Category: Housing News
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Congress reaches stimulus deal with rental assistance and eviction protection
Congress has passed a coronavirus stimulus package that will provide relief to millions of low-income renters. The $900 billion stimulus legislation is attached to a $1.4 trillion FY 2021 spending bill that will fund government operations until the end of next September. The spending packages will keep the government open through the year and give…
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Biden announces notable nominations for HUD, USDA departments
President-elect Biden has made a historic selection to lead the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), while sticking with a familiar face to head the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Biden will nominate Representative Marcia Fudge (D-OH) to lead HUD, which will make her the second Black woman to serve as Secretary of…
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Millions of renters will lose unemployment benefits as eviction crisis looms
Millions of workers will lose CARES Act unemployment benefits on December 26, unless Congress passes another pandemic stimulus package. Without help, these workers risk joining the millions of low-income renters who have have built up months worth of back rent. As the national eviction moratorium is set to expire at the end of the year,…
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Trump admin report attacks proven strategy to reduce homelessness
A report released by the Trump administration last month was supposed to propose a strategic plan for the federal response to ending homelessness. Instead, the report attacks a proven strategy, called Housing First, that is behind over a decade of progress reducing homelessness. Critics say the report ignores the structural causes of homelessness, like rising…
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HUD Secretary Ben Carson has tested positive for coronavirus
Dr. Ben Carson, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), tested positive for coronavirus on Monday. Confirmed first to ABC News by his Deputy Chief of Staff Coalter Baker, Carson was tested at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center after experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. Carson reportedly has already left the hospital after…
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KC Tenants and ACLU sue over court order allowing evictions during the pandemic
Despite a national eviction moratorium ordered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to protect low-income renters during the coronavirus pandemic, evictions for nonpayment of rent have continued around the country. Evictions in some areas are being permitted by local courts; and renters in Kansas City, Missouri, have fought back. The American Civil…
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Trump administration favors landlords in guidance on eviction moratorium
The Trump administration has undercut COVID-19 eviction protections provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), by releasing guidance that heavily favors landlords. This change will give landlords new tools to push renters out and accelerate eviction proceedings for many renters in the midst of the pandemic. For those not familiar with the…
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Learn how to register to vote in your state
There are only a few weeks left before Election Day, and residents can still register to vote in 25 states. If your state’s deadline has not yet passed and you do not know how to register to vote, a U.S. government website has made that information easy to find. Step 1: Visit Vote.gov The home…
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Evictions surged when protections lifted, low-income renters lack legal counsel
Eviction filings surged in August and September, during the short time there was no federal eviction moratorium in place. And corporate eviction filings even continued after the current eviction moratorium was ordered by the CDC. This gives us a preview of the eviction crisis that low-income renters may face in January. Because few low-income renters…
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Register to vote before your state’s deadline
With Election Day less than one month away, the deadline to register to vote in many states is quickly approaching, or is already here. It is important for low-income renters to vote to support candidates with plans to progress our affordable housing programs. Today is the last day you can register by any method to…