Beyond Bricks and Sticks

A weekly digest of current trends in housing and community development. The discussion examines topics from infrastructure to community fabric.

Seeking True “Multifamily” Housing

(RECAP: City planners and real estate professionals use the term “multifamily” to describe apartment and condominium buildings. But is there a greater misnomer in our field? Most of our nation’s apartment stock is comprised of one- and two-bedroom units better suited for singles and households without children than for families with children.)

http://www.rooflines.org/4357/seeking_true_multifamily_housing/

Five important facts about homeless youth

(RECAP: The federal government has set a goal of ending youth homelessness by 2020 with Opening Doors, a strategic plan released in 2010. Many cities this month will conduct an annual count of sheltered and unsheltered homeless youth on a single night. What do we know about these youth?)

http://www.urban.org/urban-wire/five-important-facts-about-homeless-youth

Will U.S. Cities Design Their Way Out of the Affordable Housing Crisis?

(RECAP: “Missing middle” architecture could ease rents — and allow more Americans to build real estate wealth.)

https://nextcity.org/features/view/cities-affordable-housing-design-solution-missing-middle

Housing for Older Adults — Location, Location, Location

(RECAP: The location of housing is especially important to older residents who need more options to connect and stay engaged in the community. It is up to planners to link the location of housing with the location of existing or planned transportation options.)

http://plannersweb.com/2013/11/housing-older-adults-location-location-location/

Opinions on Housing                                                                         

The views and opinions expressed in Opinions on Housing are solely those of the original authors, and do not necessarily represent those of VHDA, our stakeholders or any/all contributors to this blog.

Let’s work together to make Duty to Serve a success

(RECAP: The proposed Duty to Serve rule holds a lot of promise for expanding Fannie Mae’s and Freddie Mac’s financing of affordable housing. But how the rule proposes to get to the expansion is as important as the extent of the affordable housing work. For Duty to Serve to succeed, people inside and outside of government need to take up the affordable housing mission along with their day-to-day responsibilities.)

http://www.nhcopenhouse.org/2016/01/lets-work-together-to-make-duty-to.html