Category: Housing News
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Homeless persons face the worst of the coronavirus pandemic
Many state and local governments are recognizing that if COVID-19 spreads among the homeless population, it would be a public health disaster. Cities nationwide are making efforts to help the homeless, but there’s a lot of uncertainty when looking into the future. Shelters do not have the space for safe social distancing. Unsheltered people have…
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Need for emergency rental assistance grows during the coronavirus pandemic
Some members of Congress are calling for a bold federal commitment to emergency rental assistance during the coronavirus pandemic. Although many states have temporarily suspended evictions, just protecting low-income renters during the crisis is not enough. When the eviction orders are eventually lifted, renters will still be on the hook for months of unpaid rent,…
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Infrastructure program at risk of Trump cuts gets big boost to help communities during pandemic
A public infrastructure program that President Trump has tried to get rid of since he took office is showing its usefulness during the COVID-19 outbreak. Despite the president’s opposition to the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, Congress just gave CDBG a $5 billion increase in its most recent coronavirus stimulus package. The new funding…
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Calls grow for rent forgiveness as governments order businesses to close
Congress has suspended evictions in federally assisted housing during the coronavirus pandemic. Many states have also halted all evictions during the crisis. But people can face thousands of dollars in back rent payments when eviction suspensions are lifted. State lawmakers and Democratic presidential candidates have called for cancelling rent payments during the pandemic. At the…
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Low-income renters helped by $2.2 trillion coronavirus economic stimulus
The Senate passed a historic $2.2 trillion coronavirus stimulus package Wednesday, on a vote of 96-0. It will benefit low-income renters in several ways. It will provide direct financial assistance to people, expand and increase unemployment insurance, halt evictions in federally-backed rental housing and foreclosures on federally-insured mortgages. It will also provide billions of dollars…
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Cities, states and feds suspending evictions during coronavirus crisis
Local and state governments around the country are suspending eviction and foreclosure actions, giving a break to low-income renters hurt during the coronavirus crisis. President Trump has also directed HUD to suspend evictions and foreclosures for a short time. But not all renters are protected. Affordable housing advocates say this is not enough, and that…
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Lawmakers grill Carson on controversial HUD policies
Lawmakers challenged HUD Secretary Ben Carson at a hearing this month about a number of controversial Trump administration policies. The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development grilled the secretary about HUD’s proposed budget cuts for FY 2021, as well as moves to weaken rules for ending segregation and to cut back fair…
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FTC warns about government check scams
No details have been released yet about the proposed government checks to help Americans who are struggling during Coronavirus closures, but scammers are already trying to take advantage of those in need. In a blog published yesterday by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), it’s said that it isn’t known at this time exactly how payment…
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Roundtable: Comparing Sanders and Biden on low-income housing
The 2020 Democratic Party forerunners have similar policies, but important differences.