Keaton McNeely’s Post

UK Housing Crisis: “Political Fallout as Young Voters Shift Allegiance The UK's housing crisis is reshaping political allegiances among young voters, highlighting the need for urgent policy reform and innovation. The United Kingdom is facing a profound housing crisis, significantly impacting the political landscape, especially among young voters. Once the bastion of home ownership, the Conservative Party's policies have seen a dramatic shift in voter allegiance due to the changing realities of the housing market. This article delves into the history, current state, and political implications of the UK's housing crisis.” #ukhousing https://lnkd.in/euTk7j9Y

The Affordable Housing Crisis: Will the US Elections Bring Change? As someone who has witnessed the struggle of finding affordable housing, I believe it's crucial that we address this issue as a nation. The upcoming US elections have put affordable housing in the spotlight, with candidates across the political spectrum proposing various solutions. Affordable housing has become a key political issue, with candidates' proposals ranging from increased funding for housing assistance programs to implementing sweeping zoning reforms and incentivizing the construction of more affordable units. However, the ability of candidates to enact meaningful change is often limited by political gridlock, lobbying from special interests, and the complexity of resolving deep-seated systemic issues. Many experts argue that fundamental, structural changes to housing policies are required at all levels of government to truly address the affordable housing crisis. Such reforms could involve a combination of increased funding, regulatory changes, public-private partnerships, and a shift away from policies favoring luxury development over affordable options. Implementing these changes would likely face significant political and logistical challenges. For example, recent proposed legislation to expand housing vouchers faced opposition from some lawmakers concerned about the program's cost and potential impact on the housing market. The affordable housing crisis is a complex, multifaceted issue rooted in longstanding policy failures. While political candidates offer various solutions, enacting the comprehensive reforms needed will require a sustained, bipartisan commitment to addressing the systemic barriers to affordable housing. What are your thoughts on the affordable housing crisis and the proposed solutions? Share your experiences and ideas in the comments below.

With the #Saskatoon municipal election period officially kicking off this week I know a lot of people are thinking about tax increases and civic spending. The graphic below was assembled from data collected in Halifax, a similar sized Canadian city to Saskatoon. What they found is what civic planners have known for decades, that suburban single-family growth creates a tax burden on the city that isn't sustainable. It might be unpopular, but it's not an opinion. It's backed by data from Halifax and basically every other city in North America who has studied the issue. So when you're discussing the election this summer with friends, colleagues, and social platforms, try to consider that our rising tax burden might not be the result of "spend-happy" bureaucrats in City Hall and "vanity projects." In fact, our City Planners and Administration have been urging councilors for decades to control suburban sprawl. Councils have instead been listening to the people, who tend to emphatically support suburban development, and only suburban development. And now, we're living with the costs of our democratic will. Let's try and change the conversation this year, and support policies, and councilors who will help protect us from the costs of sprawl and build a vibrant, fully-developed core, such as the Housing Accelerator Fund Action Plan and more. Most importantly, say "yes in my backyard." #YIMBY

🏡 Pro-Housing Policies: A Win for Communities and Leaders Alike 🏡 Think building more housing is a political risk? Think again. Across the country, leaders championing affordable housing options like duplexes, townhomes, and apartments are not only pushing meaningful change—they’re winning elections. 📊 Data from Washington, Oregon, and Montana shows that legislators supporting housing reform overwhelmingly secure re-election or advance to higher office. Why? Because voters recognize the value of making homes accessible for all. 💬 As one Washington senator said, "Everyone needs a home." When housing policies address affordability and create opportunities for first-time buyers, the benefits speak for themselves. 🔑 The takeaway? Bold, pro-housing leadership isn’t a liability—it’s a path to building stronger, more inclusive communities. Read how leaders across the U.S. are proving housing reform works—and wins. #AffordableHousing #ProHousing #MissingMiddle #Duplexes #CommunityFirst #HousingSolutions

