Top 10 Tips for Cities Considering Pre-Approved Housing Plans

The discussion of Pre-Approved Housing Plans, or what we call a Pre-Approved Housing Types Catalog (PAHTC) is being discussed and considered by jurisdictions across the country to address the dire nature of housing costs. Small and large communities, and even the Canadian Government thinking about national application, are hopeful these plans can help spur delivery of more new housing and at a greater variety of price points. This approach, if implemented effectively, can be a way to reduce costs and time of entitlement and delivery of homes while elevating the quality of design and living offered.

Houselessness: Not “Someone Else’s” Problem

Shelter is an integral part of the human condition and an aspect of our lives that can be easily taken for granted. Many consider housing and shelter to be a fundamental human right. But this thinking feels jarringly disconnected with the unpleasant reality that on any given night, approximately half a million Americans are left unsheltered. Of those people, 19% are chronically homeless and 6% are veterans. Disturbingly, the fastest growing segment is families with children.

Rebuilding for Those in Need: Opticos Designs for Wildfire Cottage Initiative

In October of 2017, wildfires in Northern California burned at least 245,000 acres and over 5,000 acres in Sonoma County alone. Since then, Habitat for Humanity of Sonoma County has explored ways to expand its programs across the board to serve households displaced by October’s devastating wildfires, including its latest initiative: the Sonoma Wildfire Cottages.   Opticos is proud to be part of the team, led by Marianne Cusato, renowned designer of the Katrina Cottage, and the Cypress Community Development Corporation selected by Sonoma Habitat, to design and build a series of model cottages on the Fountaingrove campus of Medtronic in Santa Rosa, California.