InfoHive – Eminent Domain

17.1% of office spaces in the US are unoccupied. Three regulatory changes that help convert office buildings to residences efficiently are: (1) waiving development impact fees, (2) tax incentives and (3) zoning changes to spur office-to-housing conversions. In Oregon, legislators want to make sure office flipping can happen statewide with  HB 2984 (2023 | OR) that requires cities to allow for office to resident conversions.

Route Fifty | Converting Offices to Housing Is Hard. These Changes Could Make It Easier

Add Missouri to the states working to prevent foreign ownership of its farm lands. Currently .3% of the state’s farmland is foreign owned. Missouri’s House of Representatives wants to prohibit ownership from persons or entities connected to these 5 countries: China, Russia, Iran, North Korea and Venezuela. The  legislation would require countries to report land acquisitions or transfers with the Missouri secretary of state’s office and the attorney general. HB 903 (2023 | MO)

Fox 2 Now | Missouri Senate approves to limit foreign ownership of farmland

As we know the Florida Legislature tried to take power away from Disney World’s special purpose district. The special purpose district legally transferred the districts power by agreement to Disney before the Legislature’s law was effective. Now, the Governor wants to change Disney’s property rights in the district. adults these days.

WorldWide Leader in Disney News Today | DeSantis Will Attempt to Void Disney’s Property Rights Declaration, Add State Inspections of Monorails and Rides

Arizona legislators say 2 bills will cut homebuilder red tape in Arizona. HB2536 (2023 | AZ) that will create a self certification program for builder. SB1161 which will allow for work time credits for probation credit.

@AZSenateRepublicans

The Urban Institute says that land use loosening to address housing shortages may increase some supplies, but they don’t don’t help low and middle income people seeking housing. The recommended solution is to offer direct payment options to help the groups like rent subsidy vouchers.

They fences make good neighbors but do cryptominers make good neighbors? Neighbors to a crypto mining facility in North Carolina report 24/7 noise, sounding like a “never ending airplane engine and the sound can carry through the county,” and say that “It’s been a disaster to our whole community.” Local officials say the best advice is to ban it before it controls you.

ABC 13 | ‘It’s been a disaster’ Residents warn neighboring areas of crypto mine impacts

Developers in Colorado are using modular homes to address the housing crisis. These homes require minimal construction on site. This housing solution involves public and private efforts, including free land from San Miguel County, grants from heavyweight foundations to launch a nonprofit developer and unique lending.

Colorado Sun | A modular home community near Telluride may become a national model. But getting it open hasn’t been easy.

Disney said checkmate to the political drama. To quick recap, Disney is located in a special district, and the Florida legislature upended it. To match this, before the switch over, the special district passed special covenants and entered into a development deal with Disney Co. moving all the power of the special district to Disney.

NPR | Disney World board picked by DeSantis says predecessors stripped them of power

California proposes adding housing to the state’s health care safety net. The program would include 6 months of rent for qualified low income enrollees. Some say inadequate housing are driving health outcomes. Similar programs are ongoing in Arizona and Oregon.

Route Fifty | Prescription for Housing? California Wants Medicaid to Cover 6 Months of Rent

Green burials come in 3 shades of green. First the hybrid, let’s call this kelly green, a kelly green cemetery is a conventional cemetery that has an area for burials without a concrete vault or chemical embalming. The next is a dedicated natural burial cemetery let’s call this forrest green, that uses no non-native materials down to the burial stones. Finally there is conservation burial ground, let’s call this sea foam green, and has deed restrictions so that the land will never be used or developed for another reason.

Spartan News Room | More cemeteries offering green burials, recreational space