Category: Housing News
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HUD Report Shows Rise in Homelessness for Second Year in a Row
Key Facts: 2017 saw a 9% increase in the homeless population, and 2018 continued the trend with a .3% increase. Among all those counted, 60% were male and 39% were female. A 2% increase in unsheltered persons was primarily responsible for the overall increase in homelessness for 2018. The number of veterans and families with…
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How a Government Shutdown Would Affect HUD Offices
Wednesday 12/16 Editor’s Update: No resolution was made by the deadline, and the government shutdown has been in effect since Saturday, December 22, 2018. The latest reports say that President Trump will not sign a spending bill to avoid a potential government shutdown, unless funds are added for building a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. If…
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Renter Tax Credits Proposed to Address U.S. Rental Housing Crisis
Two bold proposals to help low-income renters were recently introduced in the Senate and House that would provide a refundable tax credit to renters who are paying too much of their income for their housing. Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) recently introduced the Rent Relief Act, a bill that would provide a refundable tax credit for…
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Trump Proposal Punishes Legal Immigrants Receiving Housing Benefits
The Trump Administration is drafting a proposed rule that will penalize legal immigrants for using housing assistance and other safety net programs. The proposal would expand the list of supportive programs that can be considered when determining if an immigrant is a “public charge,” meaning that they are dependent on the government to meet their…
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Public Housing Smoking Ban Starts July 31
Smoking will be banned on all Public Housing premises throughout the country starting July 31, 2018. Under the new regulations, smoking cigarettes, cigars or pipes will not be allowed in apartments, public areas or within 25 feet of Public Housing buildings. Smoking water pipes, or hookahs, is also banned in these areas. At this time…
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Harvard Report Shows Rental Cost Burden a Deepening Crisis
According to The State of the Nation’s Housing 2018 report by the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University, low-income renters continue to be hit hard by rising housing costs. In 2016, 47% of renter households had housing cost burden. This means they paid more than 30% of their monthly income for rent. Although this is…
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Report Highlights Growing Affordability Crisis for Low-Income Renters
The growing gap between stagnant wages and rising housing costs impacts millions of low-income renters. According to Out of Reach 2018, an annual report of the National Low-Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC), there is not a single area in the U.S. where a full time worker earning minimum wage can afford a modest two-bedroom apartment. And…
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Trump Issues Executive Order Calling for Safety Net Program Work Requirements
Key Points: President Trump directs federal agencies to strengthen existing work requirements in programs that benefit low-income persons and look for other safety net programs where work requirements can be imposed. The Executive Order continues earlier efforts to impose work requirements in Medicaid, Food Stamps and affordable housing programs. Congress rejected many of these proposals…
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FY18 Spending Bill Increases Affordable Housing Funding, Rejects Trump Proposals
Affordable housing programs saw funding increases in the FY 2018 Consolidated Appropriations Act, which was passed by Congress and signed by President Trump on Friday. The $1.3 trillion measure funds federal programs through September 30, the end of the federal fiscal year. HUD programs received $4.7 billion more than in FY 2017, and $12 billion…
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HUD Proposes Changing Mission Statement
HUD officials are in the process of revising the agency’s mission statement. Affordable housing supporters were upset to hear that a commitment to fair housing and ending housing discrimination were not included in the draft statement. Fair housing advocates raised objections, and a few days later HUD Secretary Ben Carson felt compelled to affirm the…