March 07, 2024

As America grapples with a severe housing affordability crisis, President Biden’s State of the Union address called for policies that would close the supply gap and lower housing costs. He proposed a pair of tax credits to help first-time buyers afford homes and encourage owners to put starter homes on the market. And he called for Congress to pass legislation he hopes would result in the building and renovation of more than 2 million homes.

Under a new law, Kentucky landlords can now reject prospective tenants who use federal housing assistance to pay rent. It will likely make it harder for families with low incomes, veterans, and people with disabilities to access affordable housing. It likely overrides local ordinances in cities like Louisville and Lexington.

Pittsburgh’s Housing Authority received more than 3,000 requests less than 24 hours after reopening housing voucher applications. The program faces overwhelming demand, with potential for up to 19,000 applications by the deadline.

A Toronto startup, SpacesShared, pairs seniors in need of companionship with university students who otherwise may not be able to afford housing. “Intergenerational homesharing allows for the leveraging of a resource that we have quite a lot of in Canada—empty spare bedrooms,” says Jackie Tanner, the cofounder of SpacesShared. “The cost for opening up these bedrooms is quite low in comparison to other housing solutions, but the feeling of safety needs to be there for it to work.”