YIMBY News for 2/19

[Eric Budd]

Wilson Sketches Affordability Agenda in State of City Speech

The Urbanist

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KEYWORD SCORE: 51.89. affordable, affordable housing, apartment, bus stop, comprehensive plan, construction, development, growth, house, housing, income, project, public space, rent, renter, supply, transportation, urban, vision zero, walk

On Tuesday, Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson sketched out an affordability agenda as she delivered her annual State of the City speech, emphasizing the four pillars of affordable housing, childcare, food, and small business opportunities. Just seven weeks into her term, Wilson did not roll out any major new, fully-formed initiatives in the address, but did tease several on the horizon. The speech took place at the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute in the heart of the Central District, historically a Black neighborhood and cultural center. Wilson used the speech to lay out what Seattle would

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A Finnish City Is Tackling Its Student Housing Crisis With a New, Energy-Efficient Student Village

Next City

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KEYWORD SCORE: 46.31. affordable, affordable housing, apartment, construction, development, growth, house, housing, housing crisis, housing price, income, occupancy, project, real estate, rent, urban, walk

The Merikulma student housing building, near the University of Vaasa in Finland, was constructed within six months. (Photo courtesy European Science Communication Institute) Across Europe, with housing prices continuing to rise and the construction of new affordable housing failing to meet demand, low- and middle-income residents are feeling the impacts of urban housing shortages. This is especially true for students, many of whom do not have savings and may not be able to work enough to cover living costs while they study. As a result, many students struggle to find affordable accommodation.

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There Are Still Reasons To Be Optimistic About Affordable Housing’s Future

Next City

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KEYWORD SCORE: 45.81. affordable, affordable housing, construction, development, downtown, growth, homeowner, house, housing, income, infill, occupancy, project, real estate, supply, urban, walk, zone

[image: Backyard] With a view of Portland, Oregon, in the background, Cheyenne Welbourne walks in the common room at The Starlight affordable housing building that is run by Central City Concern, a Portland-based homeless services nonprofit, on Friday, March 15, 2024. Welbourne moved into one of the nonprofit's single room occupancy units in downtown Portland last March after years of living on the streets. (Photo by Jenny Kane / AP) The affordable housing sector stands at one of its most complex junctures in decades. Across the country, developers are contending with mounting costs, labor sho

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Silverton leads Colorado in new affordable housing commitment, but mountain towns still face a housing crisis

Colorado Public Radio

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KEYWORD SCORE: 37.30. affordable, affordable housing, construction, development, homeowner, housing, housing authority, housing crisis, income, project, rent, supply

Silverton has fulfilled Colorado’s Proposition 123 affordable housing commitment — becoming the first jurisdiction in the state to do so. “I think this is very exciting, right?” asked Department of Local Affairs Executive Director Maria de Cambria. “I think this shows that local governments are ready and they are very committed to getting more affordable housing units on the ground.” The Proposition was approved by voters in 2022 and created the state’s first dedicated funding stream for affordable housing. In its first year, $300 million was allocated from the state’s General Fund to fuel pro

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Heat pump installations in Colorado more than doubled in 2025 as rebates expired and contractors mastered service

Colorado Sun

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KEYWORD SCORE: 19.38. affordable, apartment, construction, growth, homeowner, house, income, project, rent, transportation, walk

[image: A worker on a ladder installs or services air conditioning units mounted outside a brick building.] Call it the year of the heat pump. In 2025, the number of heat pumps installed in the service areas of five major Colorado utilities more than doubled to 14,225, marking a twelvefold increase in three years. The year is an inflection point where the electric heating and cooling technology has reached market acceptance and competitiveness, utility executives, installers and industry representatives say. “That trajectory is happening right now, we are at that tipping point,” said Patricia

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