Yonah Freemark
@yonahfreemark.com
Transport / Housing / Land Use / Politics / @urbaninstitute.bsky.social / Le progrès ne vaut que s’il est partagé par tous / yonahfreemark.com / thetransportpolitic.com
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How Does the Federal Government Support Housing?
The federal government supports the US housing market through dozens of initiatives administered by several agencies—in total, spending hundreds of billions …
www.urban.org
Think federal government housing aid is focused on low-income families & largely funded by the Department of Housing & Urban Development?
Think again.
In new work @urbaninstitute.bsky.social, we provide a comprehensive account of the US government's many housing supports, which go far beyond HUD 🏘️
Think again.
In new work @urbaninstitute.bsky.social, we provide a comprehensive account of the US government's many housing supports, which go far beyond HUD 🏘️
Reposted by Yonah Freemark
Of all the major cities in the United States, Chicago provides the greatest value, with robust amenities and culture without correlated housing costs. But if Chicago wants to retain that status, some things need to change.
op-ed by me, Stef, and Jasmine (co-leads for @abundanthousingil.bsky.social)
op-ed by me, Stef, and Jasmine (co-leads for @abundanthousingil.bsky.social)
Commentary: Make 2026 the year to achieve real progress on reforming housing affordability
Growth in and around Chicago depends on lawmakers getting it done, write leaders of Abundant Housing Illinois.
www.chicagobusiness.com
November 24, 2025 at 9:14 PM
Of all the major cities in the United States, Chicago provides the greatest value, with robust amenities and culture without correlated housing costs. But if Chicago wants to retain that status, some things need to change.
op-ed by me, Stef, and Jasmine (co-leads for @abundanthousingil.bsky.social)
op-ed by me, Stef, and Jasmine (co-leads for @abundanthousingil.bsky.social)
Reposted by Yonah Freemark
One of my favorite things is getting to tell friends who are new to NYC that the subway "stand clear of the closing doors please" voice is a trans woman named Bernie Wagenblast and she's amazing.
November 24, 2025 at 6:19 PM
One of my favorite things is getting to tell friends who are new to NYC that the subway "stand clear of the closing doors please" voice is a trans woman named Bernie Wagenblast and she's amazing.
Reposted by Yonah Freemark
👉 Our new paper uses daily mobility data to show that spatial isolation is much more common today among those living in advantaged neighborhoods than the converse.
👩🏻💻 Lots of massive data wrangling and careful assumptions about mobility data needed - but check it out here! doi.org/10.1177/0042...
👩🏻💻 Lots of massive data wrangling and careful assumptions about mobility data needed - but check it out here! doi.org/10.1177/0042...
November 24, 2025 at 5:20 PM
👉 Our new paper uses daily mobility data to show that spatial isolation is much more common today among those living in advantaged neighborhoods than the converse.
👩🏻💻 Lots of massive data wrangling and careful assumptions about mobility data needed - but check it out here! doi.org/10.1177/0042...
👩🏻💻 Lots of massive data wrangling and careful assumptions about mobility data needed - but check it out here! doi.org/10.1177/0042...
These maps of major metropolitan areas show striking differences in tax bases in areas close to one another www.taxbasefragmentation.net/home :
—Compare the north vs south shore of Nassau County
—Coastal vs inland Miami
—Inglewood vs El Segundo
—East Palo Alto vs everything around it
—Compare the north vs south shore of Nassau County
—Coastal vs inland Miami
—Inglewood vs El Segundo
—East Palo Alto vs everything around it
November 24, 2025 at 5:06 PM
These maps of major metropolitan areas show striking differences in tax bases in areas close to one another www.taxbasefragmentation.net/home :
—Compare the north vs south shore of Nassau County
—Coastal vs inland Miami
—Inglewood vs El Segundo
—East Palo Alto vs everything around it
—Compare the north vs south shore of Nassau County
—Coastal vs inland Miami
—Inglewood vs El Segundo
—East Palo Alto vs everything around it
Exciting new research that demonstrates how localities in the same metropolitan area have wildly varying tax bases—which go on to have a huge impact on the ability to provide services. Rich towns can collect more taxes, give themselves better services, and reinforce inequality.
