Owning a home, a long-held Indian dream, is becoming increasingly difficult in 2026 due to rising property prices and rents. While buying involves significant upfront costs and long-term financial commitments, renting offers flexibility but requires smart investment of the rent-EMI difference to compete financially.
A bill limiting major investors to buying 350 single-family homes is set to become law. Key lawmakers agreed on the legislation, which aims to increase housing supply and restrict private equity's role in neighborhoods. An initial Senate vote is expected this week.
Queensland's government is selling state-owned land for housing, with three developers set to build 450 homes, an aged care facility, and affordable housing on a six-hectare Brisbane site. Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie highlighted the program's speed and focus on supply to address the housing crisis.
West Bengal's Pratyasha scheme offers affordable housing to police personnel, from constables to inspectors, through structured financing and tiered flat sizes based on rank and pay. The lottery-based allotment aims to provide homeownership to officers who often live in government or rented accommodation.
Tokyo has begun accepting applications for "affordable housing" units, offering homes at below-market rates to families with children. This initiative, a first for Japan, utilizes a public-private partnership fund to provide lower-rent housing.
La Banque des territoires will invest €100 billion by 2030 to build 650,000 affordable housing units, including social housing and student accommodations, to address the housing crisis exacerbated by rising interest rates.
Melbourne developers are opting to pay cash contributions instead of including affordable housing in luxury apartment projects under a controversial Victorian government scheme. Critics argue this bypasses local planning rules and doesn't guarantee local reinvestment.
Melbourne developers are using a controversial scheme to pay cash instead of including affordable housing in luxury apartment projects, bypassing local planning rules. Critics argue this benefits developers while failing to deliver needed housing.
Australia's proposed capital gains tax reforms, replacing the 50% discount with cost-base indexation from July 2027, are causing concern among young investors like Vanessa and Daniel, who fear it will reduce their financial security and ability to enter the housing market.
Germany faces a severe housing shortage, with immigrants disproportionately affected by discrimination, higher rents, and homelessness. A new report highlights structural disadvantages and calls for policy action to address the crisis.
Australia's peak body for homelessness is leading calls for the federal government to pour at least $10 billion extra into social and affordable housing.
Australia's peak body for homelessness is leading calls for the federal government to pour at least $10 billion extra into social and affordable housing.
Bengaluru's housing market shows a 5.33% CAGR price rise over five years, with builders prioritizing premium 3BHK apartments (Rs 1-2 crore). This leads to a shortage of affordable homes (under Rs 50 lakh), while sales are highest in the Rs 1-1.5 crore segment.
Habitat for Humanity's 40th Carter Work Project returns to Atlanta in May, building 24 affordable housing units in Sylvan Hills neighborhood. The project, named after former President Jimmy Carter and late wife Rosalynn, marks Habitat's shift into real estate development amid a national affordable housing crisis. Two prospective homeowners, both 27, share their stories of achieving homeownership through the program.
Three men have been sentenced to prison in Hawaii for their roles in a bribery scheme involving affordable housing projects worth over $11 million. Former businessman Rajesh Pankaj Budhabhatti, 65, received 90 months, while attorneys Gary Charles Zamber, 56, and Paul Joseph Sulla, 79, received 70 and 60 months respectively. The trio bribed Hawaii County housing specialist Alan Scott Rudo to approve development agreements, paying nearly $2 million in bribes and kickbacks. Despite promises to build homes for local residents, not a single unit was constructed.
This opinion piece argues that female city leaders are driving unprecedented urban transformation toward more inclusive, sustainable cities. Drawing on examples from Barcelona's Ada Colau, Montréal's Valérie Plante and Paris's Anne Hidalgo, the authors contend that women leaders' lived experiences result in policies benefiting vulnerable groups. The article cites statistics showing only 25 of the world's 300 largest cities have female mayors, and calls for more gender balance in municipal leadership to create public spaces that work for everyone.
