Affordable housing

The corner of Ninth and East Passyunk Avenue in South Philadelphia is no stranger to crowds. A developer's proposal to build three rowhouses and 21 apartments atop 5,300 square feet of new commercial space just steps from the busy intersection could only make it worse.

Plans for a West Palm Beach, Fla. development with micro-condominiums, affordable apartments, offices, a grocery and a park, have collapsed over city commissioner concerns the developer couldn't make it happen.

The U.S. homeowner vacancy rate dropped to 1.5% in the first quarter, a sign that houses aren’t going to waste amid a residential supply crunch.

The program is aimed at increasing homeownership in neighborhoods where soaring rents have left tens of thousands of low- and moderate-income tenants trying to live in Baltimore without being one of the nearly 7,500 tenants who get evicted each year.

A sweeping bill that would have given the state unprecedented power over local development failed in its first committee hearing, crushing the hopes of those who saw it as the key to making housing in the state more affordable.

Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles said that she plans to seek $50 million in affordable housing bonds in the fall, more than tripling the amount of local money available for low-income housing.

As the state's costliest housing markets and high rents threaten to force all but the highest-paid workers into ever-longer commutes, California lawmakers have introduced a bill to help more teachers, firefighters and other middle-income workers live close to their jobs.

Clark County, Nev., is applying for millions in federal dollars to fund low-income housing and fight homelessness.

The dominant player in manufactured housing lauded the Trump administration's review of construction standards, but other commenters worry the plan will undermine housing quality.

The new federal budget approved this month boosted tax credits for corporations that help finance low-cost housing but the move is unlikely to help a long-stalled 63-unit affordable housing project with a $5 million funding gap.

Metro Orlando recently ranked third nationally for its shortage of rentals that are affordable enough for the region's lowest-income residents, a new study shows.

Lawmakers approved a measure to increase the program's funding by nearly $3 billion over four years.

RoundPoint Mortgage Servicing Corp. is now subservicing mortgages originated by Neighborhood Lending Services, a Chicago-based nonprofit that provides fixed-rate loans for home purchases, refinancings and renovations.

One candidate in the San Francisco mayor's race wants to shake out the pockets of real estate developers. Another wants to sue speculators who he said are putting people out on the street. A third called for a rigorous analysis of the city's housing stock.

The City of Detroit released new details Monday of an ambitious plan to establish a $250 million affordable housing fund that will preserve 10,000 existing units in neighborhoods throughout the city and develop 2,000 new units within the next five years.

The Federal Home Loan banks could "design and implement" their own system for deciding how to allocate resources for affordable housing initiatives under the proposal by the Federal Housing Finance Agency.

Banking and affordable housing advocates are encouraged by a provision in the tax reform legislation that could increase investment in underserved communities by allowing investors to defer capital gains taxes when they reinvest in federally chartered Opportunity Funds.

The secretary of housing and urban development also urged the Senate to approve Brian Montgomery to be the new Federal Housing Administration commissioner.

A $300 rent hike threw Noemi Hernandez' finances into a tizzy in 2016, forcing the part-time cashier to apply for food stamps and curtail spending on other things. A year later, her rent went up another $160.

The House Financial Services Committee chairman is calling out Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's regulator for authorizing payments to two housing trust funds while the mortgage giants have their own financial struggles.