Will Poff-Webster
@willpoffwebster.bsky.social
Director of Infrastructure Policy at Institute for Progress. Formerly with Senator Brian Schatz, Boston City Council, Massachusetts Senate. A city is not an accident.
(3/3) 3. New and expanded grant programs support zoning reform, single-stair buildings, preapproved plans, home repairs, and more pro-supply reforms. Some programs will need to have funds appropriated — but states and localities that act now will be best positioned to benefit when they do.
(2/3) 1. Expensive jurisdictions will have their federal funding cut if they don't build enough housing, and will get more money if they do. 2. States that certify manufactured housing parity unlock a federal code change that will immediately shave ~$10k off new units.
(1/3) Wondering what's actually in the Tim Scott / Elizabeth Warren 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, and what advocates and policymakers can do with it? Check out the implementation guide @willpoffwebster.bsky.social and I wrote with Pew's housing team. Some highlights: ifp.org/the-success-...
The Success of the New Federal Housing Law Now Rests on States and Localities | IFP
Billions of dollars could flow to proactive jurisdictions that build more homes
ifp.org
This is why we need faster, cheaper transit construction in America. Madrid built a huge expansion of their system in only 4 years.
Ryan Packer@typewriteralley.bsky.social · 5d agoIf you're looking for clarity on what today's announcement from Sound Transit on Ballard Link's timeline does and doesn't mean, I have you covered. www.theurbanist.org/full-ballard...
For me, the transit abundance agenda is twofold: ensuring public transit has the funding it needs to build and operate, and reforming project delivery so we build more cost-effectively and stop paying more than other countries for less service
Senator Scott Wiener@scottwiener.bsky.social · last wk.We’re going to turn this around and make transit investment a top federal priority. Transit is essential and makes people’s lives better and more affordable.
what's really funny is when they go through multiple cycles of community input until they get to the layer that tells them "no," and then that's the one that counts as the community
It's wild to me how many people do not understand this. "Luxury housing" is not some ontologically separate category from the rest of the housing market. Nor is "affordable housing." It's all one big fluid market & when you build more, everyone moves up & frees up the bottom end.
Max Dubler 🏳️🌈@maxdubler.com · 2w agoThe idea that the wealthy, the middle class, and the poor are all in completely separate housing markets with no overlap ignores how things work in the real world. In the absence of new high end housing, wealthy people outbid the middle class for the best available existing housing and renovate it.
Threshold alert: renewables are about to pass coal as the No. 1 global source of electricity.
IEA: Global power demand is surging – and renewables are passing coal
Global electricity demand is rising, but booming solar will help renewables overtake coal as the top power source this year, says the IEA.
electrek.co
Over the past ten years, the housing movement has grown from a small number of people into a national collective pushing change across the country: Maryland, Arizona, Cambridge, California, and now the halls of Congress. On August 4, the people behind those wins are coming together on one call.
On Monday, I'm going to talk with some folks from @ifp.bsky.social about their "Transit Abundance Playbook." What is transit abundance and how do we get there in a country where the federal gov't is transit-hostile, state gov'ts are broke, & most citizens are car-brained? Got questions?
The Transit Abundance Playbook | Institute for Progress
ifp.org
What people think SEPA is: Erin Brockovich codified into state law What SEPA actually is: is this new hospital spoiling the view from a different neighborhood
With existing technology, it is possible to reduce aircon's GHG emissions by 97% by 2050. We just gotta do it.
How to keep people cool without making the planet even hotter
RMI's Ankit Kalanki on why fixing the way we test air conditioners is the secret lever to slashing global cooling emissions.
volts.wtf
Time Elemental@timeelemental.bsky.social · last mo.
Talking Headways Podcast: The Transit ‘Abundance’ Playbook usa.streetsblog.org/2026/06/25/t... via @usa.streetsblog.org, @theoverheadwire.com, and @willpoffwebster.bsky.social
Talking Headways Podcast: The Transit 'Abundance' Playbook — Streetsblog USA
Everyone is talking about "Abundance," but in the transit world, its de-regulatory approach might work.
usa.streetsblog.org
New #TalkingHeadways featuring Will Poff-Webster @willpoffwebster.bsky.social discussing the new Transit Abundance Playbook from IFP @ifp.bsky.social link.theoverheadwire.com/jua76 @usa.streetsblog.org Planning Cost Effective Design Procurement Permitting State Capacity and more!
