[WEBINAR] Who Does What? Defining Proper Roles for Staff and Elected Officials
Ethics Laws and the Importance of Transparency for Public Officials
On June 30, the City Council formally adopted the $115.9 billion FY 2026 budget. The budget includes funding to pilot a new free child care program for children under 2 years old, along with a significant increase in City...more
California’s housing crisis has necessitated innovative legislative solutions at the state and local level to increase the supply of affordable housing across the state. Cities are required by state law to plan for a...more
The San Diego City Council voted on March 4, 2025, to begin the process of revising its Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Bonus Program (ADU Bonus Program or Program), which has served, to date, as one of the state’s most...more
The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) released the City's new Universal Affordability Preference (UAP) Application. The program requirements and process for the new UAP program are very...more
CHICAGO—City Begins Converting Loop Office Buildings to Housing -Chicago’s La Salle Corridor Revitalization Initiative kicked off last week, beginning with the transformation of a historic 14-story Loop office building into...more
During her speech outlining details of her proposed $2 billion Housing Opportunities Made Easy (HOME) Initiative on Monday, Mayor Cherelle Parker urged the City Council to streamline redevelopment processes and consider...more
Mayor Parker Delivers FY26 Budget Address- Mayor Cherelle Parker presented her $6.7 billion FY26 budget proposal to the Philadelphia City Council today, highlighting an $800 million housing plan, significant business tax...more
Baltimore nonprofit Waves received a $2 million grant from Baltimore’s Office of Information and Technology to deploy fiber-optic networks in low-income residential buildings, aiming to bridge the city’s digital divide...more
On September 19, the Chicago City Council amended the city's municipal code to give the housing commissioner new wide-ranging authority to restructure affordable housing loans and grants. The commissioner is now empowered to:...more
BALTIMORE — City Council Investigates DPW Working Conditions -Baltimore City Council members criticized Department of Public Works (DPW) officials over unsafe workplace conditions following the death of a sanitation worker,...more
On January 31, the Portland City Council passed its Housing Regulatory Relief package. This package, which had been approved by the City Planning Commission on a 7-1 vote in November, follows years of lobbying from the...more
In response to San Diego’s current housing shortfall and related socio-economic conditions, the City Council has approved several changes to the city’s existing Complete Communities infill development initiative. These...more
Mayor Adams announced Lynelle Maginley-Liddie as the new Commissioner of the NYC Department of Correction (DOC). Maginley-Liddie currently serves as First Deputy Commissioner and Chief Diversity Officer of DOC, and will...more
A trial court had jurisdiction to find that a denial of a permit application violated the Housing Accountability Act (HAA) on remand, even though the Court of Appeal did not expressly instruct the trial court to address the...more
NYC Agencies Asked to Reduce Vacancies by Half- Last Monday, Office of Management and Budget Director Jacques Jiha sent a memo to heads of NYC agencies asking them to continue mining their budgets for efficiencies and...more
Senator Wiener revives plan for by-right affordable housing on certain sites owned by religious institutions or private non-profit higher educational institutions CBS Bay Area – June 10 Last week, State Senator Scott Wiener...more
Warehouse “buffer bill” advances in California legislature Bullet The Real Deal – June 2 A bill that proposes a 1,000-foot buffer zone between large warehouse developments and residential areas has advanced through one...more
Settlement could bring thousands of new housing units to North San Jose after decade-long pause Bullet The Mercury News – May 20 For nearly a decade, San Jose had been paralyzed from building any new housing in a prime area...more
On Wednesday, May 11, 2022, the Dallas City Council approved three amendments to the Mixed Income Housing Development Bonus (MIHDB) program. These amendments include additional development bonus options, including certain...more
California realtor-affiliated group sues six cities for failing to adopt new housing plans - Los Angeles Daily News – April 20 - A nonprofit group affiliated with the California Association of Realtors sued six cities in Los...more
Court clears new housing near Expo Line in Los Angeles - The Real Deal – December 30 - Los Angeles may finally get the 6,000 new residential units it wanted around the Metro Expo Line light-rail route. A Los Angeles...more
As Gun Violence Surge Continues, City Council Considers Proactive Measures toReduceHarm - With a historic surge in gun violence continuing through the start of the fall, City Council is now aiming to take proactive measures...more
Philadelphia City Council is slated to give final approval to the city’s $5.2 billion budget today, capping a marathon of negotiations on a variety of different issues and funding streams. City Council negotiated an...more
On June 17, the New York City Council approved legislation (Intro. No. 1572-B of 2019) that would require specific land use applications to include "racial equity reports." Under the law, which would go into effect on June 1,...more
If you’re seeking a special permit for a project, be prepared to prove that your proposal complies with the town’s bylaws. First things first. What is a special permit? Generally, a special permit allows an applicant to...more