Study finds increase in cost-burdened renters

The 2015 report on rental housing from the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies has been released.

The report, America’s Rental Housing: Expanding Options for Diverse and Growing Demand, found that 43 million families and individuals live in rental housing, which is 9 million more households than 2005. The rise is the largest 10-year gain on record.

Renters continue to spend a larger portion of their income on rent. In 2014, 21.3 million renters were classified as cost burdened, meaning they spent more than 30% of their income on rent. In 2001, only 14.8 million individuals or families spent 30% or more on rent. Nearly 49% of renters are cost burdened, and 26% are categorized as severely cost burdened (paying more than half of income towards rent).

“More families are renting and too many of them are struggling as supply fails to meet demand and stagnant incomes fail to keep up with rising rents,” said Julia Stasch, President of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, in a statement. “The affordability of rental housing is a critical national issue that deserves more attention and more action from policymakers."

Design-focused wine displays are becoming increasingly popular in amazing residential and commercial properties throughout the world. Top design/build professionals are using stylish wine racks and other premium materials to create wine cellars that are too beautiful to hide in out-of-the-way places like dusty basements. This course explains why wine cellars have become so popular and the key aspects of designing an appealing modern wine cellar, broken into six planning steps that should be considered during pre- or early-construction phases.

Multifamily Housing | May 10, 2022

Multifamily rents up 14.3% in 2022

The average U.S. asking rent for multifamily housing increased $15 in April to an all-time high of $1,659, according to Yardi Matrix.

Rooftop paving system in a multifamily housing community.

Choosing the right paver system for rooftop amenity spaces

This AIA course by Hoffmann Architects offers best practices for choosing the right paver system for rooftop amenity spaces in multifamily buildings.

Building Team | May 6, 2022

Atlanta’s largest adaptive reuse project features cross laminated timber

Global real estate investment and management firm Jamestown recently started construction on more than 700,000 sf of new live, work, and shop space at Ponce City Market.

Rendering of Columbus Apartments, designed by Rhode Partners

Multifamily Housing | May 5, 2022

An Austin firm touts design and communal spaces in its student housing projects

Rhode Partners has multiple towers in various development stages.

For glass openings, how big is too big?

Advances in glazing materials and glass building systems offer a seemingly unlimited horizon for not only glass performance, but also for the size and extent of these light, transparent forms. Both for enclosures and for indoor environments, novel products and assemblies allow for more glass and less opaque structure—often in places that previously limited their use.

Multifamily Housing | May 3, 2022

Call for Kitchen+Bath projects and products – for next issue of "MULTIFAMILY Design+Construction" (no charge to participate!)

Multifamily AEC firms and developers and product manufacturers can submit Kitchen+Bath projects and products – for the next issue of "MULTIFAMILY Design+Construction."