Apartment

Toms River's Township Council unanimously introduced zoning to add 140 apartments, including 28 affordable units, at Jamestowne Village, and approved converting 19 market-rate units to affordable at Autumn Ridge. But the council again failed to act on most of its court-ordered fourth-round affordable housing plan, originally due to the state in March. Mayor Daniel Rodrick accused the council of "betrayal"; council members blame him for the Jamestowne expansion. Fair Share Housing has asked a judge to enforce a 2025 settlement and strip the township's builder's remedy immunity, which could allow higher-density projects to bypass local zoning. A hearing is set for December 7, with disputed Route 70 and Route 9 parcels central to the standoff.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass faces City Councilmember Nithya Raman in Tuesday's election, with housing affordability as the central issue. Bass touts more than 10,000 income-restricted apartments built during her term, driven largely by her Executive Directive One permitting reform, though analysts note much of that progress stems from pre-existing Proposition HHH funding and that overall housing production has lagged. Raman, running as a pro-development YIMBY candidate, criticizes Bass for rolling back ED 1 near single-family zones and opposing a state density law, while Bass warns that looser rules risk displacing low-income residents.

Both candidates back lower rent-control caps and reforming the city's "mansion tax," but diverge sharply on zoning and development approach heading into the vote.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is investigating a reported mail theft at El Castillo Apartments near Ninth Avenue and Downing Street in Denver, first reported October 10. A resident notice says someone was caught on camera removing mail using a master key to the building's mailboxes, prompting warnings to residents to use a P.O. box or reroute important mail until the person is identified. There is no confirmation any ballots were taken, and the building's leasing manager said other nearby properties have been targeted too. The Colorado Secretary of State's Office said affected voters can request replacement ballots from their county clerk or vote in person ahead of the election.

Agawam's City Council voted 10-1 to oppose provisions in Massachusetts' pending economic development bill that would let duplexes be built by right in all residential zones and multifamily housing by right on land owned by religious institutions. The resolution, backed by Mayor Christopher C. Johnson, argues zoning decisions should remain local rather than be set by state lawmakers on Beacon Hill.

The lone dissenting vote came from Councilor Thomas D. Hendrickson, who cited long waitlists for units managed by the Agawam Housing Authority as evidence that restrictive local zoning is worsening the region's housing shortage. Other councilors who supported the resolution acknowledged an affordability crisis but said denser zoning wouldn't necessarily lower costs, pointing to high construction costs and concerns about strain on local services and property values.

A legislative conference committee is currently reconciling House and Senate versions of the bill, which differ on whether to include duplex zoning, multifamily-on-religious-land provisions, both, or neither. Advocacy group Abundant Housing Massachusetts has pushed for both measures as part of efforts to close the state's housing gap.

Los Angeles is weighing whether to acquire Liberty Park, a privately owned green space on Wilshire Boulevard in Koreatown, and convert it into public parkland. Councilmember Heather Hutt, who represents Council District 10, is pushing for a private sale with property owner Jamison Properties, which separately plans to convert the adjacent 11-story office building into apartments through adaptive reuse. The proposal goes before the Board of Recreation and Park Commissioners, which will decide whether to authorize acquisition efforts for Liberty Park and several other properties in the district.

Liberty Park and neighboring Beneficial Plaza were designated a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument in 2018 after residents fought off a proposed high-rise tower on the site. Any future changes would need to preserve its historic features, including its lawn, pine grove, and Liberty Bell replica. The effort responds to a documented park shortage in Koreatown, where over a third of residents live more than a 10-minute walk from green space. Funding for the acquisitions remains unresolved, with officials citing Quimby fees as a possible source.

Brattleboro, Vermont — a liberal town of about 12,000 — has become an unlikely destination for dozens of Afrikaner refugees admitted under a Trump administration policy that ended broader refugee resettlement while carving out an exception for white South Africans. The administration cited claims of "white genocide" against Afrikaners, an assertion researchers, including South Africa's Institute for Security Studies, say is not supported by crime data; white South Africans are statistically less at risk of violent crime than other groups.

The policy has created friction locally. The Episcopal Church withdrew from federal resettlement work over the "preferential treatment," and some refugee advocates call the program discriminatory, noting it followed Trump's suspension of protections for Afghan allies and other refugee groups. Resettlement agencies in Vermont, whose funding depends on client numbers, chose to continue operating rather than shut down. By fall, up to 70 Afrikaners were expected in Brattleboro, with dozens more elsewhere in the state. Afrikaners interviewed described mixed feelings about the "refugee" label but said they found ready work, housing, and a welcoming community.