Housing Choice

A map of transit-rich areas and urban centers in the Vancouver, British Columbia region.

Vancouver Approves New Metro 2050 Regional Plan

The region around Vancouver in British Columbia has a new 30-year regional plan.

March 2, 2023 - Daily Hive

MBTA Green Line

New Transit Oriented Zoning Criteria Proposed for Massachusetts

More details on the state of Massachusetts' game changing "Housing Choice" program are now available.

January 13, 2022 - Metropolitan Area Planning Council

Suburban multi-family

How Federal Incentives Can Increase Access for Section 8 Recipients

Landlords are the focus of a proposed bill that would provide extra perks for accepting Housing Choice vouchers.

May 28, 2021 - Bloomberg CityLab

Commuter Rail

New Transit-Oriented Development Requirements for Boston-Area Transit Stations

Cities with commuter rail stops will have to accommodate higher-density housing or risk losing access to state resources and housing grants.

January 26, 2021 - The Boston Globe

Prospect Hill Park, Waltham, MA

'Housing Choice' Approved in Massachusetts

The Housing Choice initiative, one of the country's most sweeping planning and development reforms to date, was included in a large economic development package approved by the Massachusetts Legislature earlier this week.

January 7, 2021 - Mass Live

Boston, Massachusetts

How Massachusetts Got its Historic Planning Reform Moment

As reported earlier this month, the Massachusetts Legislature is poised to approve historic statewide land use reforms that would preempt local control of residential development. Here's a detailed account of how the state arrived at this moment.

August 21, 2020 - Shelterforce Magazine

Massachusetts State Capitol

'Housing Choice' Ready to Overcome the Planning Status Quo in Massachusetts

After several failed attempts, Massachusetts Legislature is close to a breakthrough on the Housing Choice initiative proposed by Governor Baker as a tool for generating a lot of new housing supply in the state.

August 13, 2020 - The Boston Globe

Jason Kofke Mural

HUD Toolkit Supports Landlords Supporting Residents Through the Coming Economic Hardships

The eviction moratorium put into effect by the CARES Act, applying to residents in public housing authority and Housing Choice Voucher programs, is set to expire later this month.

July 16, 2020 - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Massachusetts State Capitol

No 'Housing Choice' Bill in Massachusetts This Year

The key item on the housing agenda of Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker will have to wait until next year.

November 24, 2019 - The Boston Globe

Suburban Home

Report: Housing Choice Vouchers Fall Short of Intended Goals in Houston Region

The Housing Choice Voucher program is intended to provide new opportunities for low-income Americans to live in higher-priced neighborhoods, but few recipients of vouchers are taking full advantage of those opportunities.

October 16, 2019 - Rice Kinder Institute for Urban Research

Massachusetts

The History of the Failed 'Housing Choice' Bill in Massachusetts

The House Choice bill, supported by Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker, failed to earn approval from the State Legislature this year.

September 11, 2018 - WBUR

Prospect Hill Park, Waltham, MA

Housing Crunch Provokes Debate in Boston Suburb

The city of Waltham, Massachusetts has added over 11,000 jobs since 2010, but only a few hundred homes. Developers see a prime opportunity, but city officials are reticent.

July 26, 2018 - The Boston Globe

Texas

Dallas Housing Proposal Aims for Equity, Finally

Not only does the plan promise more affordable housing, it’s also supposed to deliver “access to more upwardly mobile communities."

April 23, 2018 - Next City

Prospect Hill Park, Waltham, MA

Massachusetts Governor Sets a Housing Development Agenda

The state of Massachusetts has set a goal to add 135,000 new housing units over the next eight years. To achieve that goal, the state will provide incentives for cities that streamline development approval.

December 11, 2017 - The Boston Globe

Study: American Housing Preferences Mimic American Politics

Emily Badger pulls particularly salient information from last week's Pew Research Center's report on political attitudes: liberals prefer the city while conservatives prefer small towns and rural areas.

June 16, 2014 - The Washington Post - Wonkblog

Commuting, Happiness, and the Size of Your House

New studies show that long commutes are significantly detrimental to people's happiness. So why choose the bigger house outside of town over the smaller house? Jonah Lehrer talks about the "weighting mistake" theory.

April 14, 2010 - ScienceBlogs

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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

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