Brad Hobson’s Post

This article covers so many concepts my head was spinning...affordable housing, cooperation between many local entities to get it up and running, equity building for cottage residents, truly affordable apartment rent, Ignite students involved in the construction, special allocation for Bentonville school employees, the list goes on and on. This will be interesting to watch evolve. #tobuyorsellcallmichelle

Alhambra Elementary School District is selling surplus land to the City of Phoenix, AZ USA to create affordable housing, following the example of nearby Isaac School District No. 5. The sale allows the district to address two important issues: community need and declining enrollment. For the Isaac transaction, the Phoenix IDA utilized tax-exempt bonds and low-income housing tax credits to fund the purchase on behalf of UMOM New Day Centers for an affordable housing development. The Alhambra plans are to sell the land for use as affordable rentals that target families by having an overrepresentation of three- and four-bedroom units. Though the project is still in the very early stages, it could include between 60 and 240 units, depending on whether the land can be rezoned for higher-density development. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/ghubmqyz

This is one of the most obvious ways to address the housing shortage. Take large, unused buildings -in town - and repurpose them for housing. This year at Zonda we’ve had numerous discussions about converting commercial properties across the country. Could be a win for some commercial brokers. You’re doing great work, Jeremy Striffler and Austin Independent School District! Bryan Glasshagel Adam Perdue Sandi Rockwood Allison Paul Lilianna Stelmach Scott Larson Mark Sprague Robert Arzola Jefre Outlaw #housing #austinhousing #commercialrealestate #housingcrisis #attainablehousing

As far as I can tell, lack of affordable housing is a self-inflicted wound. Exhibit A: My time as a college student in Bloomington, Indiana. It’s a quintessential blue college town, known for its progressive values and culture. Despite the reputation, we were struggling with affordable housing, and I witnessed firsthand how the very policy-makers who intended to protect the community were causing harm. Moving in, I found the town charming. Tree-lined streets, historic buildings, and an eclectic mix of coffee shops and bookstores give it a special feel. However, I soon realized finding a place to live was a different story. Housing was scarce and expensive, and many of my fellow students were crammed into overpriced apartments (or basements!) or forced to commute long distances. It seemed that a new luxury apartment complex was being built on every corner. The town had ample materials and a skilled labor force ready to build. The real culprit was something less visible: restrictive zoning laws. These regulations dictated what could be built and where, effectively stifling the development of new, affordable housing. I could taste the irony. There’s a neighborhood of single-family homes just west of campus, many professors live there. A proposal to convert portions of this neighborhood to mixed use (i.e. denser & more affordable housing) was struck down. Despite the compelling arguments for the project, the opposition was fierce and well-organized. I must have received half a dozen flyers in the mail claiming this zoning change would be the end of the neighborhood (and property values). Over time, I learned more about the history of zoning laws. Originally, these regulations were meant to separate residential areas from industrial ones for safety and health reasons. However, they had evolved into tools that maintained exclusivity and limited growth. Single-family zoning, in particular, was a major barrier. It restricted large parts of the town to low-density housing, preventing the construction of apartments and other multi-family units that could help address the housing shortage. Does this story sound familiar?

As someone who just earned my 10-years-in-NYC “real New Yorker” badge, and as an education policy researcher who hasn’t done much on housing before, working on this year-long project, “How New York State Can Improve Schools by Fixing Housing Policy,” has been incredibly gratifying—personally and professionally. New York is currently losing more residents per year than any other state in the country. Why? The rent (or the mortgage) is too damn high! Exclusionary zoning policies lock working-class people out of neighborhoods and entire towns across the state. This isn’t just a housing crisis; it’s a racial justice crisis, a climate crisis, and an education crisis. Exclusionary zoning creates segregated neighborhoods and segregated schools, and that stifles educational opportunities. Over the past year, The Century Foundation produced a series of ten reports on the links between housing policy and educational opportunity in New York, and this week we released our summary report. I learned a ton working on this project from Richard Kahlenberg and Stefan Lallinger, as well as from the teams at NYU Furman Center and Karp Strategies, who also contributed research. And as a (finally) “real” New Yorker, raising New York-born kids, and wishing for the dream of a diverse, welcoming, and affordable city to be a reality… it all hits close to home.

🏡 Is affordable housing the key to attracting and retaining top talent in our schools? 🗝️ As a real estate and marketing professional, I am always fascinated by the impact that housing has on our communities and the individuals that call them home. Today, I came across an article discussing the Monroe County School District's plan to develop 150 units of affordable housing for teachers in Key West. This got me thinking about the importance of affordable housing in attracting and retaining educators, and the potential benefits it could bring to our education system. Here are a few key points from the article: - The Trumbo Road project would be one of the largest and most important affordable housing projects in Key West in recent years. - The school district has partnered with Integra Investments, a Miami-based real estate firm with a proven track record in developing affordable housing. - The historic Bruce Hall on United Street would be renovated to house the district offices and provide community amenities. - State Rep. Jim Mooney and state Sen. Anna Maria Rodriquez have already secured $2 million for the project, but more funding is needed. Now, let's take a moment to think about the potential impact of this project. Affordable housing plays a crucial role in creating stable communities and attracting talented professionals to our schools. Here's why: 1️⃣ Retention of educators: By providing affordable housing options, we can give teachers the stability they need to commit to our schools long-term. This helps build continuity and fosters a sense of community within our education system. 2️⃣ Attraction of top talent: The availability of affordable housing can be a powerful incentive for new teachers to join our district. It shows that we value their contributions and are committed to supporting their well-being. 3️⃣ Positive impact on student achievement: When teachers have access to affordable housing, they can focus more on their students' needs and less on financial stress. This ultimately enhances the quality of education our students receive. As a community, we have the opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of our educators and students. Let's rally behind the Monroe County School District's efforts to secure the necessary funding for this project. #AffordableHousing #EducationMatters #TeacherRetention #CommunityDevelopment #InvestingInOurFuture #KeyWestRealEstate

