A housing raffle is one community’s effort to ensure new homes go to current residents

Elk Grove Village, Illinois, created a “first-of-its-kind” public-private partnership to give residents first dibs on a new batch of single-family homes.

By Ryan Kushner • May 29, 2026

Lawsuit targets fair housing rule change

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s final rule amending how the Equal Credit Opportunity Act is applied “effectively guts” fair lending protections, according to four plaintiffs.

By Gabrielle Saulsbery • May 28, 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

To expand housing, Maryland is turning to its largest landowner: itself

New laws zone land near transit for housing and delay local impact fees for developers.

By Ryan Kushner • May 28, 2026

Preapproved housing designs can cut costs — and cities are embracing them, Pew says

Front-loading the permit approval process can shave months off of preconstruction timelines and cut architectural and design costs, according to a new report.

By Ryan Kushner • May 27, 2026

Municipal groups push for ROAD to Housing Act approval

The latest version of the landmark housing bill appears to be nearing the finish line in Congress and includes a “major win for counties,” one group said.

By Ryan Kushner • May 22, 2026

HUD releases housing regulation ‘best practices’ for state, local governments

The recommendations follow a Trump order to cut red tape but stop short of density directives for municipalities.

By Ryan Kushner • May 21, 2026

House overwhelmingly passes amended ROAD to Housing bill

Housing groups applauded the passage of the major bipartisan legislation on Wednesday and urged the Senate to approve it.

By Julie Strupp • May 21, 2026

Here’s what’s changed in the revised ROAD to Housing bill

The House amended the major bipartisan housing legislation with some key differences from the Senate’s version.

By Julie Strupp • May 20, 2026

NYC unveils plan to speed up affordable housing development

Mayor Zohran Mamdani is proposing a slew of reforms that he says would shave eight months off the development process by streamlining environmental reviews, pre-development financing and permitting.

By Ryan Kushner • May 19, 2026

HUD chief defends proposed budget cuts amid Senate scrutiny

Secretary Scott Turner had occasional heated exchanges with legislators as he sought approval for a 13% reduction in his agency’s fiscal 2027 budget.

By Ryan Kushner • May 18, 2026

US House releases ROAD to Housing bill without build-to-rent sale mandate

The bill is “the most significant legislation to increase housing supply in years” and could provide “more housing affordability in communities across the country,” housing industry advocates say.

By Julie Strupp • May 18, 2026

California governor proposes $500M to address homelessness — with new strings

Localities seeking Homeless Housing Assistance and Prevention funding would have to demonstrate efforts to address homeless encampments in Gov. Gavin Newsom’s revised state budget proposal.

By Ryan Kushner • May 15, 2026

3 cities making strides in housing affordability

Ivory Innovations recognized a housing finance program in Boston and housing policies in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and New Rochelle, New York, for their ingenuity.

By Ryan Kushner • May 13, 2026

HUD trims environmental reviews for multifamily projects

Streamlined standards could help ease affordability pressures nationwide, federal officials and housing industry leaders say.

By Julie Strupp • May 12, 2026

Illinois cities push back on state proposal to bypass local zoning

After Gov. JB Pritzker proposed sweeping statewide housing measures, municipal groups say they’re expanding housing options on their own terms.

By Ryan Kushner • May 11, 2026

HUD continues shift away from ‘housing first,’ harm reduction in homelessness funding

Transitional housing, childcare, job training and addiction treatment are priorities for its Continuum of Care funding opportunity to be published June 1.

By Ryan Kushner • May 7, 2026

Affordable housing development is boosting Oklahoma’s economy: report

Every dollar in tax credit equity across 45 multifamily housing projects is yielding higher economic returns in the state, an Urban Institute study found.

By Ryan Kushner • May 4, 2026

Housing energy efficiency requirements rescinded by HUD, USDA

The 2021 International Energy Conservation Code added $20,000 to the cost of new home construction, according to Trump administration estimates.

By Ryan Kushner • April 29, 2026

New York governor floats tax on high-end second homes in NYC

New York is one of several states exploring surcharges on second homes. The proposal could generate $500 million in annual revenue in New York City, Gov. Kathy Hochul said.

By Ryan Kushner • April 28, 2026

Indiana to enforce statewide encampment ban aimed at homeless population

The law aims to supersede local government policies that are not in compliance with the state’s anti-camping stance.

By Ryan Kushner • April 24, 2026

$4B affordable housing initiative launches in New York City

The four-year program invests pension funds into affordable housing efforts, including office-to-housing conversions.

By Ryan Kushner • April 21, 2026

Addressing the housing crisis requires “coordinated action at scale:” affordable housing CEO

Streamlined processes and deeper public-private coordination can spur development in the communities that need affordable housing most, says the new leader of a California housing nonprofit.

By Leslie Shaver • April 20, 2026

These 2 cities enacted upzoning policies to boost housing development. It’s working, study says.

New York and Philadelphia generated thousands of housing units and permits in upzoned areas since enacting reforms, but such efforts are “insufficient” on their own, an Urban Institute study found.

By Ryan Kushner • April 17, 2026

Kentucky cuts ‘red tape’ on affordable housing from faith-based organizations

The bill allowing religious developers to bypass some permitting rules received pushback from an environmental group.

By Ryan Kushner • April 16, 2026

Trump targets ‘bureaucrat tax’ to build more homes

Cutting restrictive zoning and land-use regulations could help spur 13.2 million new homes, according to a White House analysis.

By Ryan Kushner • April 15, 2026