Housing + Cities
Audit Stretches to Find Trouble in Portland’s Affordability Mandate
Should people who qualify for subsidized housing get to have home offices? And other odd questions.
Bellingham’s Parking Reform Pilot Pays Off
Old Town’s first new building project has more than double the number of homes and less parking than the city’s old code would have allowed. The rest of the city might follow suit.
Seattle Deserves a Better Comp Plan
The city can make three critical fixes to its 20-year growth plan: Let middle housing be bigger, allow apartment buildings in more places, and legalize car-free homes everywhere.
Aging Solutions Are Climate Solutions
Adapting communities to better serve growing elderly populations also makes those places more climate-resilient. A new book charts the path to making this connection.
Boise’s New Zoning Code Sparks Surge in Permits for ADUs
Rules about who can live in them and where they can park were key barriers to backyard cottages.
It’s (Past) Time for British Columbia to Legalize Roommates
Another piece of the puzzle to make housing more affordable in the province—and keep up with southern neighbors Washington and Oregon.
Washington’s 2024 Short-Session Housing Wins
Three innovative bills carry forward the momentum of 2023 and complement its measures to legalize less expensive housing.
Unlock Middle Housing with Parking Reform
As long as parking is required, smaller, lower-cost homes are still illegal.
The Missing Piece of Oregon’s Housing Package: Legalizing Apartments
Gov. Kotek’s SB 1537 will do several useful things, but no longer directly lifts any local bans on apartment buildings. What happened?
Now Fully Funded, Portland’s Affordability Mandate Should Be a Model
Underfunded inclusionary zoning fails, but fully funded programs can be a boost to below-market housing and a fiscal bargain.
