A Water Crisis Halts Phoenix’s Home Building—and Everything Else You Need to Know About This Week

• In the suburbs of Phoenix, a 2023 moratorium on new groundwater-based housing halted the building of nearly half a million homes, exposing how the desert city’s thirst for growth finally outpaced its water supply. The result now is a "bridge to nowhere" effect, pitting affordability against sustainability in the Sun Belt. (High Country News)

• Debt collectors are resurrecting "zombie" mortgages from the 2008 era. These old, often-forgotten second loans are now coming back to haunt homeowners as property values rise. (Bloomberg)

• California renters just got a cool new law: starting in 2026, every rental unit must come with a working fridge and stove, which means no more scavenging on Facebook Marketplace for basic necessities. (The Los Angeles Times)

• Hospitals, schools, hotels, and data centers are turning to "ice batteries" that freeze water overnight to cool buildings during the day, reducing energy use and costs. The technology offers a low-carbon way to keep temperatures comfortable without overtaxing the grid. (AP News)

• AIA Austin’s 39th annual homes tour spotlights 10 standout residences that capture the city’s evolving design DNA, from a concrete ADU tucked behind a preserved 1930s facade to a treetop retreat carved into a hillside. (Dwell)

Top photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images.