Updated and Expanded H+T Index Reveals Combined Housing and Transportation Affordability Has Declined Since 2000

CNT’s H+T Index reveals the high cost of transportation in nearly 900 regions across the country

CNT has just released the latest version of the Housing + Transportation (H+T®) Affordability Index, using the most up-to-date Census data. While this is exciting news for those who have used the Index in the past, the news on affordability isn’t so bright.

Most places are unaffordable when it comes to combined housing and transportation costs. 72% of American communities are unaffordable for typical regional households when transportation costs—the second largest expense in a family budget—are considered along with housing costs. Under the traditional definition of housing affordability, where a rent or mortgage payment consumes no more than 30 percent of household income, three out of four (76 percent) US communities are considered “affordable” to the regional typical household making their area’s median income. However, under an expanded definition of affordability, where housing and transportation costs consume no more than 45 percent of income, the number of affordable communities decreases to 28 percent, resulting in a loss of 86,000 neighborhoods that are within reach for a typical family. Read more »

CNT Unveils Place-Based Vision for Economic Prosperity

Thursday, February 16th, 2012 at 11:34 am

With gas prices already setting records, Congress threatening to cut mass transit funding, and the Chicago region arguably losing its competitive edge, CNT has released a call to action that presents a new vision for building economic prosperity in the Chicago region with an analysis that identifies place-based transportation and community development investments that would reinvigorate economic growth.

Prospering in Place builds on the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning’s visionary GO TO 2040 plan, translating that blueprint into a detailed framework that prioritizes specific places and projects that connect people to jobs. Read more »

EPA Releases Data on Nation’s Largest Carbon Emitters; Will Help Communities in Sustainability Planning

Wednesday, January 11th, 2012 at 5:53 pm

The Fisk Generating Station in Pilsen is the second biggest greenhouse gas emitter in Chicago, after the Crawford power plant. Photo credit: Flickr User- swanksalot.

Communities in the United States have a useful new data resource to help them with climate and sustainability planning. The U.S. EPA requires facilities emitting over 25,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent annually to report emissions, and it has just released 2010 reported data to the public.

The maps and charts at epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/ghgdata/index.html can help a community identify large sources of emissions in their area. This is especially important in small communities, where a large emitter, such as a power plant or landfill that supplies the region, might make up the majority of the community’s greenhouse gas footprint.

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EPA Bringing Attention to Nation’s Wasted Water Problem with “Fix a Leak Week”

Wednesday, March 14th, 2012 at 3:38 pm

Photo credit, Thirteen of Clubs, www.flickr.com/photos/thirteenofclubs/3105615966/

Did you know that minor water leaks in a typical home can account for more than 10,000 gallons of water wasted every year, or enough water to wash nearly 10 months’ worth of laundry? To address this surprising problem, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has declared this week as “Fix a Leak Week” to remind Americans to check household plumbing fixtures and irrigation systems for leaks.

In cities across the country, Delta Faucet and EPA’s WaterSense program (CNT is a partner) are providing free water-efficiency retrofits to homes. Here in Chicago, more than 100 affordable homes—more than any other city in the country—are receiving water saving improvements. Read more »

Apartment Building Owners, Residents Could Save Up To $3.4 Billion Annually with Energy Efficiency Improvements

Thursday, January 26th, 2012 at 10:58 am

Energy efficiency upgrades in multifamily buildings could save building owners and residents up to $3.4 billion nationwide, according to a report released by CNT Energy and the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. Engaging as Partners in Energy Efficiency: Multifamily Housing and Utilities demonstrates that energy use in multifamily buildings can be reduced substantially, and cost-effective upgrades can result in utility cost savings of 15 to 30 percent in buildings with five or more residential units. The key to unlocking the savings is for energy utilities and apartment building owners to work together more closely to develop effective energy efficiency policies.

“We have billions essentially sitting untapped in our apartment buildings. We can harness that by simply setting better policies for efficiency for apartment buildings,” said Anne McKibbin, CNT Energy policy director and coauthor of the report. “Partnering with utilities is a crucial part of the process. Building owners and other housing industry players need to work with their utilities, engaging them directly and in local and state regulatory proceedings,” she said.

Read more »

What is CNT?

Since 1978, Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT) has been a leader in promoting urban sustainability—the more effective use of existing resources and community assets to improve the health of natural systems and the wealth of people, today and in the future.

CNT is a creative think-and-do tank that combines rigorous research with effective solutions. CNT works across disciplines and issues, including transportation and community development, energy, water, and climate change.

Featured Project

Abogo

Abogo is a tool that lets you discover how transportation impacts the affordability and sustainability of where you live.

Events

Tuesday, March 13

Designing Your Urban Rain Garden: The In’s and Out’s of Stormwater Management

March 19 and 22

Public Lectures by Scott Bernstein, Visiting Fellow

Wednesday, March 21

American Planning Association – “Effective Engagement and Project Marketing Media-Minded Tools & Strategies”

Wednesday, March 21

Workshop: Simple Steps You Can Take to Save Money and Energy

Publications