🚨We analyzed 138 million geocoded property tax records to quantify how municipal boundaries spatially overlap onto economic segregation in every US metro area—creating disparities in localities’ ability to fund public goods. And we made an interactive map of our results! [1/16]
November 24, 2025 at 4:48 PM
Exciting new research that demonstrates how localities in the same metropolitan area have wildly varying tax bases—which go on to have a huge impact on the ability to provide services. Rich towns can collect more taxes, give themselves better services, and reinforce inequality.
New paper in Journal of Housing Economics by Forster-Benson & Nchare studies the impacts of upzoning in Nashville, finding that upzoned parcels had an 11–38% increase in property prices, though impacts were heterogeneous, with effects concentrated among previously low-value properties.
Upzoning and residential transaction price in Nashville
Empirical research on the impact of upzoning policies on housing affordability has produced mixed results. This paper uses difference-in-differences a…
www.sciencedirect.com
November 24, 2025 at 3:11 PM
New paper in Journal of Housing Economics by Forster-Benson & Nchare studies the impacts of upzoning in Nashville, finding that upzoned parcels had an 11–38% increase in property prices, though impacts were heterogeneous, with effects concentrated among previously low-value properties.
Reposted by Yonah Freemark
NEW: Since its inception, suburbs have paid into Dallas Area Rapid Transit to get transit service. Now, four Dallas suburbs want to leave DART. It's a redux of the late 80s and 90s - but as it expands, the revolt could tear Texas' biggest transit agency apart. www.chron.com/culture/arti...
A suburban exit could be Armageddon for North Texas public transit
North Texas suburbs want to leave DART. It could tear the entire system apart.
www.chron.com
November 23, 2025 at 7:15 PM
NEW: Since its inception, suburbs have paid into Dallas Area Rapid Transit to get transit service. Now, four Dallas suburbs want to leave DART. It's a redux of the late 80s and 90s - but as it expands, the revolt could tear Texas' biggest transit agency apart. www.chron.com/culture/arti...
What’s depressing isn’t the higher levels of federal expenditures & DOGE’s failure—it’s that the feds replaced expenditures on foreign assistance, research & the environment with spending on ICE personnel & national guard deployments.
Meanwhile, the rich got tax cuts so the deficit worsened.
Meanwhile, the rich got tax cuts so the deficit worsened.
November 23, 2025 at 6:42 PM
What’s depressing isn’t the higher levels of federal expenditures & DOGE’s failure—it’s that the feds replaced expenditures on foreign assistance, research & the environment with spending on ICE personnel & national guard deployments.
Meanwhile, the rich got tax cuts so the deficit worsened.
Meanwhile, the rich got tax cuts so the deficit worsened.
DC is enforcing a “crackdown” on streeteries—outdoor seating for cafes—charging the cafes huge amounts of money to keep the facilities in place, and forcing them to use seating that doesn’t work in the winter. It’s a huge self-own, likely to end up hurting businesses, reducing street vibrancy.
Exclusive: Le Dip streetery to come down as D.C. crackdown reshapes outdoor dining
It's over for many D.C. streeteries, as the city starts to charge what you might call "road rent" and other fees.
www.axios.com
November 23, 2025 at 2:47 PM
DC is enforcing a “crackdown” on streeteries—outdoor seating for cafes—charging the cafes huge amounts of money to keep the facilities in place, and forcing them to use seating that doesn’t work in the winter. It’s a huge self-own, likely to end up hurting businesses, reducing street vibrancy.
