Rental Property Inspection Programs: Ad-hoc vs Proactive

Scott McGill | 3 Minute Read

Rental inspection programs are key to ensuring safe living conditions for tenants in your community. But not all inspection programs are made equal. When inspection programs fall short, it’s the residents and citizens that suffer the consequences.

Strategies for the Preservation of Affordable Housing

Scott McGill | 4 Minute Read

Across the United States, local leaders are searching for strategies for the preservation of affordable housing in their communities — and for good reason.

How the right technology can help humanize local government

Rajiv Desai | 5 Minute Read

Some would argue that the introduction of technology in interactions between local government and the public makes things feel more distant, even cold. In other words: less human.

Smart Community Engagement Tools for Every American City

Rajiv Desai | 4 Minute Read

Trust in government is vital to a healthy democracy, influencing everything from how likely citizens are to engage in an election or offer an opinion on an issue, to how likely community members are to follow public health guidance or comply with local ordinances.

Virtual City Hall: The Evolution of Your Community Engagement

Rajiv Desai | 4 Minute Read

Prior to March of 2020, concepts like a virtual classrooms or doctors’ appointments were nearly unheard of. Such things required physical, in-person attendance. Right? Turns out, we were wrong. And we quickly learned that so much of what we thought had to be in-person could function just as well,...

Three Rewarding Benefits of Affordable Housing

Scott McGill | 4 Minute Read

Ensuring that every resident has a safe, decent place to call home is an important priority for every local leader. But as rents and home prices skyrocket and incomes stagnate, many Americans are spending more than they can really afford, on rent or a mortgage. Not only is this hugely detrimental...

Community Engagement Strategies for the Modern City

Rajiv Desai | 3 Minute Read

Helping residents stay engaged and informed is essential to building a healthy, vibrant local democracy. But the average person has a lot of competing demands on their time and attention, and civic involvement rarely tops the to-do list. When municipalities use outdated community engagement...

How Rental Registries Benefit Property Owners Too

Scott McGill | 3 Minute Read

We often speak about property owners and tenants as opposing forces, as if what’s good for one group must be bad for the other. In cities with robust tenant protections, renters have the upper hand, while in markets that are more “landlord friendly” and less regulated, property owners have maximum...

Why Tenant Protection Programs Depend on Rental Registries

Scott McGill | 4 Minute Read

Every community member deserves a safe, affordable place to live, and robust tenant protection programs are key to making that vision a reality. Smart measures like rent stabilization, affordable housing minimums, and just cause eviction are some of the most powerful tools local officials have to...

The Future of Community Engagement for Local Governments

Rajiv Desai | 5 Minute Read

The ways that local governments interact with their residents have been steadily improving for decades. From the days of making a trip to City Hall just to apply for a permit or pay a fine, to the modern era, when most municipal tasks can be accomplished online.