Hacker News with Generative AI: Housing

There was a time when the US government built homes for working-class Americans (theconversation.com)
In 1918, as World War I intensified overseas, the U.S. government embarked on a radical experiment: It quietly became the nation’s largest housing developer, designing and constructing more than 80 new communities across 26 states in just two years.

History, Housing, Government, United States

86 points by pseudolus 33 days ago | 125 comments

Solar panels to be fitted on all new-build homes in England by 2027 (theguardian.com)
Almost all new homes in England will be fitted with solar panels during construction within two years, the government will announce after Keir Starmer rejected Tony Blair’s criticism of net zero policies.

Renewable Energy, Solar Power, UK Politics, Housing, Environment

8 points by bookofjoe 38 days ago | 2 comments

The great displacement is already well underway? (shawnfromportland.substack.com)
As I climb into my little twin sized bed in my small RV trailer on a patch of undeveloped deep rural land in the Central New York highlands, exhausted from my 6 hours of doordash driving to make less than 200$ that day, I check my emails one last time for the night: no responses from the 745th through 756th job applications that i put in over the last week for engineering roles i’m qualified or over-qualified for.

Economy, Labor, Technology, Housing

517 points by JSLegendDev 46 days ago | 500 comments

Americans reconsidering having children or buying a home amid economic anxiety (theguardian.com)
Americans are reconsidering major life events including marriage, having children and buying a home amid economic anxiety in the opening months of the Trump presidency, according to an exclusive poll for the Guardian.

Economics, Social Trends, Family Planning, Housing, Political Impact

5 points by rntn 46 days ago | 0 comments

America's Magical Thinking about Housing (theatlantic.com)
The city of Austin built a lot of homes. Now rent is falling, and some people seem to think that’s a bad thing.

Housing, Economics, Urban Planning, Texas

7 points by lantry 70 days ago | 2 comments

A Postmortem of a Startup (buildwithtract.com)
Between May 2023 and March 2025, Tract attempted to build a venture-backed company to address Britain’s housing crisis by improving the planning permission process.

Startup Postmortems, Housing, UK, Entrepreneurship, Venture Capital

168 points by jamierumbelow 72 days ago | 129 comments

A Postmortem of the startup Tract (buildwithtract.com)
Between May 2023 and March 2025, Tract attempted to build a venture-backed company to address Britain’s housing crisis by improving the planning permission process.

Startup Postmortem, Housing, UK, Venture Capital

11 points by Ozarkian 74 days ago | 2 comments

Homeless in Colorado may sleep in their cars if they have a job (nytimes.com)
On the side of a highway leading to some of the most coveted slopes in the world, in a parking lot covered in snow, a form of affordable housing has emerged.

Homelessness, Housing, Colorado, Social Issues, Economy

25 points by harambae 75 days ago | 7 comments

Demystifying Development: Does It Pencil? (ternercenter.app)
The developer journey to build and finance new housing is long and complicated. Throughout this process, a developer must take into account several market and regulatory factors that impact whether or not they can successfully propose and build residential projects.

Housing, Finance, Urban Planning

10 points by coldsunrays 78 days ago | 2 comments

A Man Who Went to Fake Prison Also Went to Real Jail (nymag.com)
Last October, William Banks posted on Instagram that he was looking for a subletter: $1,025 a month for eight months in a prewar building in Crown Heights with three roommates. It’s the kind of message that many New Yorkers put out, hoping to cover their rent during an arts residency or a luxurious season of travel.

New York, Crime, Social Media, Housing

6 points by loeber 92 days ago | 3 comments

The long-awaited Friend Compound laws in California (supernuclear.substack.com)
It’s now much easier to build a friend compound in California.

California Law, Housing, Architecture, Community Living

156 points by simonebrunozzi 93 days ago | 210 comments

Realtor.com Reports Active Inventory Up 28.5% YoY (calculatedriskblog.com)
Realtor.com Reports Active Inventory Up 28.5% YoY

Real Estate, Market Trends, Housing, Economics

15 points by speckx 99 days ago | 4 comments

Why rents are still rising too fast (economist.com)
Across advanced economies, the rental market is undergoing a profound change.

Economics, Housing, Real Estate

27 points by jcartw 102 days ago | 83 comments

I create buildings from mushroom components (nature.com)
Mtamu Kililo creates alternative construction materials to confront Kenya’s housing crisis.

Housing, Sustainability, Architecture, Kenya

22 points by gnabgib 109 days ago | 4 comments

U.S. Housing Agency Considers Launching Crypto Experiment (propublica.org)
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is considering taking a first step to using cryptocurrency, according to a meeting recording and other materials reviewed by ProPublica and three officials familiar with the matter.