Voting Officially Begins at Bronx River Addition! ✍ After a thorough and inclusive 100-day period of public engagement, New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) has officially commenced the resident voting process at Bronx River Addition. This pivotal vote, announced in December 2023, offers residents a unique opportunity to participate in deciding the future of their development. A 30-day voting period starts today and runs until April 11, 2024. Residents can select from three significant ballot options: joining the New York City Public Housing Preservation Trust, enrolling in the Permanent Affordability Commitment Together (PACT) program, or retaining their current Section 9 status. Residents are encouraged to exercise their voting rights either online or by mail starting today. Additionally, residents will have the option to cast their votes in person during the final 10 days of the election period, from April 2 through April 11, 2024. To ensure the integrity and fairness of the process, a qualified, independent, third-party administrator will conduct and oversee the election. The significance of this vote cannot be understated, as it marks a critical moment for Bronx River Addition and its residents. With an estimated capital need of $66 million over the next 20 years, Bronx River Addition faces substantial challenges in maintaining and improving its infrastructure. This vote represents a pivotal opportunity to chart a sustainable and prosperous future for the development. Moreover, the vote aligns with broader efforts to address housing and climate challenges in New York City. By joining the Public Housing Preservation Trust or the PACT program, Bronx River Addition can access critical funding streams and resources to support comprehensive renovations and upgrades, ensuring the long-term viability and affordability of the community. Residents also have the option to retain their current Section 9 status, preserving the traditional public housing funding structure. The commencement of the voting process at Bronx River Addition follows the successful vote at Nostrand Houses in fall 2023, where residents voted in favor of joining the Public Housing Preservation Trust. This latest development underscores NYCHA's commitment to resident engagement and empowerment, as well as its dedication to ensuring the preservation and enhancement of public housing communities across New York City. Residents of Bronx River Addition, both on-site and those who have been relocated, are urged to participate in this historic vote. Every voice matters in shaping the future of our communities, and this is a unique opportunity to make a tangible impact. Let your voice be heard, and together, let's build a brighter future for Bronx River Addition and its residents. For more information on the voting process and ballot options, visit 👇 https://lnkd.in/ewdXKdKu #PACT #BronxRiverAddition #NYCHA #CommunityEngagement #PublicHousing

St Albans Electoral Hustings - lots of questions, but few answers The candidates were each asked to address in 2 minutes, questions on climate change, housing, defence, mental health and education. As a planner I focus on the responses relating to housing. The main parties’ manifestos are in competition as to who can put forward the highest figure for new housebuilding, with especial reference to creating affordable homes. However, last night gave no indication as to how any of these houses are going to be delivered (according to the candidates, it will not be from big corporate developers looking to make ‘super-profits’). To solve the housing crisis, much faith was placed in locally based planning, rather than ‘top-down’ Westminster directives. To date, the St Albans’ experience of delivering new housing via neighbourhood planning is less than impressive. Of the 5 neighbourhood plans in place in the District, only Harpenden’s contains any form of housing allocation at all (and this translates to only 7 units per year). If the politicians are serious about tackling the housing problem something more is needed than reliance upon local initiatives. The Labour candidate put forward the idea of creating new towns, but did not specify any location – one suspects that the mood from the pews would not have countenanced an allocation here. As an aside, creating new towns is not a quick fix. Even at Milton Keynes, the initial process of site selection, to the completion of the first major housing scheme took nearly a decade. Furthermore, this was long before environmental assessments, judicial reviews, nutrient neutrality, water stress, flood risk sequential assessments and the myriad other complications that now feature in the consideration of delivering a new settlement. According to the Greens the housing problem is exacerbated by the 1 million empty dwellings in the UK. Unfortunately, there was no opportunity to drill down into the make-up of this figure, but once one accounts for those houses: which are in probate; or where the elderly owners have gone into care; or where the owner might be working abroad, the figure for those being kept ‘deliberately vacant’ is probably somewhat different. There was much more uniformity amongst the candidates when it came to the perceived need for preventing ‘land-banking’ and all were at pains to set out their credentials that, under their watch, the Green Belt would continue to be protected from development. Judging from the audience reaction, prioritising Green Belt protection still plays out well to the local voter, even though many of those constituents must also have children who are finding it impossible to afford anywhere to live in this town (see this BBC report yesterday https://lnkd.in/eVyCVrad). Overall, the responses suggested that the successful candidate will be one who promises to maintain the status quo. #StAlbansHousing; #UKelection;

