Monthly Archives: July 2024

The Rand Corporation “found continuing evidence that local encampment cleanup activities don’t appear to lead to a persistent reduction in the number of unsheltered residents in the area.” The return to the same level of unhoused individuals returns within weeks. Governing | Homeless Camp Cleanups Aren’t a Permanent Solution

Colorado is considering HB24-1239 that would require a single exit for up to a 5 stories. Connecticut’s Governor signed Bill 5524, effective July 1st, that is very similar to Colorado’s limit on the number of exits in multi-family buildings. As building code legislation seeks to lower exit requirements, firefighters are speaking up about the safety issues related to limiting […]

Tennessee has enacted SB 2100 (2024 | TN) that allows large scale developers to use in-house building safety inspectors. The goal is said to be to streamline the building process. Tennessee Outlook | New law allows Tennessee developers to hire their own building safety inspectors

Barcelona is working to ban AirBnB because short term rentals are making the city unaffordable for year long residents. @bloombergbusiness

We talk about converting office buildings to housing and the building code hurdles that can exist. Let’s turn to converting churches to housing. Meet SB 4 (2023 | CA), Affordable Housing on Faith Lands Act, that supports faith based organizations that convert their surplus properties to build 100 percent affordable housing. Maryland, New York and Virginia […]

States are passing building codes that focus on more thermal energy sources like heat pumps to heat and cool homes and buildings. “At the start of June, Eversource Energy commissioned the United States’ first networked geothermal neighborhood operated by a utility, in Framingham, Massachusetts” Route Fifty | The secret to decarbonizing buildings might be right beneath your […]

A survey by Pew Charitable Trusts indicates that swing voters can hold the key to loosening home building building ordinances that will create more housing. Pew Charitable Trusts | A Swing Constituency Could Help Allow More Homes

Big storms have left a path of destruction and led to rising insurance costs. To address the issue, Alabama passed legislation to pay for the cost of roofs the can withstand hurricanes. The goal of paying for roof upgrades is to stave off a home insurance crisis that leads to insurers pulling out of the state.  “Since […]