“BuildingOnline offers a multi-site search engine exclusively for the residential home building and home improvement industry.” Their site also offers a question-and-answer forum and a free e-mail newsletter service. Although the page is very slow in loading and overridden with advertisements, it contains a lot of useful information about products, materials, and cost-saving construction methods techniques.
Rating: Informative
Location: Dana Point, California, USA
Related pages: USA, USA, California, National, Private Business, Index / Periodical, Construction / Product, Design / Architectural
California Department of Development Services Affordable Housing Guide
http://www.dds.cahwnet.gov/ah01.htm
This site contains information for “persons seeking affordable housing or for persons who are working to increase the affordable housing options for persons with developmental disabilities.” It includes resources about renting a home, buying a home, developing affordable housing, accessibility and Fair Housing, and seeking funding for similar programs and projects.
Rating: Recommended
Location: Sacramento, California, USA
Related pages: USA, USA, California, Index / Periodical, Affordable / Assisted
California Fair Housing Offices
http://www.dca.ca.gov/r_r/fairhou1.htm
This site lists all of the state of California’s Fair Housing agencies, representatives, and offices with appropriate (although unlinkable) contact information provided.
Rating: Recommended
Location: Sacramento, California, USA
Related pages: USA, USA, California, State / Regional / Local, Index / Periodical, Fair housing
Center for Livable Communities
http://www.lgc.org/clc/
The Center’s site details their programs which primarily help jurisdictions expand transportation alternatives, but also reduce infrastructure costs, create more affordable housing, improve air quality, preserve natural resources, conserve agricultural land and open space, and restore local economic and social vitality. Additionally, the site provides information about workshops, conferences, forums, events, publications, and other means of gathering information.
Rating: Informative
Location: Sacramento, California, USA
Related pages: USA, USA, California, State / Regional / Local, Non-Profit Organization, Index / Periodical, Environmental / Sustainable, Neighborhood / Community
The Cohousing Network site offers information about resources, groups, and events related to cohousing and intentional communities. Other information includes existing communities, motivation behind cohousing, listservs, mailing lists, journals, and links to related resources.
Rating: Recommended
Location: Davis, California, USA
Related pages: USA, USA, California, National, Non-Profit Organization, Index / Periodical, Environmental / Sustainable, Cohousing / Cooperative
The CSPC and its site coordinate programs serving children, seniors, medically underserved, hungry and homeless people and nonprofit organizations in the Sacramento area. Information included on this site: provided services, ongoing programs and projects, contact and assistance information, and research and resource links.
Rating: Recommended
Location: Sacramento, California, USA
Related pages: USA, USA, California, State / Regional / Local, Non-Profit Organization, Affordable / Assisted, Disability Concern, Fair housing, Special Interest / Minority, Assisted Living, Hospice / Healthcare, Shelter / Homeless, Transitional
An excellent site detailing the newly released master reference book, this site includes the master list of entries, excerpts, and the introduction. Entries include brief definitions, historical background, descriptive statistics, policy analysis, critical assessment, and suggestions for further study, listing classic works and key publications.
Rating: Excellent
Location: California, USA
Related pages: USA, USA, California, Index / Periodical, Affordable / Assisted, Disability Concern, Fair housing, Legal / Policy, Construction / Product, Design / Architectural, Environmental / Sustainable, Neighborhood / Community, Assisted Living, Cohousing / Cooperative, Hospice / Healthcare, Manufactured, Shelter / Homeless, Single Room Occupancy, Transitional
This outstanding site is a massive directory of environmentally friendly resources, including home design, products, services, sustainable communities, and alternative transportation methods.
Rating: Excellent
Location: Santa Barbara, California, USA
Related pages: USA, USA, California, Multi-National, Index / Periodical, Construction / Product, Design / Architectural, Environmental / Sustainable, Neighborhood / Community
This site contains information about this transitional facility for homeless families with children from the west end of San Bernardino County and the east end of Los Angeles county. Resident qualifications, shelter services and contact information are provided on this site.
Rating: Informative
Location: Upland, California, USA
Related pages: USA, USA, California, State / Regional / Local, Affordable / Assisted, Shelter / Homeless, Transitional
Got Planning?
http://www.jps.net/gisxprt/calpoly.htm
This site includes a fairly comprehensive list of architecture and planning related newsgroups, mailing lists, American Planning Association chapters, and job opportunities. Links to other relates resources are also available.
Rating: Recommended
Location: California, USA
Related pages: USA, USA, California, Multi-National, Index / Periodical
HandsNet
http://www.handsnet.org/handsnet/
The Housing and Community Development Forum on this site “serves national, state, and local organizations building and supporting low-income housing, advocating for low-income communities, organizing neighborhoods and others involved in community development.” Membership is required to receive full access to their services, programs, and publications, although some information is provided about those free of charge.
Rating: Informative
Location: Cupertino, California, USA
Related pages: USA, USA, California, National, Membership Group, Non-Profit Organization, Index / Periodical, Affordable / Assisted, Environmental / Sustainable, Neighborhood / Community
“HomeAid’s mission is to build or renovate shelters for transitionally homeless men, women and children,” and their site lists pertinent press releases, events, projects, programs, and other homelessness information.
Rating: Recommended
Location: Irvine, California, USA
Related pages: USA, USA, California, National, Membership Group, Non-Profit Organization, Affordable / Assisted, Shelter / Homeless, Transitional
“Homeless Online has been created in an effort to unify online resources for the benefit of the homeless population,” and their brief site strives to “develop and advocate effective and humane services, employment, and housing for homeless and low-income people.” This site includes details of the San Francisco and Palo Alto chapters and information how to volunteer, become a member, or reach other homelessness resources.
