emphasized affordability in his economy-focused annual speech but offered little new information.

By Julie Strupp • Feb. 26, 2026

How one company is using AI to transform affordable housing

EliseAI is automating workflows and taking phone calls for property managers who oversee one in six rental units in the U.S., the company says.

By Ryan Kushner • Feb. 26, 2026

US homes are becoming uninsurable, study says. Here are 3 things states can do.

As natural disasters drive up home insurance costs, states are in a position to curb a looming insurability crisis, a Natural Resources Defense Council report says.

By Ryan Kushner • Feb. 25, 2026

3 state-level parking reform efforts to watch

To encourage housing development, more states are ending parking spot minimums.

By Ryan Kushner • Feb. 23, 2026

Pritzker proposes statewide zoning standards to boost housing in Illinois

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker targeted local housing regulations in his State of the State this week, unveiling a path for more “missing middle” development.

By Ryan Kushner • Feb. 20, 2026

HUD rule would bar families with mixed immigration status from federally funded housing

The proposed policy changes would result in the eviction of tens of thousands of tenants from agency-supported housing, nonprofit groups say.

By Julie Strupp • Feb. 20, 2026

Oregon mandates heat pumps in new housing

The update to the state’s residential energy code could save residents of housing built after the change an average of $125 a month in energy costs, an analysis found.

By Ryan Kushner • Feb. 19, 2026

Los Angeles’ encampment cleanup program may displace more people than it helps, study finds

As efforts to clear encampments continue, unhoused individuals in LA are being forced to move around, according to a UCLA study.

By Ryan Kushner • Feb. 10, 2026

What needs to happen for urban apartment development to return?

Parking requirements, permit fees and zoning reform are among the solutions that would incentivize higher-density development, housing advocates say.

By Leslie Shaver • Feb. 10, 2026

Federal energy-assistance programs survive budget gauntlet

President Trump signed budget bills to maintain funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program and the Weatherization Assistance Program on Feb. 3, 2026.

By Brian Martucci • Feb. 6, 2026

With a boost from Meta, Sacramento eyes more affordable student housing

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg pledged $50 million for a downtown project that will facilitate affordable housing, STEM facilities and an AI center.

By Ryan Kushner • Feb. 6, 2026

Philadelphia’s $2B bet on affordable housing

The city’s HOME initiative aims to build and preserve 30,000 housing units.

By Ryan Kushner • Feb. 5, 2026

Transit-oriented development bill introduced in Congress

The bipartisan Build HUBS Act would incentivize construction of more housing near transit lines nationwide.

By Julie Strupp • Feb. 4, 2026

HHS launches $100M program to address homelessness, substance abuse in 8 localities

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the pilot program will be open to faith-based organizations.

By Ryan Kushner • Feb. 4, 2026