In Depth

A closer look at interesting and innovative state and local strategies, activities, and plans that reduce the impact of regulations and
promote affordable housing.

Photograph of the front and side façades of a four-story building behind a landscaped sidewalk, with a multilane street and cars in the foreground.

Promoting Transit-Oriented Communities in Los Angeles

Residents of transit-rich areas in the city of Los Angeles are more likely to have low incomes and rely on public transportation. These residents also risk displacement through the development of new market-rate housing.

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Photograph of two façades of a multistory residential building.

A Census of Inclusionary Housing Programs

In Inclusionary Housing in the United States, Ruoniu Wang and Sowmya Balachandran identify inclusionary housing (IH) as a tool that many cities and counties have adopted to supplement federal and state efforts to increase the supply of affordable housing. MORE>

Photograph of buildings in Durham City Center Durham.

Expanding Housing Choices in Durham, North Carolina

Over the past several decades, the city and county of Durham, North Carolina, have experienced sustained and significant population growth driven by a strong regional economy anchored by medical, biotechnical, and educational institutions. MORE>

Photograph of four mobile homes sited in a mobile home park.

Colorado Legislation Protects Tenants in Mobile Home Parks

Even though they account for fewer than 5 percent of the occupied housing units in Colorado, mobile homes, including manufactured housing complying with HUD standards, are an important component of the state’s housing stock. MORE>

Photograph of the front façade of a detached accessory building, with a tree, lawn, and side façade of the primary building in the foreground.

Reducing Regulation Expands ADU Construction in California

Housing supply in California is constrained by several factors, including zoning that allows single-family houses throughout many jurisdictions while restricting densities that make affordable housing feasible. MORE>

Groundbreaking Efforts in Boston to Affirmatively Further Fair Housing

In 2016, in response to HUD’s Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) rule and accompanying assessment tool, the city of Boston began preparing an assessment of fair housing. MORE>

Zoning Reform in Minneapolis, Minnesota

The pace of population growth in Minneapolis from 2010–20 has been unrivaled since 1950. The failure of housing supply to address increasing housing demand due to population growth — between 2010 and 2016 the city added 37,000 residents but only 12,000 housing units — has driven up housing prices. MORE>

Atlanta’s Housing Plan Strives to Make Housing Affordable and Equitable

The Atlanta, Georgia metropolitan region was the third fastest growing area in the U.S. in 2017, with the city of Atlanta adding 486,000 people since 2000. MORE>