Talking Headways Podcast: The Transit 'Abundance' Playbook — Streetsblog USA
Everyone is talking about "Abundance," but in the transit world, its de-regulatory approach might work.
link.theoverheadwire.com
Is anybody planning on getting involved the NFPA 130 process to push for wider spacing between cross-passages? ifp.org/eliminate-re...
Eliminate Redundant Subway Cross-Passages | IFP
How to save on construction costs without compromising safety
ifp.org
We spent the last six months working with 17 transit experts to produce 40,000 words on fixing transit delivery — because California spent 16 years (so far) and 1 billion dollars to produce 100,000 pages of environmental review. (The train still doesn't exist.)
Will Poff-Webster@willpoffwebster.bsky.social · 2mo agoNew York spent 18x what Madrid spends, per mile, on the Second Ave Subway. America pays more for less, but we haven't known how to fix it. We published the Transit Abundance Playbook to change that, with 15 specific ideas: ifp.org/transit-abun...
Be sure to check out the @ifp.bsky.social's new Transit Abundance Playbook. 15 concrete, well-researched ideas from leading transit practitioners on how to build more transit, faster, and for less. @willpoffwebster.bsky.social ifp.org/transit-abun...
The Transit Abundance Playbook | Institute for Progress
ifp.org
Yeah, what if? Imagine if all faith communities could build housing on their land... 🏘️
What if more Austin churches used their land to fight homelessness? | Opinion
Peace Lutheran Church is replacing an underused building with transitional housing for families in crisis — and offering a model other congregations could follow.
statesman.com
A lot to like in this Transit Abundance Playbook. ifp.org/transit-abun...
The Transit Abundance Playbook | Institute for Progress
ifp.org
My colleague @jmooreotto.bsky.social is in @ifp.bsky.social’s Transit Cost Playbook. He argues for replacing discretionary grant financing for transit projects with federal loans! The current regime shreds state planning capacity due to intermittent and capricious funding. ifp.org/loans-can-st...
Loans Can Stabilize Transit Funding | IFP
Consistent and predictable funding builds state capacity
ifp.org
This is what Sound Transit's Enterprise Initiative should have been. And it still can. The Puget Sound region should adopt this playbook and become national leaders in building transit more affordably and more quickly.
The Transit Abundance Playbook | Institute for Progress
ifp.org
New York spent 18x what Madrid spends, per mile, on the Second Ave Subway. America pays more for less, but we haven't known how to fix it. We published the Transit Abundance Playbook to change that, with 15 specific ideas: ifp.org/transit-abun...
The Transit Abundance Playbook | Institute for Progress
ifp.org
The original housing packages in the Senate and House were substantive answers to the housing crisis. As Congress writes a final version, it must take the best bills from both chambers—not just settle for the overlap. See our joint Niskanen Center and Institute for Progress explainer for more:
A pro-supply to-do list for Congress’s housing bill - Niskanen Center
America is facing its worst housing crisis since the end of World War II. In a rare moment of bipartisan consensus, Congress has stepped up.
niskanencenter.org
Now that Trump has soured on the anti-build-to-rent portion of the housing package, Congress has a chance to make it as ambitious as possible — not to accept the lowest common denominator. @rohanaras.bsky.social, @awjustus.bsky.social, @willpoffwebster.bsky.social and I argue that more is more:
It should blow people's minds when you tell them how much housing would get built using zero public dollars, and how much more affordable housing would be, if we just made it legal to build more homes where people want to live
Want to learn more about the housing megabill the Senate just passed? New Statecraft podcast with @willpoffwebster.bsky.social and @brianpotter.bsky.social on key highlights 👇 We recorded before it passed, so you can enjoy vetting our forecasts here open.substack.com/pub/statecra...
Is the Senate Fixing Housing Policy?
"You can’t solve the problem by subsidizing demand and constraining supply"
open.substack.com
1/ The Senate created the biggest pro-housing bill in years. Why did they add a provision at the last minute that discourages 100K-130K homes per year (7-10% of all US housing supply)?
