Category: Housing News
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Biden proposes big boost for low-income workers and families
President Biden proposed a new $1.8 trillion investment plan last month that will help low-income families with accessible education, direct household support, and tax cuts. The American Families Plan follows up on the $2 trillion American Jobs Plan, which proposed massive infrastructure and affordable housing investments. Although there are no affordable housing funds in the…
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New guidance makes it easier for renters to get Emergency Rental Assistance
The U.S. Treasury Department recently published revised guidance for states and cities on how to use the Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) funds that Congress approved last December. The new guidance issued this month makes it easier for low-income renters to access ERA, reversing earlier rules that heavily favored landlords. An earlier FAQ document in March…
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How to apply for the open New York City Section 8 waiting list
If you have been waiting for a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) waiting list to open for New York City, NY, then wait no longer. The New York State Homes and Community Renewal Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher waiting list opened for applications today, May 17, 2021, and will stay open until May 28,…
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Federal judge orders Los Angeles to provide housing to Skid Row homeless
A federal judge has ordered sweeping measures by the City and County of Los Angeles to address their homelessness crisis. Judge David O. Carter’s order also called for all homeless residents of the Skid Row area to be offered shelter or housing by October. Los Angeles has seen rising homelessness over the last several years.…
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Millions of renters at risk as federal judge strikes down CDC eviction moratorium
Update: On May 14, a federal court extended a temporary stay on this ruling. That means that the CDC moratorium on evictions will stay in effect while the case is being appealed. This week, a federal judge struck down the national eviction moratorium ordered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Millions of…
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HUD reverses Trump admin effort to exclude transgender people from shelters
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) withdrew a proposed rule recently that would have allowed shelter operators to discriminate against homeless transgender persons. Originally proposed during the Trump administration, it would have pushed more transgender people experiencing homelessness away from shelters and services. HUD’s announcement says that the previous administration’s proposed rule runs…
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Landlord screening practices can keep good tenants out
One of the big challenges low-income renters face when searching for new housing is the landlord screening process. A recent study breaks down which areas are important to landlords screening new tenants, and highlights the problems that disqualify good tenants. The Housing Justice Fund and Family Housing Fund in Minnesota published a study in March…
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Biden’s first budget proposes more money for affordable housing
President Biden’s Fiscal Year 2022 budget request proposes significant increases for programs that serve low-income renters. After years of proposed cuts under the Trump administration, affordable housing programs are now getting support from the White House. The President is requesting $68.7 billion for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in FY 2022. This…
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States are slow getting emergency rental assistance to desperate tenants
As the pandemic unfolded last spring, state and local governments had to scramble to help renters avoid eviction. State and local governments have used federal funding to create emergency rental assistance (ERA) programs, but many areas have been slow getting this assistance to low-income renters. Congress provided $25 billion for emergency rental assistance in December.…
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Biden announces the American Jobs Plan
Details of a $2 trillion infrastructure plan were released by President Biden today, including a dedication to build new affordable housing and to address the growing rent crisis. The Fact Sheet written by the White House says that $213 billion will be invested “to produce, preserve, and retrofit more than two million affordable and sustainable…