Lincoln Avenue Communities’ Post

Is your city experiencing a housing crisis? (I'm looking at you, City of Phoenix, where over 600 people died last year from heat-related illness, mostly due to being unhoused in extreme temperatures) Looking for innovative solutions? How about combining more efficient buildings, decreasing heat-trapping parking lots, while increasing population density that can support local businesses and mass transit use? Take a look at zoning reform and how City of Minneapolis is getting it right: '"The zoning reforms made apartments feasible. They made them less expensive to build. And they were saying yes when builders submitted applications to build apartment buildings. So they got a lot of new housing in a short period of time," says Horowitz. That supply increase appears to have helped keep rents down too. Rents in Minneapolis rose just 1% during this time, while they increased 14% in the rest of Minnesota. ... The Sundial is the sort of building many cities want more of: housing that offers options for people at different income levels and different stages in their lives, in neighborhoods that already have amenities like restaurants and transit routes. Meg McMahan, planning director for the city of Minneapolis, says the Sundial is a good example of how these reforms can make more housing units possible in more places. It's no accident that throwing out the parking rules was vital to the Sundial's construction. "The elimination of parking requirements has been the most effective regulatory reform we have made," McMahan says." #affordablehousing #housingfirst #masstransit #climatesolutions #heat

The Southside Action Plan is the product of robust Southside community engagement and identifies actions to move the area forward. Its purpose is to guide future development of the Southside toward a more livable and sustainable future. Since its adoption in 2023, the SAP has prioritized community-driven projects. This includes identifying and implementing projects at a neighborhood scale, such as vacant lot clean ups, as well as continuing public and private investments in long-term capital improvements, such as the Southside Transit Center. Highlights include: 🎉 $248,000 in Down Payment Assistance provided to increase homeownership on the Southside 🎉 Four Rental Rehab Projects completed to ensure safe, affordable housing 🎉 Two Affordable Housing Construction Loans completed, with six more currently active 🎉 Columbia Gardens first phase of move-ins completed, with construction continuing to modernize the complex 🎉 Zillah Street Pedestrian and Street Safety (PASS) project 🎉 Sabal Palm Elementary Crosswalk to Classrooms 🎉 Golden Aster trail opened 🎉 Southside Pop-up Bus Hop to introduce residents to transit options 🎉 Soul of Southside Fish Fry and other events 🎉 Knight Foundation Grant received by South City Foundation for community engagement and beautification 🎉 Apalachee Ridge Sound Studio buildout in collaboration with multiple City departments 🎉 Callen and Liberty Park neighborhood PREP events 🎉 Early’s Kitchen renovation and reopening In 2021, the City Commission voted to direct staff to develop the Southside Action Plan, melding multiple former plans for the area with robust community engagement. Through myriad outreach efforts, the residents, business owners and other stakeholders who live, work, learn and worship on the Southside provided feedback about the amenities, services and quality of life that they envisioned for the area. The Southside Action Plan is part of the overall Tallahassee-Leon County Comprehensive Plan. The focus on infrastructure and economic development enhancements within this area resulted in an investment of more than $200 million of public funding between Fiscal Year 2018 (FY18) and FY23. This concentration is also already attracting private investment, including affordable housing projects like Magnolia Oaks in South City. In summer 2024, the City of Tallahassee proudly earned top honors from the Florida Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA Florida) for the Southside Action Plan, earning an Award of Excellence in the Best Practice category. #UrbanPlanning #CommunityEngagement #MunicipalGovernment

Our very own Senior Manager of External Relations, Michael Wilt, moderated the 2024 ULI Housing Opportunity Conference session, “A Look Back on the Latest State and Local Housing Policy Innovations.” During this panel discussion, experts discussed innovative state & local housing policies that are making a big splash. Think zoning reform like Boise, Idaho, or density bonuses for affordable housing like Austin, Texas. Plus, there's more! Texas' new streamlined permitting process for commercial buildings shows innovation goes beyond housing. Read the full article and learn more: https://lnkd.in/g9ra3eSG #TSAHC #ULI #Housing #Texas

The Denver Deep Dive is designed for alumni to ‘learn from the past, make sense of the present, and contemplate the future’. We’re learning so that we can influence leadership and the education environment around us. The Denver Deep Dive’s latest session was on Housing.  Our meeting was hosted inside a Northeast Denver Housing Center, Inc. (NDHC) property where their mission is “To create sustainable, healthy housing opportunities for under-served households through outreach, education and housing development”. Our session was led by Dominique Acevedo, Executive Director of the NDHC. We learned some shocking things such as certain housing communities having legally protected homeowner associations (HOAs) where opting out of paying financial dues is not allowed. 🏡Neighborhoods across Denver are not integrated due in part to the historical housing segregation. 🏡Affordable housing can be built to the same quality as other apartment complexes (the 4th picture in the collage is a building design render from NDHC). 🏡Location is very important to affordable housing as with location comes accessibility to transportation, schools, grocery stores, and more services needed to support socio-economic mobility. NDHC staff efforts focus on cost-efficient design, allowing more investment in creating beautiful buildings and services supporting socio-economic mobility. For instance, the community room we were hosted in was in a large apartment complex that saved on water utilities, which allowed for redirected funds toward the building design. Dominique showed us that affordable housing doesn’t need to sacrifice quality and it doesn't have to  look any different from other traditional housing market options. #EdniumAlumni #EducationLeadership #HomegrownTalent  #HomegrownAwards

