For those who invest in real estate in the Golden State, it makes sense to ask where the greatest need for investment lies. The most pressing need is arguably for additional housing close to jobs, which therefore represents the most interesting opportunity for investors.

The Minneapolis/Saint Paul metropolitan area is a prime example of how strong employment growth is putting a strain on the housing supply available in many U.S. cities. Since 2000, the number of Twin Cities households that face a housing cost burden—defined as spending more than 30 percent of their income on housing—has increased by 25 percent to a total of 199,000 households as of 2015, according to the Metropolitan Council.

An affluent community dominated by luxury homes and high-end resorts, Florida’s Collier County has struggled to meet demand for workforce housing. A ULI Advisory Service program panel recommended practical strategies for addressing this shortage.

The latest research from the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University, makes a solid case that the U.S. housing market is firmly on the road to recovery. Yet the report also shines a spotlight on the problems still in play, namely insufficient supply and rising costs that are creating challenges for both renters and homebuyers.

Experts in housing discuss prospects for this year, the preferences of millennial buyers, the importance of providing communities with a strong sense of place, strategies for making homes more affordable, and other trends.

Why do cities with the fastest-growing economies—including Seattle, San Francisco, New York City, and Austin--suffer from a growing imbalance between job growth and housing supply? A panel at the ULI 2017 Spring Meeting in Seattle examined why hot-market cities are failing to build enough housing for new workers, often by staggering ratios.

The ULI Terwilliger Center for Housing has announced the finalists for this year’s Jack Kemp Excellence in Affordable and Workforce Housing Award, which honors exemplary developments that ensure housing affordability for people with a range of incomes. The award recognizes efforts by the development community to increase the supply of housing that is affordable to households earning less than 120 percent of the area median income.

Affordable and workforce housing policies and initiatives put in place by the governments of Washington, D.C.; Boston; Denver; and New York City have been selected as finalists for the 2017 ULI Larson Housing Policy Leadership Award

While its sustainable qualities are attracting developers and architects, so are the speed and cost-efficiency with which mass-timber buildings can be delivered to market, noted an expert panel at the recent ULI Washington Real Estate Trends conference, sometimes shaving 30 to 90 days off a construction schedule.

Real estate investment trusts that specialize in the multifamily sector, particularly those with an exposure to the high-end sector in New York City, continue to struggle in the face of new construction. Plus, interest rate survey data from Trepp.