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The red-hot housing market has made it difficult for adults, especially Millennials and single families, to afford decent accommodations. With the increasingly popular tiny home movement, it's become clear that this appealing lifestyle trend is turning into a viable solution to the looming housing... View full entry
In New York, hope sometimes comes at the price of the sun.
The city welcomes poor immigrants, but its housing does not. Most rents are far beyond the means of people like Amado, who arrive looking for a better life or to make money to send back home.
So they turn to the basements of Queens.
— The New York Times
The New York Times has produced an interactive photo essay profiling New York City residents in the borough of Queens who live in some of the city's windowless basement apartments. The arrangement, derived out of economic necessity and rooted in a desire to stay out of sight, provides newly... View full entry
Every year the International Union of Architects (UIA) reminds the globe to celebrate World Architecture Day (WAD). However, like most annual holidays that generate a large amount of interest within a 24-hour period, but quickly fade away as the day ends, there's hope that this year's festivities... View full entry
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has unveiled a series of sweeping legislative proposals that could, among other things, reshape access to housing in America. The so-called A Just Society: Uplift Our Workers Act plan is made up of six separate legislative proposals that each... View full entry
Are you interested in designing housing? If so, we've got you covered. Ranging from high-end residential projects to mixed-use housing and community-focused housing initiatives, these nine firms are seeking the right candidates to join their team. Guggenheim Architecture + Design... View full entry
Microsoft, King County and the King County Housing Authority will invest $245 million to provide affordable rents for more than 3,000 low- and middle-income residents through the purchase of five apartment complexes.
King County housing authority will buy apartment complexes in Kirkland, Bellevue and Federal Way to ensure that the residents aren’t faced with skyrocketing rental costs seen across the region, the organizations announced Thursday morning.
— The Seattle Times
The 1,029 units purchased in the deal are, according to The Seattle Times, located in areas rich in "naturally occurring affordable housing" that are also particularly vulnerable to displacement. Microsoft loaned the King County Housing Authority. $60 million for the effort; The... View full entry
The rise of micro-homes and micro-apartments has created debate over how much space is needed to live comfortably and happily. A recent report conducted by researchers from Brigham Young University explores how individuals perceive space in their homes and how that influences personal... View full entry
Among the more than 16,200 condo units across 682 new buildings completed in New York City since 2013, one in four remain unsold, or roughly 4,100 apartments — most of them in luxury buildings, according to a new analysis by the listing website StreetEasy. [...]
Already the prices at several new towers have been reduced, either directly or through concessions like waived common charges and transfer taxes, and some may soon be forced to cut deeper.
— The New York Times
Despite record-breaking residential construction in New York City, sales of apartments have slowed steadily in recent years. NYT real estate reporter Stefanos Chen has analyzed the latest numbers of unsold units, especially in the higher price ranges, following a glut of inventory in newly... View full entry
Known most notably as the host of the British television series Amazing Spaces, George Clarke has now moved from the TV screen into the classroom. Clarke has helped create a degree in housing design to be run by Birmingham City University, reports Architect's Journal (AJ). The three-year... View full entry
It's no secret that America has an unhealthy obsession with size, whether it be food portions or cars, and houses are no different. The long-running trend runs deeper than the McMansion typology many Americans are familiar, according to Professor Sonia A. Hirt. In a recent study, Hirt... View full entry
Kanye West's "housing project" has been destroyed. Although the music mogul and controversial media star has made headlines with his plans to design and build a "new" type of home, TMZ's sources have confirmed the project has been shut down. The futuristic housing structures previously built in... View full entry
The Trump administration is vastly expanding the scope of condominium purchases eligible for lower-down-payment loans.
The move, announced Wednesday by the Federal Housing Administration, could help revive the entry-level condo market for first-time buyers because FHA-backed loans require only a 3.5% down payment and lower credit score than conventional loans.
— The Wall Street Journal
The move, in the works since 2016, could help provide a modest pathway for more Americans to afford real estate purchases, though tight supply and a pronounced focus on luxury housing on the part of developers could dampen the effects of the new measure. View full entry
The group of neighbors has explored the ways it could fight to get the paint job removed, including how it could be seen as graffiti under city code, how it could violate signage laws and how it fails to fit in with the character of the neighborhood. Doll also argues that it is a public safety issue and an obvious public nuisance because of the waves of news vans and curious onlookers who have visited the narrow road to catch a glimpse of the house. — LA Times
This week, media headlines were littered with coverage of the trending "Pink Emoji House" in Manhattan Beach, California, an eye-catching home painted with a pair of hilarious emoji characters. The murals may appear like any other "Instagramable" site, except this specific "beautification project"... View full entry
Last week, we received news of Kanye's plans to "build a new type of home" that he believes will separate barriers between the rich, middle-class, and the poor. Built on his 300 acres of land in Calabasas, CA, the ambitious egalitarian now seems to have left out one crucial step in the building... View full entry
Kanye West's passion for architecture is no secret. Almost a year ago he announced his YEEZY Home venture which emerged as a low-income housing endeavor composed of prefabricated concrete modules. We've also seen him pop up at the GSD and SCI-Arc to explore the academic depths architecture has to... View full entry
