U.S. consumers spent on average $1,760 on electricity in 2023, second only to gasoline. And those residential electricity costs are expected to increase 13-18 percent by 2026. Why? Blame it on infrastructure changes needed for data centers. They supply computational power for AI and cryptocurrency and help drive up the cost as power companies pass them on to consumers. Some residents are hoping residential solar […]
Nearly 50 million people in the U.S. don’t have enough food to eat and what they do have probably isn’t the most nutritious, leading to possible health problems later in life. Food banks and food rescue organizations are helping (we’ll cover those in another episode), but so are community markets and urban gardens. They’re working to fill the gap by providing fresh fruit and vegetables […]
State Ave. Lofts By the end of the year, low-income renters, some making as little as $47,000, will be able to move into apartments in two newly renovated Lower Price Hill historic buildings. Cincinnati and Hamilton County leaders are celebrating the addition of a dozen apartments on State Avenue along with nonprofit housing agencies who acknowledge the county is short 31,200 units for extremely low-income […]
As the population continues to grow, the U.S. has failed to keep up with needed housing. Developers and cities see opportunities, but neighborhoods don’t always agree with the plan and want an avenue to block construction. What kind of an impact can everyday citizens have in their own backyard on housing and other types of development? Cincinnati’s Hyde Park To an outsider, a plan to […]
Every year hundreds of thousands of people are released from prison in the U.S., millions more leave local jails. The barriers they face to find housing are enormous. But some communities are working to expand access and increase the supply. How are they doing it? By the numbers Barriers to housing If family ties have been severed, somebody leaving jail may be on their own […]
Religious organizations are some of the biggest landholders in the country and communities are increasingly looking to them to help solve the housing crisis. Some efforts are already underway but churches say they need zoning help to build on their property. Faith-based development can take many forms. Is it making a difference? How many churches are building and how many could be? The potential The […]
It’s getting increasingly harder to find an affordable place to live. Sky- high rents, fluctuating mortgage rates, expensive home prices and a shortage of housing are all contributing factors. Every year there are incentives for banks to create affordable housing. How much are they doing and is it making a difference? Credit: Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University The numbers The Federal Home […]
If the U.S. builds as many homes as it did last year, experts predict it will take an average of seven and a half years to close the housing gap. How do we speed up construction? One way might be to increase the production of 3D printed houses. This technology is starting to take off in Texas and a few other states. Could it make […]
The U.S. is short four to seven million units of housing. Vacant land owned by the government may be able to help ease the gap. Most of it near urban areas and transit lines, is controlled by local governments. And with the help of the Center for Geospatial Solutions (CGS), communities are starting to realize they may have land to build more housing. In 2024 […]
The City of Cincinnati is taking additional steps to assist renters and prevent evictions. At a news conference Thursday, Councilmember Meeka Owens and others introduced a Tenants’ Guide with detailed information on rent and utility assistance, legal resources, rent escrow and more. It directs renters to United Way’s 211 Helpline if they need money to pay bills, Hamilton County’s Help Center for legal advice, the […]