November 22, 2025 at 6:33 PM
Reposted by Yonah Freemark
“The contrasting responses serve as a reminder of car culture’s dominance in the Garden State. An estimated 92,000 drivers entered the congestion zone from New Jersey every day,... That’s less than half the daily ridership on the PATH train.” gothamist.com/news/nj-lead...
NJ leaders who hated on congestion pricing notably silent on PATH fare hikes
The PATH fare is set to rise from $3 to $4 over the next four years.
gothamist.com
November 22, 2025 at 2:02 AM
“The contrasting responses serve as a reminder of car culture’s dominance in the Garden State. An estimated 92,000 drivers entered the congestion zone from New Jersey every day,... That’s less than half the daily ridership on the PATH train.” gothamist.com/news/nj-lead...
Looks like they have 10 roundtrip "long distance" (Miami–Orlando) trains/day, so that's 620 departures/month. Ticket revenue from those long-distance trips was $10.8 million, so $17,420 in revenues/departure (250 passengers/departure=$70/each). The line is 235 miles, so that's $74 per revenue mile.
Brightline October numbers are out, a significant jump following the rollout of a new schedule.
Oct ’25: 260,370, up 20% y/y
Sept. '25: 227,851
Aug: 252,425
July: 255,472
June: 254,627
May: 256,633
April: 243,285
March: 280,003
Feb: 247,083
Jan: 266,346
Dec '24: 264,201
Nov: 246,563
Oct: 217,735
Oct ’25: 260,370, up 20% y/y
Sept. '25: 227,851
Aug: 252,425
July: 255,472
June: 254,627
May: 256,633
April: 243,285
March: 280,003
Feb: 247,083
Jan: 266,346
Dec '24: 264,201
Nov: 246,563
Oct: 217,735
November 21, 2025 at 6:56 PM
Looks like they have 10 roundtrip "long distance" (Miami–Orlando) trains/day, so that's 620 departures/month. Ticket revenue from those long-distance trips was $10.8 million, so $17,420 in revenues/departure (250 passengers/departure=$70/each). The line is 235 miles, so that's $74 per revenue mile.
Reposted by Yonah Freemark
Portland: Highly damaging transit service cuts may be coming in the next year. Still no sign of a plan on how to prevent them.
No, there is not a lot of waste in the system; almost all service is justified by ridership or equity (we did that work).
trimet.org/servicecuts/...
No, there is not a lot of waste in the system; almost all service is justified by ridership or equity (we did that work).
trimet.org/servicecuts/...
Planned Bus and MAX Service Cuts
Due to a growing budget gap, we must cut some TriMet service starting in November 2025.
trimet.org
November 19, 2025 at 11:06 PM
Portland: Highly damaging transit service cuts may be coming in the next year. Still no sign of a plan on how to prevent them.
No, there is not a lot of waste in the system; almost all service is justified by ridership or equity (we did that work).
trimet.org/servicecuts/...
No, there is not a lot of waste in the system; almost all service is justified by ridership or equity (we did that work).
trimet.org/servicecuts/...
Reposted by Yonah Freemark
NEW: You've heard SCOTUS could soon upend the balance in power in Congress by gutting the VRA. But that'd also be a huge blow to Black voting power in *local* governments.
In west Tennessee, Black residents just won a new county map this year—but those gains now look very fragile.
Great reporting:
In west Tennessee, Black residents just won a new county map this year—but those gains now look very fragile.
Great reporting:
Black Residents in West Tennessee Just Won Fairer Districts. Now Comes SCOTUS. - Bolts
The Supreme Court may further erode the Voting Rights Act in an upcoming decision. Beyond affecting Congress, that would reverberate across local governments nationwide.
boltsmag.org
November 21, 2025 at 3:02 PM
NEW: You've heard SCOTUS could soon upend the balance in power in Congress by gutting the VRA. But that'd also be a huge blow to Black voting power in *local* governments.
In west Tennessee, Black residents just won a new county map this year—but those gains now look very fragile.