Cryptocurrency, Housing, Government, United States

8 points by alwa 111 days ago | 1 comments

Finland applies the “Housing First” concept (2020) (thebetter.news)
In Finland, the number of homeless people has fallen sharply. The reason: The country applies the “Housing First” concept. Those affected by homelessness receive a small apartment and counselling – without any preconditions. 4 out of 5 people affected thus make their way back into a stable life. And: All this is cheaper than accepting homelessness.

Social Policy, Housing, Finland

194 points by ColinWright 113 days ago | 143 comments

UK homes install subsidised heat pumps at record level (bbc.co.uk)
The number of UK homes installing heat pumps supported by government-funded incentives rose to a record level last year.

Renewable Energy, Climate Change, UK, Government Policy, Housing

23 points by RobinL 113 days ago | 23 comments

How the U.K. broke its own economy (theatlantic.com)
With the best intentions, the United Kingdom engineered a housing and energy shortage.

Economy, United Kingdom, Housing, Energy

291 points by speckx 116 days ago | 733 comments

The housing theory of everything (2021) (worksinprogress.co)
Western housing shortages do not just prevent many from ever affording their own home. They also drive inequality, climate change, low productivity growth, obesity, and even falling fertility rates.

Housing, Economics, Inequality, Climate Change

301 points by lifeisstillgood 119 days ago | 342 comments

Billions in Tampa Bay hurricane relief funds in limbo amid proposed cuts to HUD (tampabay.com)
Tampa Bay leaders say federal hurricane relief funds hang in the balance after the New York Times reported Thursday that the Trump administration has planned sweeping layoffs to an office overseeing recovery from the largest U.S. disasters.

Hurricane Relief, Federal Funding, Politics, Tampa Bay, Housing

11 points by howard941 127 days ago | 1 comments

Barcelona buys apartment building at center of eviction protests (bloomberg.com)
After months of protests, the city stepped in to buy an apartment block where tenants faced eviction. But anger over high rents and real estate speculation continues.

Real Estate, Politics, Housing, Spain, Protests

130 points by toomuchtodo 129 days ago | 318 comments

Officials blame late Section 8 rent payments on federal disarray (gothamist.com)

Government, Housing, New York

13 points by geox 144 days ago | 0 comments

Austin rents have fallen for nearly two years (texastribune.org)
A massive apartment building boom in the Austin-Round Rock region has driven rents downward, real estate experts and housing advocates have said.

Real Estate, Housing, Austin, Texas

56 points by matthest 152 days ago | 63 comments

They Built Their Fireproof Dream Home. Even If It Lasted, Would They? (nytimes.com)
They had built their house on a rugged peak in the Santa Monica Mountains to maximize the views, and now Phillip and Claire Vogt went to their bedroom window and saw fires burning in the nearby canyons and black smoke rolling across the Pacific Ocean.

Wildfires, Housing, California

7 points by anyonecancode 159 days ago | 3 comments

'Passive house' survives fire in California (yahoo.com)
The California wildfires are still ravaging the Los Angeles area a week after they started. The stories of residents who live in the area and have lost everything are heartbreaking.

California Wildfires, Housing, Architecture, Climate Change, Disaster

33 points by tehnub 163 days ago | 62 comments

Ask HN: Have any of you become homeless? (ycombinator.com)
If so, how was it like? What happened?

Social Issues, Personal Experiences, Housing, Homelessness

13 points by thatxliner 164 days ago | 11 comments

Some homes withstood the LA fires – architects explain why (bloomberg.com)
More than 12,000 structures have been consumed by the wildfires raging across Los Angeles, many of them single-family homes that have stood for decades.

Architecture, Wildfires, Los Angeles, Housing

45 points by JumpCrisscross 164 days ago | 81 comments

Tiny home on a bicycle provides shelter for the chronic homeless (tinytinyhomes.ca)
At Tiny Tiny Homes, we believe everyone deserves a safe place to call home. We've developed a tiny home on a bicycle to provide shelter for those experiencing chronic homelessness. Join us in our mission to replace unsafe tent encampments with secure, mobile homes and help rebuild lives with dignity and hope.

Homelessness, Housing, Sustainability, Design, Social Impact

14 points by cf100clunk 180 days ago | 18 comments

U.S. homelessness jumps to record high amid affordable housing shortage (npr.org)
More than 770,000 people were living in shelters or outside in January, according to an annual federal report on homelessness by the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Homelessness, Housing, Social Issues, United States

112 points by geox 181 days ago | 217 comments

Should more of us be moving to live near friends? (architecturaldigest.com)
25 years ago, Toby Rush and his friend group at Kansas State University received some valuable advice from elder mentors that would shape their entire adult lives.

Friendship, Lifestyle, Housing, Sociology, Community

621 points by Geekette 184 days ago | 487 comments