Useful Community Development: What's New
Here are the most recent important changes to our website, including new articles, visitor questions, and editors' answers. You'll also find links to significantly revised pages and time-sensitive or short items we want to bring to your attention. Sometimes we also add short items of interest, especially time-sensitive notes about conferences, webinars, or seasons.
Homeowners Association Board Selection and Functioning
When a homeowners association board is chosen carefully, receives training, and treats residents respectfully, all HOA members benefit.
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Design Standards versus Performance Standards
Visitor Question: If design standards and performance standards appear in the same division of a development code, can both be used to bring a code violation
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Can a city itself apply for rezoning
Visitor Question: In our town we have a weird situation. Our city council thinks they can just fill out a rezoning application form and then steamroll
Mixed-Income Housing Promotes Exciting Neighborhoods and Social Equity
A mixed-income housing stock increases equity and makes a neighborhood accessible to young and marginalized people, renews street life and energizes civic life.
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Do I follow original deed restrictions or all future changes too
Visitor Question: I just want to know if I have to follow and obey all deed restrictions and bylaws that I originally signed with my deed OR all the ones
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Entrepreneurs Can Use the HUB Zone in Urban Core Areas
Visitor Comment: A really cool tool for businesses in the 'hood is the HUB zone program, which the U.S. Small Business Administration runs. Unlike some
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A Housing Condition Survey Helps Spot Trends
A housing condition survey helps communities or neighborhoods quantify and visualize housing quality issues. Your group can do it youselves.
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Renting a commercial building for a church
Visitor Question: We opened a home based new church/mission in Colton, CA City. Now the number of members has grown to about 24 people, thank God, and
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21 Government Housing Assistance Programs for You or the Neighborhood
Learn how each major government housing assistance program can help you find solutions for your community.
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Converting a storefront into a church
Visitor Question: I have a building with four addresses, 2133-2135-2137-2139 W. Manchester Ave. I want to convert 2139 into a small church. What are the
Code Enforcement says too much stuff
Visitor Question: My husband has ADD. He lost his job and as a result, he buys and sells things. He got cited from Code Enforcement for having too much
Can code enforcement officers take furniture from backyard
Visitor Question: Okay so I came home to find multiple things missing from my backyard such as our kids' basketball hoop and pole with a fiberglass backboard,
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Does a foreclosure void a deed?
Visitor Question: It looks like a friend of mine is headed toward foreclosure. He hasn't been able to pay his mortgage regularly since this epidemic began
Attracting a grocery store to a rural small town
Visitor Question: How do we attract a grocery store to our town? Editors Reply: Thank you for giving your zip code, which allowed us to see that you are
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