YIMBY News for 4/8

[Eric Budd]

Most Colorado cities could lose access to affordable housing funding next year. Lawmakers are racing to fix it

Colorado Public Radio

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KEYWORD SCORE: 38.16. affordable, affordable housing, growth, house, housing, housing cost, housing crisis, housing stock, income, preservation, project, rent, supply, transportation

This story was produced as part of the Colorado Capitol News Alliance. It first appeared at coloradosun.com . By Brian Eason, The Colorado Sun The vast majority of local governments in Colorado could be barred from receiving affordable housing funding through Proposition 123 for the next three years unless the state legislature steps in to prevent it. The problem stems from a provision in the 2022 ballot measure that was designed to hold local governments accountable for increasing the supply of affordable housing. To remain eligible for the $350 million a year that the measure generates, citi

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What Mayors Have to Say About the Housing Shortage

Governing

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KEYWORD SCORE: 37.33. affordable, construction, development, house, housing, housing cost, housing crisis, housing price, parking, parking lot, rent, single-family, supply, urban, zone, zoning

Last January, the National Association of Realtors was hopeful that the housing market would rebound in 2026. Mortgage rates were down. More homes were being built. But things haven't gone quite to plan so far. The spike in energy prices resulting from the war in Iran has created unanticipated barriers. Mortgage rates are going up, not down. Higher costs for oil mean the cost of almost everything goes up, complicating budgeting for a home purchase. Underlying these more recent concerns are long-term questions about housing supply and affordability. In 39 states, almost two-thirds of households

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Lakewood voters strike down pro-density zoning as repeal campaign dominates

Denverite

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KEYWORD SCORE: 37.19. affordable, construction, density, development, growth, house, housing, housing cost, rent, single-family, supply, urban, zoning

Lakewood voters decisively repealed the city’s new zoning laws on Tuesday night, striking down a change that would have allowed more duplexes, triplexes and other multi-unit housing across the city’s suburban neighborhoods. As of 10 p.m., the repeal effort was crushing the pro-density campaign with about 65% of the vote. The pro-density campaign admitted defeat around 8:30 p.m. Backers of the repeal effort packed into an Old Chicago pizza restaurant. Many believed the new zoning laws would disrupt the city’s suburban character, including Debbie York, who has owned a home in Lakewood for 30 yea

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Ballard Pushes to Save Its Light Rail Station

The Urbanist

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KEYWORD SCORE: 33.84. bus route, construction, density, downtown, housing, infill, project, rent, transit center, transportation, urban

[image: Ballard Pushes to Save Its Light Rail Station] This past Saturday, Seattle Councilmember Dan Strauss emphasized that deferring Ballard's light rail station was not an acceptable option, during remarks at rally hosted by Seattle Subway and Ballard Alliance. "I just want to really highlight the importance of this moment. It is critical that we finish the spine. It's critical that we keep Issaquah going. We have to keep the pressure up on West Seattle," Strauss said. "But of all of that, Ballard one of the only regional centers in this area not currently connected by light rail. It was th

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Op-Ed: Washington Is Caught in a Property Tax Trap. Here's the Way Out.

The Urbanist

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KEYWORD SCORE: 33.33. affordable, construction, growth, homeowner, house, housing, income, real estate, rent, renter, urban

[image: Op-Ed: Washington Is Caught in a Property Tax Trap. Here's the Way Out.] Washington state has a property tax problem. Actually, it has two, and the reason they keep going unsolved is that lawmakers have been treating them as separate issues when they are, in fact, the same problem. On one side: local governments across the state are slowly being starved of the revenue they need to deliver basic services. On the other: homeowners and renters are already stretched to the limit, and any proposal to raise taxes feels politically toxic and, for many families, genuinely unaffordable. These t

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China Is Helping Build Africa’s Cities, But Its Approach Sidelines Local City Planners and Residents

Next City

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KEYWORD SCORE: 30.30. construction, development, growth, house, housing, project, rent, supply, urban

The Liwatoni Floating Foot Bridge in Mombasa, Kenya, was been constructed by the Kenya National Highway Authority through the China City Construction Company. The floating foot bridge will decongest the crossing of the Likoni ferry Channel as only vehicles will be using the ferries as members of the public will be using this floating footbridge either to the mainland or to the Island. (Photo by Gideon Mandu / AP) *This article was originally published in The Conversation.* As African cities experience some of the fastest urban growth rates in the world, China has become a major bilateral finan

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Rezoning for 700 apartments in Green Valley Ranch postponed over concerns about park

Denverite

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KEYWORD SCORE: 27.94. apartment, condo, density, development, downtown, house, housing, income, project, rent, single-family, walk, zoning

A 74-acre patch of dirt in Green Valley Ranch could eventually host nearly 700 apartments, commercial space and more. However, the Denver City Council delayed an approval for the project by two months due to one member’s concerns about park space. The Denver Spur project has been in the works since 2022 and would transform a long-vacant field. The project sits just east of Peña Boulevard and north of Green Valley Ranch Boulevard in Denver’s most northeastern neighborhood. [image: A dirt lot with a leafless tree and a concrete train bridge rising in the distance. A]A field in Green Valley Ranch

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Here’s Why You Should Apply for Vanguard Chicago

Next City

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KEYWORD SCORE: 18.53. development, housing, rent, transit-oriented, urban, walk

People walk past a mural in the Pilsen neighborhood, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in Chicago. (Photo by Matt Marton / AP) Chicago is the next stop for Vanguard, Next City’s annual experiential gathering for urban leaders. The conference is taking place Sept. 15-18, and we’ve already started recruiting for this year’s cohort — applications officially close on May 14 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern. Vanguards, what we call participants and alumni of our annual event, will experience an immersive four days — exploring the city through thoughtfully curated tours and participating in panel discussions that will d

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