News
To Help Black Developers, Programs Start With Access to Capital
New York Times · 17 March 2021
Several banks have announced initiatives totaling billions of dollars that are aimed at addressing racial inequalities, but observers say the programs need to be carefully tailored.
Making homeownership affordable needs bigger effort in Minnesota
StarTribune · 14 March 2021
Minnesotans have done a great job of studying reporting, and making goals to address racial disparities but have not moved on the racial disparities that exist in homeownership.
Classic Minneapolis Tudor home with modern ADU hits market for $630K
StarTribune · 15 March 2021
An accessory dwelling unit (ADU) allowed parents to retire in their adult child’s backyard.
City to preserve smaller homes
StarTribune · 14 March 2021
Edina is partnering with Homes Within Reach to preserve affordable homes in the city.
Campaign looks to prevent home teardowns in Edina
Edina Sun-Current · 10 March 2021
The Homes Within Reach program is intended to save affordable single-family homes in Edina, rather than seeing them torn down and replaced by luxury homes.
Where Have All the Houses Gone?
New York Times · 26 February 2021
The inventory of homes for sale is startlingly low. The pandemic is part of the reason, but it’s not the whole story.
A Push for Zoning Reform in Connecticut
New York Times · 26 February 2021
Momentum is growing for multifamily housing to be built in a state full of detached single-family houses.
Housing Parents in a Pandemic: How About the Backyard?
New York Times · 5 February 2021
While not currently allowed in Edina, this article about accessory dwelling units (ADUs) describes a growing trend. The article says, “In recent years…urban planners and policy wonks have hailed [ADUs] as a major solution to growing housing shortages for the country’s ballooning senior population. The option is especially attractive in denser areas where homes are typically expensive and unfit for people who might someday struggle with stairs and slippery bathtubs.”
Pandemic’s Toll on Housing: Falling Behind, Doubling Up
New York Times · 6 February 2021
A study by the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia showed that tenants who lost jobs in the pandemic had amassed billions of debt in rental arrears. They are doubling up with other families and having difficulty putting food on the table.
Duluth invests in tiny homes
Star Tribune eEdition · 30 January 2021
Developers are planning more than a dozen tiny homes in Duluth, including an eight-unit park that is among the first and largest such developments in the state.
Affordable housing complex going up on former studio site
Star Tribune eEdition · 19 january 2021
Aeon will build a 70-unit affordable housing building in the Southdale area, at 76th and France.
The Life in “The Simpsons” Is No Longer Attainable
The Atlantic · 29 December 2020
One of TV’s most popular fictional families had stable housing and a middle class existence on the salary of one person without a college degree. In the 32 years since The Simpsons first aired, the purchasing power of the median paycheck has gone down dramatically.
Struggling renters face avalanche of evictions without federal aid
Washington Post · 25 December 2020
Congress and President Trump have yet to approve emergency aid for renters or extend an eviction moratorium beyond Dec. 31, when it is set to expire.
What’s Between 30 Million Americans and an Eviction Tsunami?
New York Times · 2 December 2020
After December 31, millions of Americans are at risk of losing their homes as the federal eviction moratorium expires.
Climate crisis to triple flooding threat for low-income US homes by 2050
The Guardian · 1 December 2020
Affordable housing in New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey and California is at risk of flooding from storms or high tides pushed by rising sea levels.