New Updates on The Edge

In Practice:
Historic California Hotel Provides Affordable Housing in Oakland, California
The In Practice article features The California Hotel, a historic building in Oakland, California, that re-opened as affordable housing in 2014 after the East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation performed a $43 million dollar renovation. The hotel, which was built in 1929 and became affordable housing for the first time in 1987, now boasts 137 affordable apartments, with a quarter of the units reserved for homeless individuals with special needs. Today, the facility includes ample community space, including a large organic garden and a greenhouse with chickens.

Trending:
Onsite Stormwater Management and Homeowners
Improperly managed, the runoff produced by even average rainfall on an impervious surface can cause negative economic and health impacts. The leading practice for mitigating these impacts today is low impact development (LID), a method that incorporates green infrastructure. LID can be applied in the predevelopment or post-construction phases and includes practices that range from low to high cost, which makes it accessible to owners of single-family homes. The Trending article discusses recommended LID practices including rain gardens, permeable paving materials, and rain barrels.

Spotlight on PD&R Data:
High Demand for Housing as High-Tech Companies Lead Economic Growth in the Seattle Area
The fifth article in a series focusing on HUD's Comprehensive Housing Market Analyses (CHMAs) examines the Seattle, Washington housing market area (HMA). The Seattle HMA has been experiencing strong economic growth, especially in the tech industry. Employment is expected to increase over the next three years, intensifying the already high demand for housing. Because of the area's economy-related population growth and its limited amount of developable land, housing development has focused on multifamily construction.

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