Posts tagged Housing Shortage
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DC pledged to end homelessness by 2020, yet 54 people died without a home this year
On December 20, advocates, faith leaders, and community members gathered for the annual Homeless Memorial Vigil to remember the 54 people who died without the dignity of a home in DC in 2018 thus far. Those who died ranged in age from 25 to 87, with the median age being 57. Keep reading…
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National links: Online shopping has made traffic far worse
Online shopping was supposed to keep people off the roads—instead it made traffic far worse. After a notable modernist home was illegally demolished, the City of San Francisco ordered the owner to build an exact replica. Oregon could follow in Minneapolis' lead and ban single-family zoning in cities over a certain population. Keep reading…
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LGBTQ youth disproportionately experience homelessness. Some are also entrepreneurs.
Homelessness impacts people from many backgrounds, so it may not seem like an LGBTQ issue. However, the District's 2017 Homeless Youth Census found that 31% of young people experiencing homelessness self-identified as gay, lesbian, bisexual, pansexual, or queer/questioning, and 6% self-identified as transgender. Keep reading…
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Cemeteries are a matter of land use—and also a matter of justice
One of the most complicated (and perhaps uncomfortable) conversations people can have is about death. How will we choose to remember others or have others remember us? As urbanists, we can look at this topic from another lens too: the way we use land for our burial rituals, and how those practices might shift as our population grows and our housing shortage increases. Keep reading…
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Pentagon City’s plan for jobs-housing balance needn’t be sacrificed for HQ2
Amazon's second (or third, who's counting?) headquarters is coming to National Landing—or more precisely, the weird no-man's-land that currently separates Pentagon City from Crystal City. Building offices on this site will require rezoning a site currently slated to become 1,400 houses. Keep reading…
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They did the math: Amazon will barely impact our already supercharged housing market
Researchers have found that the influx of Amazon employees will not significantly affect the housing supply, though the region’s housing costs will likely remain some of the most expensive in the country. That's a key finding from George Mason University’s Fuller Institute, which published a study that looks at the impact of Amazon’s HQ2 on the Washington region’s housing. Keep reading…
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National links: Can we design cities to make people less lonely?
Loneliness is reaching epidemic levels, but these interventions could help cities foster connection. Minneapolis is set to pass a plan that would upzone the entire city and do away with single-family zoning. The FRA is finally allowing lighter passenger railcars made in Asian and European countries on US rails. Keep reading…
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We just bought a home in Arlington, and it was really hard. Here’s how we did it.
If you have a lot of cash on hand, minimal debt, and a great income flow, you can acquire a lovely home in the Washington region with significantly little stress. If you're like my fiancé and me, you probably can't even buy into the “starter” segment of the market without significant savings or a sudden gift or inheritance. Keep reading…
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How property tax exemptions amplify racial inequity
Housing defines how residents share the wealth created by a city and how they access its assets and amenities. Population growth and demographic changes make their imprints through the housing market, shaped by how quickly supply responds to changes in demand. Keep reading…
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This local partnership hopes to fix the region’s housing shortage
With Amazon HQ2 site selection coming down to the wire, a group of business leaders and a major socially-oriented research organization have come together to challenge the region to address its livability issues head-on. Keep reading…