Berkeley, California's Haskell Street project has become a microcosm of the issues surrounding the nationwide housing affordability crunch -- gentrification, and not-in-my-backyard activism.
California's median home price is just over $500,000, more than twice the national level, and up about 60 percent from five years ago, according to Zillow. “The housing crisis was caused by the unwillingness of local governments to approve new-home building, and now they’re being held accountable,” said Brian Hanlon, executive director of housing lobbying group California Yimby, per CNBC.
Around the country, many fast-growing metropolitan areas are facing a brutal shortage of affordable places to live, leading to gentrification, homelessness, even disease. As cities struggle to keep up with demand, they have remade their skylines ... but single-family neighborhoods, where low-density living is treated as sacrosanct, have rarely been part of the equation.
Advertisement
Related Stories
Sustainability
Mention of Eco-Friendly Home Features Is on the Rise in Sales Listings
Home listing descriptions using eco-friendly terms have been rising over the past five years in line with growing consumer interest in the environment and energy efficiency
Design
What Gen-Z Buyers Really Want in a Home
The fervor of planning for Millennials in the home building industry has now pivoted to Gen Z. So, what does this new generation want?
Building Materials
Lumber Leads Building Materials Prices Higher in March
Overall, the cost of building materials rose during March, with softwood lumber, gypsum products, and concrete all seeing price increases. Only steel mill materials saw price drops
