YIMBY News for 5/24

[Eric Budd]

Berkeley's Last Zoning War

Darrell Owens Substack

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KEYWORD SCORE: 65.81. affordable, apartment, condo, construction, density, development, downtown, fair housing, growth, height limit, homeowner, house, housing, income, market-rate, parking, parking lot, planning commission, preservation, project, rent, segregation, urban, walk, yimby, zone, zoning

*Disclaimer: This article and all articles I write do not represent the opinion of my employer or the public commission I volunteer on. All my articles on my blog represent only my personal opinion. * ------------------------------ Why are we doing this upzoning plan in Berkeley, and what’s it got to do with destroying Berkeley shops? A quick history lesson: In 1916, the developer of exclusive Berkeley neighborhoods got the city council to pass an ordinance prohibiting multi-family housing and later segregating commercial uses in Elmwood. Although there were competitor ordinances elsewhere, ho

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West Coast Cities Turn to Vacancy Taxes to Grapple with Housing Crisis

The Urbanist

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KEYWORD SCORE: 55.03. affordable, affordable housing, apartment, construction, development, downtown, growth, housing, housing crisis, housing stock, income, occupancy, project, real estate, rent, supply, urban, walk

[image: West Coast Cities Turn to Vacancy Taxes to Grapple with Housing Crisis] If you walked through Portland, Tacoma, or Seattle today, you would no doubt note the vacant, seemingly abandoned parcels of land sitting collecting weeds and litter. You might also note the empty storefronts and “For Lease” signs that have become permanent fixtures of the streetscape. This leads one to wonder: who owns these properties, why are they empty, and what could they be better used for? By Q4 2025, Colliers reported Portland, Oregon reached another *post-pandemic high* of downtown office vacancies – 27%.

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Seattle Social Housing Developer Acquires First Building near Pike Place Market

The Urbanist

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KEYWORD SCORE: 52.59. affordable, affordable housing, apartment, condo, construction, cost of housing, development, downtown, growth, house, housing, income, project, real estate, rent, renter, supply, urban

[image: Seattle Social Housing Developer Acquires First Building near Pike Place Market] The Seattle Social Housing Developer has acquired its first building, clearing the way for it to begin renting to new tenants. SSHD interim CEO Tiffani McCoy announced the purchase Friday morning at a media event at Pier 58 in Downtown Seattle. "The Seattle Social Housing Developer is acquiring an apartment complex right next to world-class amenities," McCoy said. "It's called Elara at the Market, and it's right next to our beloved Pike Place Market and our new Waterfront Park. It's currently a private ass

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When thrifting isn’t thrifty: A look at the market trends making secondhand buying unaffordable

Colorado Sun

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KEYWORD SCORE: 19.58. affordable, condo, construction, downtown, house, income, rent, walk

[image: A person walks toward the entrance of a hospice thrift shop, with two clothing racks displaying garments and accessories outside the store.] Jennifer Greany, owner of Pig + Pearl Secondhand in Boulder, talks about some something. (Video by Caitlin Alexander, CU News Corps) On a recent day at Pig + Pearl Secondhand store in Boulder, a family roamed the aisles looking for a birthday gift for one of the young children. The idea was to remake a bedroom exactly how she wanted it. Shop owner Jennifer Greany watched while she organized piles of clothing for other customers. She was struck by

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