Great reporting:
In west Tennessee, Black residents just won a new county map this year—but those gains now look very fragile.
Great reporting:
States like Illinois established frameworks to require localities with few affordable homes to show how they planning to accommodate those homes.
New research from @impactforequity.bsky.social shows many localities simply ignore that requirement. And most aren’t actually providing the needed homes.
New research from @impactforequity.bsky.social shows many localities simply ignore that requirement. And most aren’t actually providing the needed homes.
Many High-Cost Suburbs Continue to Violate State Affordable Housing Law | Impact for Equity
Many high-cost suburbs are continuing to violate affordable housing laws passed by the state to combat the housing crisis.
impactforequity.org
November 21, 2025 at 4:59 PM
States like Illinois established frameworks to require localities with few affordable homes to show how they planning to accommodate those homes.
New research from @impactforequity.bsky.social shows many localities simply ignore that requirement. And most aren’t actually providing the needed homes.
New research from @impactforequity.bsky.social shows many localities simply ignore that requirement. And most aren’t actually providing the needed homes.
Reposted by Yonah Freemark
Insane but true fact: making US roads as safe as Canadian, Australian, or European roads would save more lives than eliminating murder from the US.
November 21, 2025 at 3:01 AM
Insane but true fact: making US roads as safe as Canadian, Australian, or European roads would save more lives than eliminating murder from the US.
Data from the National Association of Realtors paints a painful portrait of American home buying:
All-cash buyers at 26% of the market.
Median age of the typical homebuyer: a stunning 59 years old.
nar.realtor/research-and...
All-cash buyers at 26% of the market.
Median age of the typical homebuyer: a stunning 59 years old.
nar.realtor/research-and...
November 20, 2025 at 2:30 AM
Data from the National Association of Realtors paints a painful portrait of American home buying:
All-cash buyers at 26% of the market.
Median age of the typical homebuyer: a stunning 59 years old.
nar.realtor/research-and...
All-cash buyers at 26% of the market.
Median age of the typical homebuyer: a stunning 59 years old.
nar.realtor/research-and...
Very good to see progress on this important project, which is designed to link dense suburban New Jersey cities.
“The Northern Branch Project”from NJ Transit will bring the Light Rail tracks 10 miles further north to an anticipated terminal at Englewood Hospital
NJ Transit Announces Plans to Expand Hudson-Bergen Light Rail Service
The Hudson-Bergen Light Rail line will extend service into North Bergen with a proposed station at Englewood Hospital. Read more.
www.hobokengirl.com
November 19, 2025 at 10:30 PM
Very good to see progress on this important project, which is designed to link dense suburban New Jersey cities.
Reposted by Yonah Freemark
Motorization share of urban trips in big French cities between 2010 and 2021. (according to INSEE)
November 19, 2025 at 3:25 PM
Motorization share of urban trips in big French cities between 2010 and 2021. (according to INSEE)
Big news: House GOP head of transport committee says he wants to retain the mass transit fund, defying the Trump Admin’s proposal, which I detail below ⬇️
subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2025...
subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2025...
Trump Administration is to propose a massive cut in federal transit funding as part of 2026 transport legislation.
This proposal would decimate the nation's transit systems, while not actually solving the revenue problem federal transportation funding faces.
Evidence @urbaninstitute.bsky.social ⏬
This proposal would decimate the nation's transit systems, while not actually solving the revenue problem federal transportation funding faces.
Evidence @urbaninstitute.bsky.social ⏬
Cutting Federal Transit Funding Won’t Fix Budget Shortfalls. But It Would Make Transportation Less Affordable for Americans.
A proposal to eliminate federal public transit funding would not only fail to address the existing funding gap but would also leave millions of Americans, pa…
www.urban.org
November 19, 2025 at 1:39 PM
Big news: House GOP head of transport committee says he wants to retain the mass transit fund, defying the Trump Admin’s proposal, which I detail below ⬇️
subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2025...
subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2025...