🏠 Affordable Housing: A Rare Point of Agreement! 🏠 In a politically divided time, there’s one issue bringing people together — the need for more affordable housing. A new survey across six key swing states shows bipartisan support for government action on this issue. From housing grants to down payment assistance, both Republicans and Democrats are backing proposals to make housing more affordable for low- and middle-income families. With the general election just weeks away, it's clear this topic is a priority! #AffordableHousing #HousingCrisis #BipartisanSupport #Election2024 #HomesForAll

Good history on affordable housing —-While Biden’s standard stump speech otherwise mainly focuses on his last four years in office, housing is a campaign issue that’s more forward-looking. Biden’s housing policies, outlined in his 2025 budget, would be a second term push and require a number of legislative solutions in Congress. But Democratic campaign messaging on housing is complicated by the fact that the nuts and bolts of housing policy is often determined at the state and local level. Biden proposed a suite of federal housing policy changes and investments that advocates say would represent a historic investment — but fail to entirely close gaps that have been building since the Great Recession. Trump, meanwhile, has been scant on policy details on housing, only promising to fight Biden’s “woke” incursion into the suburbs and target fair housing rules.#affordablehousing

Delaware Primary Dear Delawareans, Our primary is only days away. I know many of us are focused on the national elections. And I know we can do two things at the same time. Delaware has a competitive Governor's race, Senators and House of Representatives in dynamic primaries that can determine how much we accomplish in the next two to four years. What am I asking? Please consider Housing Justice which is Racial and Gender Justice as one of the many things you consider when you decide who to vote for. Click here to check out what candidates chose to fill out our Housing Survey and what they said: https://lnkd.in/e8Was-6A As always if you would like more information about how you can become a housing advocate, please email me at sonyastarr@housingalliancede.org.

Below is a MLA article summarizing the top housing policies promoted by each party ahead of the coming provincial election: NDP, Conservative or Green: Highlights from Each Party's Housing Platform  The upcoming provincial election is poised to have a profound impact on the real estate market, shaping its future in significant ways. The housing crisis is amongst the most important issues facing voters, with real and lasting consequences for buyers, sellers, and renters alike. The top three highlights from each party’s housing platform include:   BC NDP:   ·      Financing 40% of the purchase price for first-time homebuyers, repaid when the home is sold or after 25 years  ·      Investing in affordable and social housing in collaboration with nonprofits, municipal governments and Indigenous communities to build more units  ·      Supporting taxes on speculation, vacancy, and foreign buyers BC Conservative:  ·      Exempting up to $3,000 per month in housing costs from provincial income taxes for both owners and renters, beginning in 2026  ·      Removing taxes and policies including the BC Energy Step Code and Net Zero mandate  ·      Streamlining building regulations to speed up the housing development process and boost housing supply BC Green:  ·      Investing in affordable, energy-efficient housing, prioritizing community-based housing and increasing rental supply through public & nonprofit partnerships  ·      Reforming zoning laws to allow for greater density and add more “missing middle” housing, cooperatives and tiny homes  ·      Introducing a renters’ housing grant to support low- to middle-income earners who pay more than 30% of their income to rent  As the election draws near, the real estate market stands at a crossroads. For buyers, policies such as the NDP's first-time homebuyer financing or the BC Conservatives' tax exemptions may provide much-needed financial relief, while sellers could see shifting market dynamics depending on how speculation taxes or development regulations evolve.   Ultimately, the policies introduced in the aftermath of this election will shape the housing landscape for years to come, influencing affordability, availability, and the overall direction of the market. The choices made at the polls will ripple through the sector, making a lasting impact on all stakeholders in the industry.  News article link: https://lnkd.in/gYshJemi