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Stories Tagged as

Affordable housing

The bank that's got your mortgage lender's back

by Amy Scott and Sean McHenry
Nov 14, 2024
Alanna McCargo of the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco discusses the bank's role in the region's housing affordability challenges.
"Affordability has been a long-time challenge," said Alanna McCargo, head of the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
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Will converting hotels into apartments ease the affordable housing shortage?

by Nova Safo
Oct 14, 2024
The renovations necessary to convert hotels into apartments are often cheaper and faster than those needed to convert office buildings.
The Whitelaw Hotel, which historically welcomed Black travelers in Washington, D.C., is now an apartment building.
Michael A. McCoy/For The Washington Post via Getty Images
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Affordable homebuying programs can be great — until those houses need repairs

by Halle Zander
Sep 10, 2024
A new program in the resort town of Aspen, Colorado, is trying to help low-income owners with necessary fixes.
Steven and Ashley Miller bought a three-bedroom condominium in the building above through Aspen's housing authority in 2021 for $262,000.
Halle Zander/Aspen Public Radio
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Old motels find new life as affordable housing

by Amy Scott
Aug 22, 2024
The buildings are typically located near major thoroughfares. But developers say conversions are "not for the faint of heart."
Southern Crossing, a former 1950s-era motel, will soon provide transitional housing in Newburg, Maryland.
Amy Scott/Marketplace
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The Mount Laurel Doctrine and the quest for affordable housing

by Amy Scott and Sofia Terenzio
Jul 31, 2024
Journalist Roshan Abraham tells the story of a New Jersey resident who fought City Hall to get 70,000 units eventually built.
Since 1980, 70,000 units of affordable housing have been built in New Jersey, thanks in part to Ethel Lawrence.
Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images
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In Boston, office to residential conversions gain traction, aided by subsidies

by Simón Rios
Jul 26, 2024
Amid widespread office vacancies, developers say creating apartments could provide housing and help stave off declining values.
The views from 95 Berkeley St. could add to the office building's appeal for apartment dwellers.
Courtesy City of Boston
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Mobile home rent discrimination case raises legal questions in Massachusetts

by Simón Rios
Jul 3, 2024
The state bans price discrimination at parks. Hometown America argues it should be able to charge new residents more than longtime ones.
Ed and Rose Bartok look at their lilac bush in the front yard of their home at the Miller’s Woods and River Bend manufactured home community in Athol, Massachusetts.
Jesse Costa/WBUR
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Home insurance premiums are surging. That's bad news for low-income housing — and its residents.

by Matt Levin
Jul 3, 2024
The more low-income housing nonprofits have to pay for insurance, the less they have leftover to build new units to ease the housing shortage.
Nearly a third of affordable housing providers saw premiums spike at least 25% from 2022 to 2023. Climate change has played a role in the rising cost.
Leila Macor/AFP via Getty Images
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Given the housing shortage, why is it so hard to build new apartments?

by Daniel Ackerman
Jun 20, 2024
Inflation, climate change and zoning laws have increased rents and building costs. Developers are focusing on high-priced luxury units.
Developers, who face stiff costs of their own, are focusing on high-profit luxury units, leaving low-income renters in a precarious position. 
Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images
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For young voters, housing is a top issue in this election

by Amy Scott
Jun 14, 2024
High home prices and high mortgage rates can make homeownership feel impossible for Gen Zers. But what can the president do about it? 
Many Gen Zers worry about the challenges of becoming a homeowner, especially affordability. But state and local officials might have more sway over the housing market than the president.
Philip Pacheco/AFP via Getty Images
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