Reposted by Yonah Freemark
Trump Administration is to propose a massive cut in federal transit funding as part of 2026 transport legislation.
This proposal would decimate the nation's transit systems, while not actually solving the revenue problem federal transportation funding faces.
Evidence @urbaninstitute.bsky.social ⏬
This proposal would decimate the nation's transit systems, while not actually solving the revenue problem federal transportation funding faces.
Evidence @urbaninstitute.bsky.social ⏬
Cutting Federal Transit Funding Won’t Fix Budget Shortfalls. But It Would Make Transportation Less Affordable for Americans.
A proposal to eliminate federal public transit funding would not only fail to address the existing funding gap but would also leave millions of Americans, pa…
www.urban.org
November 18, 2025 at 3:44 PM
Trump Administration is to propose a massive cut in federal transit funding as part of 2026 transport legislation.
This proposal would decimate the nation's transit systems, while not actually solving the revenue problem federal transportation funding faces.
Evidence @urbaninstitute.bsky.social ⏬
This proposal would decimate the nation's transit systems, while not actually solving the revenue problem federal transportation funding faces.
Evidence @urbaninstitute.bsky.social ⏬
Reposted by Yonah Freemark
Not just stopping using highway trust fund money to fund transit, but preventing states from flexing their highway money to transit.
November 18, 2025 at 5:28 PM
Not just stopping using highway trust fund money to fund transit, but preventing states from flexing their highway money to transit.
Trump Administration is to propose a massive cut in federal transit funding as part of 2026 transport legislation.
This proposal would decimate the nation's transit systems, while not actually solving the revenue problem federal transportation funding faces.
Evidence @urbaninstitute.bsky.social ⏬
This proposal would decimate the nation's transit systems, while not actually solving the revenue problem federal transportation funding faces.
Evidence @urbaninstitute.bsky.social ⏬
Cutting Federal Transit Funding Won’t Fix Budget Shortfalls. But It Would Make Transportation Less Affordable for Americans.
A proposal to eliminate federal public transit funding would not only fail to address the existing funding gap but would also leave millions of Americans, pa…
www.urban.org
November 18, 2025 at 3:44 PM
Trump Administration is to propose a massive cut in federal transit funding as part of 2026 transport legislation.
This proposal would decimate the nation's transit systems, while not actually solving the revenue problem federal transportation funding faces.
Evidence @urbaninstitute.bsky.social ⏬
This proposal would decimate the nation's transit systems, while not actually solving the revenue problem federal transportation funding faces.
Evidence @urbaninstitute.bsky.social ⏬
Ridership on Paris region transit systems is now generally at or higher than pre-pandemic levels. Bike use is much higher than pre-pandemic.
At the same time, car traffic in Paris and on its ring highway is substantially lower than it was pre-pandemic. www.institutparisregion.fr/mobilite-et-...
At the same time, car traffic in Paris and on its ring highway is substantially lower than it was pre-pandemic. www.institutparisregion.fr/mobilite-et-...
November 18, 2025 at 2:24 PM
Ridership on Paris region transit systems is now generally at or higher than pre-pandemic levels. Bike use is much higher than pre-pandemic.
At the same time, car traffic in Paris and on its ring highway is substantially lower than it was pre-pandemic. www.institutparisregion.fr/mobilite-et-...
At the same time, car traffic in Paris and on its ring highway is substantially lower than it was pre-pandemic. www.institutparisregion.fr/mobilite-et-...
Reposted by Yonah Freemark
Charlotte-Mecklebburg Schools, according to reports, saw 15% of its students absent today amid Border Patrol operations in Charlotte. If that percentage of 15% happens Tuesday in Wake County due to the Border Patrol coming to Raleigh, 24.000 students could be absent from school. #nced #ncpol #wcpss
November 18, 2025 at 12:59 AM