Trend Category

Housing

The ongoing housing crisis and efforts to address it point to the critical roles that planners can play today and in the future.

Trends to Act on Now

Zoning Reform for Housing

Calls for zoning reform to make housing more affordable and accessible are increasing as evolving demographics and shifting societal priorities...

YIMBY Movement

YIMBY advocates push pro-housing policies to boost affordability, diversity, and transit access, though critics question the movement’s tactics and underlying...

Worsening Affordable Housing Crisis

Communities across the U.S. are facing a substantial housing shortage, and rising costs and interest rates are hampering new affordable...

Tiny Houses

Tiny houses have gained popularity due to their affordability, sustainability, and potential to fight homelessness.

Tenant Grassroots Organizations

As the housing crisis worsens and the role of private equity in the housing market expands, tenants are coming together...

Rising Homelessness

Homelessness in the U.S. is reaching record numbers and affecting more groups of people.

Renewed Interest in Government-Supported Housing

Interest is increasing in innovative government strategies for affordable housing, including social housing programs and master leasing schemes.

Refugee and Immigrant Housing Needs

Local challenges with housing, growing numbers of refugees, and immigrants are being exacerbated by resistance from residents to allocating resources...

Multigenerational Living

Many U.S. households are turning to multigenerational living due to social and economic pressures.

Increasing Numbers of Cost Burdened Renters

Nearly half of all U.S. renter households are “cost-burdened,” defined as spending 30 percent or more on housing costs.

Increasing Gentrification and Displacement

Involuntary displacement because of rising housing costs stemming from gentrification can affect a city’s resilience and potential for economic growth.

Housing Production Acceleration Efforts

The growing U.S. housing affordability crisis is prompting efforts to rethink how existing housing policies can be amended to alleviate...

Expanding Government Housing Initiatives

Local, state, and federal governments are leading new policy initiatives and increasing funding to help solve U.S. housing challenges.

Eliminating Parking Minimums

Cities nationwide are eliminating parking minimum requirements to lower the cost of building new housing.

Corporations as Landlords

Large private corporations are increasingly purchasing affordable housing and rental stock.

Commercial-to-Residential Conversions

In addition to office buildings, other building types, including hotels, strip malls, and churches, are increasingly being converted to residential...