affordable housing Archives | Northwest Public Broadcasting

Out Of Whack: Lack Of Homes For Sale Sends Prices Surging, Frustrates Buyers

By NPR News March 23, 2021

A record low number of homes for sale is pushing up prices and making it harder for first-time buyers to afford homeownership. CREDIT: Gene J. Puskar/AP

Many Americans are ready and eager to buy a home right now. But they're having trouble finding one. Home sales edged down 6.6% in February compared with the previous month because there just aren't enough houses out there for people to buy. Read More

1st-Time Homebuyers Are Getting Squeezed Out By Investors

By NPR News June 22, 2019

As investors play a growing role in the housing market, many first-time buyers are having a hard time finding a home. Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP

Last year, investors accounted for 1 in 5 starter-priced homes, according to data released by CoreLogic on Thursday. The rate of investor purchases of starter homes has been rising and has nearly doubled since 1999. Continue Reading 1st-Time Read More

‘The Last Black Man In San Francisco’ Is About Who Belongs In A Beloved City

By NPR News June 14, 2019

A new film is inspired by the real-life story of Jimmie Fails, who hopes to reclaim his family's home in the gentrifying Fillmore District. It's also an ode to the city its creators used to know. Continue Reading ‘The Last Black Read More

Washington’s Rental Housing Market Is Looking Better, Still Tight In Rural Areas

By Esmy Jimenez February 18, 2019

File photo. Seattle's rental housing market shows more availability than other areas of Washington, like Kittitas and Yakima counties, where new construction hasn't kept up with demand. CREDIT: TED S. WARREN/AP

Two months into this year, researchers are looking back at what changed on the housing front in 2018. According to the latest numbers from the Washington Center for Real Estate Research at the University of Washington, the statewide vacancy rate for all apartments is 4.26 percent. That’s better than it was last fall, but not by much. Read More

Microsoft Pledges $500 Million To Address Homelessness And Affordable Housing In Seattle Area

By NPR News January 17, 2019

Brad Smith, president of Microsoft Corp., speaks during a presentation on affordable housing in Bellevue, Wash., on Thursday. Microsoft Corp. said it will spend $500 million to develop affordable housing and help alleviate homelessness in the Seattle area. CREDIT: Bloomberg via Getty Images

Microsoft is investing $500 million to help develop affordable housing and address homelessness in the Seattle area as the growth of tech companies in the region continues to flood the real estate market with high-salaried workers, leaving many other people behind. Read More

In Central Washington, Housing Crunch Exacerbated By Need For Foreign Farm Labor

By Esmy Jimenez June 11, 2018

Black and white photo of a Yakima neighborhood with text saying no vacancy

The housing shortage in Yakima is coupled with a farm labor shortage. When workers do come, where do they live? The largest farmworker complex in the state opened in Yakima this month. The revamped FairBridge hotel now hosts 800 beds for temporary farm workers. As it opens, critics think it may set a dangerous precedent: Other farmers might start buying up area housing for Read More

Residents Displaced By Rattlesnake Ridge Slide Confront Yakima’s Tight Housing Market

By Esmy Jimenez January 26, 2018

Solorio family displaced by Rattlesnake Ridge - Anna King Photo

The slow-moving landslide on Rattlesnake Ridge in Washington's Yakima Valley points to a larger problem plaguing the region: affordable housing. When residents were told to move away from their homes in the slide area, there were few places to go. Read More

Seattle Housing Market Still Tops Chart As Nation’s Hottest

By Anna Boiko-Weyrauch December 27, 2017

Home prices continued to climb in Seattle and Portland at some of the fastest rates in the country this year. The latest data show Seattle is still the nation’s hottest market. Continue Reading Seattle Housing Market Still Tops Chart As Read More