Welcome to the Future!
CalTrans is selling homes that it took with its power of eminent domain for a now defunct freeway expansion. Here’s the interesting part- proceeds from the sales are dedicated to affordable housing, specifically low to moderate cost housing. All thanks to SB 381 (2021 | CA)
South Pasadenan News | CalTrans Homes FOR SALE in South Pasadena | First 5 Homes Hit the Market
14 Republican incumbents in South Dakota lost their seats to challengers. The challengers took the position that the state needs stronger private property rights protections against a CO2 pipeline, and claiming a bill creating a Landowner Bill of Rights was too much of a compromise on property rights.
The director of insurance with the Consumer Federation of America says that “Insurance companies have basically become our land-use officials.” State legislators and regulators have responded by: (1) offering insurers more flexibility to raise premiums or drop certain homes from coverage, (2) fast-tracking rate revisions and (3) making it harder for residents to sue their insurance company.
Route Fifty | States beg insurers not to drop climate-threatened homes
Laws addressing squatters are de rigueur with Legislatures in Georgia, Florida and New York taking action. But is this for show? Number vary widely. In Georgia the numbers in Atlanta varied from 1,200 according to the National Rental Home Council to 1.4 million households by KB Advisory Group. “Newsweek reported that the numbers of homes taken over by squatters for Dallas-Fort Worth and Orlando are even smaller — 475 and 125, respectively.”
Some point the issue to immigration, and some point the issue to predatory lending practices. While others say the issue is an opportunity for corporations to purchase homes in bulk and then rent them out, often at exorbitant prices.
Governing | The Dubious Claim That We Have a Squatting Crisis
Buena Vista Colorado is addressing its affordable housing crisis with modular homes. A Fading West factory in Buena Vista, can produce 2 modular full-size, single-family homes per week. It is said the homes are indistinguishable from traditional built homes.
Route Fifty | Are modular homes the future of affordable housing?
A town in Delaware is considering limiting its use of eminent domain by ordinance. The limitation would only permit the use of eminent domain within the town’s city limits and would exclude the use of eminent domain in its extraterritorial jurisdiction.
Milford Live | Council discusses restricting eminent domain in charter
Tribal governments in South Dakota have enacted tribal ordinances that prohibit the Governor from entering their sovereign lands. 7 of the 9 tribes are denying the Governor entrance after the Governor claimed ties between cartels and the tribes.
NPR | Most of South Dakota’s tribes have banned Governor from their land
Atlanta ordinances prohibit new storage facilities, gas stations and drive-thru restaurants within the Beltline overlay district with the policy goal of fostering pedestrian-focused developments.
Governing | Atlanta Considers Banning Data Centers from Beltline, Transit Stops
Washington County in southern Utah is offering property owners $2 per square foot of converted turf, up to 5,000 square feet. The funding is split between the Washington County Water Conservancy and the state of Utah, which matches the county dollar for dollar. Utah Legislature allocated $8 million dollars to launch the program, with $3 million recurring annually.
Route Fifty | This Utah county will buy your lawn to save water
Welcome to AI world. HUD is warning that AI is creating new housing discrimination affecting rental selection and advertisements concerning obtaining housing. “The issue of algorithmic accountability has been featured in at least one bill, with Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., introducing the Algorithmic Accountability Act of 2023 to help protect consumers from AI and machine learning models’ misuse in areas like housing processes.”