A new phone-based referral network for the Richmond region connects residents with services ranging from foreclosure prevention and elderly tax relief to stable rental housing and first-time mortgage providers. A Housing Opportunity Grant is supporting the program – and leveraging further funding from local foundations and jurisdictions.
REALTORS® Association of South Central Wisconsin Advocates for Zoning Changes to Increase Housing Density Near Transit in State Capital
In its ongoing support of the City of Madison’s ambitious ‘Housing Forward’ plan, the REALTORS® Association of South Central Wisconsin recently faced-down a challenge to transit-oriented development. With help from the REALTOR® Party, it won approval for zoning code changes that will now allow missing middle housing in neighborhoods near bus rapid transit line and other major routes.
Massachusetts REALTORS® Win Campaign to Protect Affordable Housing Law
The Massachusetts association used NAR’s Ira Gribin Workforce Housing Grant in 2011 to help fund an advocacy campaign to sustain the Commonwealth’s Affordable/Workforce Housing Statute. The REALTOR®-supported statute enables local zoning boards of appeals to approve affordable housing developments under flexible rules. The Massachusetts association and a diverse coalition of housing groups successfully beat opponents who had obtained sufficient signatures for a recall referendum. Had it passed, this referendum would have repealed a law that helped to create more than 56,000 homes across Massachusetts for low- and middle-income families, seniors, and people with disabilities over its 40-year history. (Note: While...
Unveiling Our Vision for Housing Finance Reform
Last Thursday, February 7, REALTORS® had the chance to showcase their leadership on housing finance reform in front of more than 400 industry professionals, NAR members and a few current and former Congressmen. With reform to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac on the minds of so many in Washington, NAR’s first-annual Policy Forum took an extensive dive into its work to ensure these Government Sponsored Entities can effectively serve the housing market and protect taxpayers in the years and decades to come. At the conclusion of the Forum, those 400 attendees were given a first-hand, first-time look at detailed research outlining...
Utah REALTORS® Think Ahead to Prevent Affordable Housing Shortage
The population of Utah is expected to double – yes, double – by the year 2040, and the state is already feeling a housing crunch. With the help of Utah REALTORS® and the support of Issues Mobilization Grants, Utah has found a way to incentivize solutions to its growing shortage rather than strong-arming municipalities with mandates.
Housing Supply Solutions
Housing supply is the number one issue for millions of consumers who are locked out of the market. Middle-income, first-time, and first-generation homebuyers shoulder the greatest burden of the historic 5.5 million housing unit gap, as they face more obstacles in the current economic climate.
Houston Association of REALTORS® Hosts Housing Symposium for Capacity REALTOR® Crowd
To instruct its members about the barriers to adequate housing and provide a comprehensive introduction to tools and programs to overcome these obstacles, the Houston Association of REALTORS (HAR) hosted a day-long symposium focused on local housing affordability and inventory issues. A Housing Opportunity Grant (Mega Board Level) supported the event, which accommodated twice the expected number of participants.
Fredericksburg Area Association of REALTORS® Leverages a Smart Growth Poll to Create a Deeply Informed Regional Growth and Housing Action Plan
Using the information gleaned from the REALTOR® Party’s State and Local Growth Polling program, the Fredericksburg Area Association of REALTORS® developed a plan identifying prescriptive steps to support affordable housing policy in the northern Virginia region.
Charlotte REALTORS®Dive Deep into Regional State of Housing
Like so many U.S. urban centers, Charlotte, N.C., is facing an affordable housing crisis. To help housing stakeholders understand the full scope of the complex issue as it affects the whole region, the Charlotte Regional REALTOR® Association used a Housing Opportunity Grant to commission a State of Housing study that analyzed factors like jobs, housing supply, and affordability.
Ada County (ID) Association Makes Strides in Employer-Assisted Housing
No one ever said it would be quick or easy. But the Ada County Association of REALTORS® (ACAR) stuck to its conviction that focusing on workforce housing is good for everyone in a community. The 3,000-member association is finally beginning to see results from its years of diligent Employer Assisted Housing efforts in and around Boise, Idaho.