Land Lines Outubro 2018
The Hidden Costs of TIF
Since its inception in the 1950s, tax increment financing has taken hold across the United States as a popular public-finance mechanism. But critics say this approach favors the private sector, while diverting funds from public schools and other municipal needs.
Housing the Homeless
In prosperous U.S. cities, the lack of affordable housing is fueling a homelessness crisis some have called the worst since the Great Depression. Cities are responding in a variety of ways—converting motels in Los Angeles, building tiny home communities in Seattle, and encouraging unusual public-private partnerships in New York City. No place has found the perfect solution, but some are making significant—and instructive—progress.
This issue considers the pitfalls of tax increment financing (TIF)—a popular economic development tool that often falls short of its promise to revitalize struggling neighborhoods; affordable housing solutions for the homeless in Seattle, Los Angeles, and New York City; plus 3D-printed houses, scenario planning, land value capture, and more.