As part of our recent Spring Update report, we shared one of #BaltimoreTogether’s recent wins. The completion of Phase 1 of #PerkinsSquare marks a significant milestone in the #PerkinsSomersetOldtown (PSO) Transformation. This achievement aligns with our commitment to #InvestinPeopleAndPlaces throughout #BaltimoreCity. Phase 1 of the mixed-use, multi-phase redevelopment project delivered 103 new mixed-income housing units. Supported by $40 million in #ChoiceNeighborhoodImplementation grants, the Perkins Square community will encompass 796 of 1,651 new mixed-income units being developed across the entire PSO. This project exemplifies #BaltimoreTogether’s dedication to redeveloping blighted properties and increasing population through strategic neighborhood enhancements. To learn more about the Perkins Somerset Oldtown (PSO) Transformation, visit https://rb.gy/ma1xy4

Sharing a letter from the Terwilliger Center's Advisory Committee at Bipartisan Policy Center urging swift passage of the Yes in My Backyard (YIMBY) Act. #YIMBY would require U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Community Development Block Grant recipients to report on any efforts within their respective jurisdictions to reform zoning and land use policies to support additional #affordablehousing supply. Examples of pro-housing efforts include: enacting high-density single-family and multifamily zoning, allowing manufactured homes in areas zoned primarily for single-family residential homes, reducing minimum lot sizes, streamlining or shortening permitting processes and timelines, and eliminating or reducing off-street parking requirements. Regulatory policies too often delay or prevent the construction of new affordable homes and impede economic development. #YIMBY aims to encourage local communities to reduce these regulatory barriers and take steps to address our nation’s severe shortage of affordable homes. Thanks to: Ron Terwilliger, Ed Brady, Scott Brown, Henry Cisneros, Carlos Curbelo, Shaun Donovan, Renee Lewis Glover, Terri Ludwig, Jeb Mason, Shekar Narasimhan, Pamela Patenaude, Egbert Perry, Erika Poethig, and Steve Stivers for encouraging #Congress to take action.

Expedited permitting, zoning reform, reduced regulatory costs and removal of regulatory barriers are solutions for improving the supply of affordable housing at all income levels. SUPPORT the Yes In My Backyard YIMBY Act. #YIMBYAct #affordablehousing #eliminatebarrierstodevelopment

I was in Metro-Boston when priests of various parishes were moving into one rectory and convents that once housed many religious sisters were closing. In my heart, I would ask, why can't we turn these into affordable housing or mixed-income units versus truly secular uses of purchase, demolition, and condos that further gentrified areas; That sometimes the short-term benefit of someone selling and getting the highest price has a long term cost of integrity And achieving the common good, which is part and parcel of Catholic Social Teaching. Dioceses nation-wide should be looking at re-purposing closed parishes in the same way. They should not become dining rooms, restaurants, bars, or retail space when there is lack of affordable housing for those experiencing homelessness, the low income populations who are working, the lower-middle class, and middle class for whom the portion of income used for housing is now closer to 50% than the 30% rule of thumb. Maybe The Gospel compels this and from my opinion is one way to repent for how the church abused its power and harmed millions of children and women as well as their families through criminal evil .

🏙️ Exciting news for Knoxville’s real estate market! The Vintage Cal apartments in downtown Knoxville are set to receive a substantial property tax break. This incentive is crucial in accelerating the construction and completion of this development, which includes a significant low-income housing component. Vintage Cal at State Street and Union Avenue is a $47 million project with 167 apartments and the same number of on-site parking spaces. Fifteen of the apartments will be reserved for income and rent-restricted residents who earn 80% of the area median income. By reducing the financial burden on developers, Knoxville is not only revitalizing its urban core but also addressing the need for affordable housing. This initiative is a win-win for the community and the economy!!! Read more about this promising development [here](https://lnkd.in/eY3sEQth). #RealEstate #UrbanDevelopment #AffordableHousing #Knoxville Knoxville's Community Development Corporation City of Knoxville Knoxville Area Urban League Urban Land Institute Downtown Knoxville Alliance

Northwest Arkansas cities like City of Rogers, Arkansas are embracing innovative housing strategies to tackle affordability and sprawl. By adopting form-based development codes and eliminating single-family exclusive zoning, they are making room for more diverse housing options, including duplexes, triplexes, and mixed-use developments. This smart approach not only helps ease congestion but also enhances quality of life. At Groundwork, we’re proud to contribute with projects like Big Emma, a 77-unit mixed-income apartment complex in downtown Springdale. With 30 units for workforce housing, we’re providing long-term affordability for those earning 50%-100% of the area median income. However, we need more collaboration between governments, developers, and nonprofits to meet the growing demand for housing. Let’s keep pushing for sustainable solutions to ensure Northwest Arkansas remains a great place to live for everyone! Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gkhgE3gp