Archive: March 2009

Missing Priorities of New Housing/Transportation "Sustainable Communities Initiative"

note: this post also appears on Rooflines.org

At a US House of Representatives hearing last week on "Livable Communities, Transit Oriented Development, and Incorporating Green Building Practices into Federal Housing and Transportation", HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan and Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced an new partnership. A joint task force, the "Sustainable Communities Initiative", will address the intersection of transportation and housing affordability.

While any genuine effort to address housing affordability is welcome, this new HUD/DOT task force is particularly exciting because it reflects a new understanding of the complex issues that confront metropolitan regions and the sometimes surprising ways they intersect. Encouraging smarter planning, expanding the definition of affordability, and researching the livability of communities work in tandem to increase the use of public transportation, decrease our carbon footprint, reduce urban sprawl, enable the smarter use of regional resources, and improve affordable housing options for families.  In short, this is one of those rare initiatives that seem to naturally align a multitude of interests.

Unfortunately, two considerations were missing from this announcement: the impact of racial and economic segregation and the importance of open government data. But with just a few tweaks addressing these concerns, HUD and DOT can dramatically expand the impact of this new task force.

read more

News and Notes

  • If you missed "King in Chicago" a few weeks ago on WTTW, then make sure to watch a new clip from the film posted to youTube:
  • from the National Low Income Housing Coalition:
    "Without Just Cause (.pdf), outlines the rights, and lack thereof, for renters in foreclosure in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
    "According to NLIHC, about 40% of families facing eviction due to foreclosure are renters, but they have little protection. If a landlord is foreclosed, tenants who have diligently paid their rent on time may face eviction without notice, coming home to find locks changed and their belongings on the street. Some local sheriffs, such as Sheriff Dart of Cook County, IL, made headlines for refusing to evict renters in these cases."
read more

In the Apartment Biz? A Real Estate Agent or Broker? Complete a Survey for MoveSmart.org

Since the second week of January, the MoveSmart.org team has been hard at work alongside six student consultants and an MBA candidate mentor from the University of Chicago.

read more