Rating: Informative
Location: San Francisco, California, USA
Related pages: USA, USA, California, State / Regional / Local, Membership Group, Non-Profit Organization, Affordable / Assisted, Shelter / Homeless, Transitional
This is an excellent site for anyone looking to build, design, remodel or reconstruct housing in the United States. It provides a database of contractors, designers, lenders and products to assist persons of any income level in creating exciting housing arrangements. The page also includes a design gallery, past issues of their online magazine, and a variety of means of communication with site owners and site users for advice, suggestions, and general discussion.
Rating: Excellent
Location: Palo Alto, California, USA
Related pages: USA, USA, California, National, Private Business, Index / Periodical, Affordable / Assisted, Construction / Product, Design / Architectural, Environmental / Sustainable
“InnVision is dedicated to helping individuals and families break the cycle of poverty and homelessness.” Their site provides information about their short-term housing, long-term housing and comprehensive support services. Additional information is provided about receiving meals, homelessness, programs, employment, shelters, community links, and how to become a volunteer.
Rating: Informative
Location: San Jose, California, USA
Related pages: USA, USA, California, State / Regional / Local, Membership Group, Affordable / Assisted, Shelter / Homeless, Transitional
This site has been developed to “expand and inspire movements for peace, economic and social justice, human rights, and environmental sustainability around the world by providing and developing accessible computer networking tools,” and maintains PeaceNet, EcoNet, ConflictNet, LaborNet, and WomensNet. A variety of specific projects and programs relating to those issues, and membership information are also included.
Rating: Recommended
Location: San Francisco, California, USA
Related pages: USA, USA, California, Multi-National, Membership Group, Non-Profit Organization, Index / Periodical, Special Interest / Minority, Environmental / Sustainable
This site provides information on homeownership and improvement, residential remodeling, contractor background checks, and insurance and mortgage lending. Fair housing issues (a California resource guide is included), services, publications, workshops, and homeownership information is also provided.
Rating: Informative
Location: California, USA
Related pages: USA, USA, California, State / Regional / Local, Non-Profit Organization, Index / Periodical, Fair housing
Los Angeles Housing Department
http://www.ci.la.ca.us/dept/LAHD/
This is an excellent homepage which includes a variety of information about LAHD’s projects, data, assistance, contact information, and an excellent links page to their services and information.
Rating: Excellent
Location: Los Angeles, California, USA
Related pages: USA, USA, California, State / Regional / Local, Affordable / Assisted, Disability Concern, Fair housing, Legal / Policy, Special Interest / Minority, Hospice / Healthcare
Mary’s Shelter
http://www.teenshelter.org/
This site is home of Mary’s Shelter, which provides “comprehensive residential care for pregnant minors.” The site includes information about their services, events, adolescent pregnancy statistics, and how to contact the shelter.
Rating: Informative
Location: Santa Ana, California, USA
Related pages: USA, USA, California, State / Regional / Local, Non-Profit Organization, Special Interest / Minority, Shelter / Homeless
Neighborhood Knowledge Los Angeles
http://nkla.sppsr.ucla.edu/
Sponsored by the University of California at Los Angeles, this site provides access to a local database of funding, research, housing, economic and community resources as well as a wealth of information for Los Angeles and Southern California residents.
Rating: Informative
Location: Los Angeles, California, USA
Related pages: USA, USA, California, State / Regional / Local, Non-Profit Organization, Affordable / Assisted, Legal / Policy, Special Interest / Minority
This site details the Department’s intentions to provide “comprehensive programs of economic development, redevelopment, urban revitalization, housing assistance and business development.” Information about each of their Divisions, programs, staff, and contact information are provided.
Rating: Informative
Location: Pasadena, California, USA
Related pages: USA, USA, California, State / Regional / Local, Legal / Policy, Neighborhood / Community
Planning and Markets
http://www-pam.usc.edu/
This site contains information about this electronic Journal related to planning and economic intervention, and regularly includes calls for papers, submission requirements, and additional subscription information.
Rating: Informative
Location: Los Angeles, California, USA
Related pages: USA, USA, California, National, Index / Periodical, Legal / Policy
This site contains Fair Housing information from the Santa Monica City Attorney’s office, and includes tenant and landlords’ rights information.
Rating: Informative
Location: Santa Monica, California, USA
Related pages: USA, USA, California, State / Regional / Local, Fair housing, Legal / Policy
Santa Monica Public Electronic Network
http://www.ci.santa-monica.ca.us/
This is a very well organized and designed page with links to all City events, community programs, civil departments and offices, transportation information and links to information about local activities and resources. Housing plans, rent control devices, neighborhood development topics and community related issues are discussed.
Rating: Informative
Location: Santa Monica, California, USA
Related pages: USA, USA, California, State / Regional / Local, Affordable / Assisted, Fair housing, Legal / Policy, Environmental / Sustainable, Neighborhood / Community, Shelter / Homeless
Santa Monica Sustainable City Program
http://www.ci.santa-monica.ca.us/environment/
This page includes detailed information about Santa Monica’s sustainable policies, the health of the Bay, community information and resources for residents and business owners.
Rating: Informative
Location: Santa Monica, California, USA
Related pages: USA, USA, California, State / Regional / Local, Environmental / Sustainable
Sustainable Building and Culture
http://www.west.net/~prince/
This site by Prince Associates Architects maintains an extensive database of sustainable building, architecture, alternative construction techniques, ecovillage, environmental, and landscaping links.
Rating: Excellent
Location: Santa Barbara, California, USA
Related pages: USA, USA, California, Multi-National, Private Business, Index / Periodical, Construction / Product, Design / Architectural, Environmental / Sustainable