The kids might be on vacation, but State Housing Element deadlines are quickly approaching, and the City of LA is in a time crunch to adopt its Citywide Housing Incentive Program (CHIP) - a key component of the City's Housing Element Rezoning Program. On June 25th, the City released its revised draft CHIP Ordinance, scheduled for a City Planning Commission presentation on September 26th. The CHIP Ordinance is one of the most important land use policies of the decade for Los Angeles. But, do you know what the Ordinance says? Have you tried reading it and thought, "Um, maybe I'll just read this later..." ? Have you tried reading the Ordinance and thought, "Wait, what does this actually mean?" If so, WUF Summer School is for you! Join us for a CHIP study session with our esteemed teachers from the City of Los Angeles and the ULI-LA Housing Council. We hope to get answers to all your CHIP questions, such as: ·   What is the new Expanded Administrative Review Procedure? ·   What's the difference between the existing TOC Guidelines and the proposed Mixed-Income Incentive Program (MIIP)? ·   If your application is required to go to a public hearing, can the City deny your application, or is this just the proposed process? ·   Will you be able to request a floor area bonus in a residential zone? ·   Is the covenant requirement 55 years or 99 years? ·   Is the Affordable Housing Incentive Program (AHIP) the same as the Affordable Housing Streamlining Ordinance (codification of ED 1)? If not, what's the difference? ·   How can you get a commercial development bonus for constructing off-site housing? Teachers: Jenna Monterrosa, City of Los Angeles Jessica Hencier, Craig Lawson & Co., LLC Lauren Chang, Sheppard Mullin Matthew Thompson, Symmetric Properties 

Kudos to Commissioner Lissette Castañeda, Illinois Housing Development Authority, and RAGE (Resident Association of Greater Englewood) for bringing this closed school to community serving and oriented revitalization. The damage and aftermath of the closure, challenging in its own right, is exacerbated by the more than decade long period of a former community anchor remaining dormant and inoperative. Ja'Net Defell, PMP, LEED Green Associate- identifying a commercial use with some prospect of profitability within a development like this, or immediately adjacent, could be a great investment for a CIV, leveraging and building community wealth with public investment. https://lnkd.in/gHhgN6eP

As a former education policy researcher - and now that I recall: former teacher, school leader, and onetime EdTech founder - it is powerful to see others affirm the strong link between housing inclusion / equity **and educational equity ! (Thanks Halley Potter) Every day my team @ Viva Equity discovers new ways to better honor the *sacred $$ that working families hand over to pursue their “American Dream” - whether through rent or homeownership… And every day we grow closer to our communities— 🏘️ 💕 Because indeed the goal of those who invest in and manage “multifamily properties” — which may often be tossed back and forth in financial transactions like a hot potato 🥔 (commodity) between portfolios — Our shared goal must be to turn an investable “commodity” or mere property into a resilient, thriving community — Because that is paradoxically the best way to honor everyone’s investment — - From the Public Pension Fund LP - To the taxpayer subsidized GSE (eg: Fannie, Freddie) - To the fund & property managers >>> To those hardworking families that invest sweat x cash (& more than a few tears) into the entire system - every ! single ! paycheck ! - to keep the entire ocean of economic activity afloat - Did you know? ~44m American renters pay collectively in excess of $1 trillion dollars per year in rent ! Yet renters face a 40X wealth disparity vs. homeowners ($6,300 vs. $254,000) ! & renters are a majority of our BIPOC, LGBTQ+ 🏳️🌈, lowest-income, post-9/11 veteran, and single Mom households ! & a 40X wealth equity gap accelerates gaps in equitable outcomes for education, health (eg: #SDOH), environmental risk, as well as happiness and overall well-being. Did you know? We can make a change today. #Facts #SeaChange #LegalizeHousing #WeAreTheOnes

I live in this area near USC. It's undergoing the real estate cycle of revitalization. People are being pushed out of more expensive areas into less expensive neighboring areas like USC. Developers are buying R2-R4 land with run down old homes on them and building four units on each lot. The units are made for cohabitation with multiple bedroom/bath suites which makes them more affordable. They're not all student tenants. The neighbors can indeed go to Planning Dept and contest the development but they don't. This isn't a "loophole." It happens all over Los Angeles. The black and Latino people who own the homes are happy to sell them for huge profits. LA Times is trying to sell sensationalism because they know the word "gentrification" gets everyone up in arms. So many things wrong with this article to the point it's dishonest. #USC #gentrification #revitalization #realestate #homes #developers #studenthousing https://lnkd.in/gisueMfD