News Roundup

  • What Are the Implications of the Inflation Reduction Act?
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    A home improvement credit for energy efficiency and other provisions included in the Inflation Reduction Act passed by the Senate last weekend could save households $1,800 annually. The legislation would lower costs of rooftop solar panels, energy-efficient appliances, and electric vehicles. “This bill will help create jobs and lower costs for many American families,” said Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE).

  • New Development Provides Affordable Housing Plus Child Care
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    A first-of-its-kind affordable housing development in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, will provide 120 units of affordable housing and will have an affordable child care center on its ground floor. The property will target residents whose family income is between $30,000 and $60,000. Deidre Schmidt, the CEO of developer CommonBond Communities, says it’s not just about recognizing the importance of affordable housing: “The second piece is to recognize that what we’re building isn’t just for one generation of people. It’s really talking about successive generations of people who have built their lives and their futures.”

  • College Scholarship Provider Supports Students’ Housing Needs
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    The Horatio Alger Association, a nonprofit based in Alexandria, Virginia, provides $17 million in scholarships each year to college students. During the pandemic, many students needed support beyond tuition. A 2020 report found that 3 out of 5 of the nearly 200,000 students surveyed struggled with food, housing, or bills, and 43 percent of four-year students experienced housing insecurity. In response, the Horatio Alger Association created an emergency quick-relief fund that’s given out more than $200,000 to 400 students to cover their food, housing, and other needs.

  • Cities Are Using Digital Simulations and Other Technology to Address NIMBYism
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    Local governments in Marin County, California, are using an online interactive simulation tool to balance the need for building new housing with many residents’ feelings of NIMBYism. The tool allows residents to suggest where new housing should be permitted and submit maps for consideration. “We want people to go through the simulation, see that there are tradeoffs and no easy answers, and that playing urban planner can be harder than it looks,” says Chris Adams, president of the firm that launched the tool.