Story perspectives

Cities Push for Affordable Housing Amid Rising Costs

9/13/2025

Summary

Cities Address Housing

New York City's "City of Yes" plan promotes affordable housing by upzoning areas and lifting floor area ratio caps.
The state has launched an office-to-residential conversion incentive program to boost affordable units amid rising construction costs.
California's SB 79 facilitates housing development near transit to combat the affordability crisis and reduce commutes.
Alberta's Housing Accelerator Fund has expedited 70,000 home approvals, though concerns about affordability persist.
Calgary and Edmonton are not meeting affordable housing targets, permitting only 51% and 870 units, respectively.

Summary

Mamdani Challenges FIFA

New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani criticizes FIFA's dynamic pricing for the 2026 World Cup, calling it "price gouging."
He demands 15% of tickets be reserved for local residents at discounted rates to ensure affordability for working-class New Yorkers.
His campaign, "Game Over Greed," supports freezing rents and making public transport free.
FIFA states that dynamic pricing reflects market practices, but fixed prices will be available for certain fan categories.
Mamdani calls for a cap on resale ticket prices, a policy already implemented in Mexico.

History

Historical Context

The 1949 Housing Act aimed to combat urban blight and provide affordable housing, leading to the creation of over 400,000 public housing units in New York City. Despite these efforts, the city still faces a significant housing shortage, with 2.5 million applications for just 2,600 affordable units in 2016. The current "City of Yes" plan seeks to address ongoing affordability issues through innovative zoning reforms.

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Cities Address Housing

New York City's "City of Yes" plan promotes affordable housing by upzoning areas and lifting floor area ratio caps.
The state has launched an office-to-residential conversion incentive program to boost affordable units amid rising construction costs.
California's SB 79 facilitates housing development near transit to combat the affordability crisis and reduce commutes.
Alberta's Housing Accelerator Fund has expedited 70,000 home approvals, though concerns about affordability persist.
Calgary and Edmonton are not meeting affordable housing targets, permitting only 51% and 870 units, respectively.

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