Author: Chris Holden
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Opinion: How will impeachment proceedings affect affordable housing?
The United States government is entering turbulent political times. The House of Representatives has begun a formal impeachment inquiry against President Trump. This is only the fourth time it has happened in our history. No matter how it turns out, the impeachment process is disruptive to the normal business of Washington. But certain aspects of…
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Senate committee approves modest increase in FY 2020 affordable housing spending
The Senate Appropriations Committee approved a modest increase in affordable housing and community development funding last week for Fiscal Year 2020. It provides $2.3 billion more than FY 2019 funding levels. This is $11.9 billion more than the Trump administration requested in its FY 2020 budget. This is good news for low-income renters, who would…
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HUD announces new housing assistance for youth leaving foster care
HUD recently announced a new initiative to help foster youth secure affordable housing. Foster youth face many challenges once they age out of the system, and one of the biggest is finding somewhere to live when they leave foster care. HUD’s new Fostering Youth to Independence (FYI) Initiative will provide rental assistance and support services…
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Trump Administration faults CA officials on state homeless crisis
Separate decisions made on Wednesday by President Trump and HUD Secretary Ben Carson each put blame on California officials for their homeless population. Carson rejected a request from California officials that included 50,000 more Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers to address homelessness. And later that day, President Trump told reporters that the Environmental Protection Agency…
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Is the Trump Administration preparing homeless sweeps?
On a recent fundraising trip to California, President Trump raised the specter of federal intervention to move homeless people off the streets of Los Angeles, San Francisco and other large cities in the state. His comments follow visits by HUD and the Department of Justice (DOJ) officials to assess the homeless situation in California, especially…
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Sanders affordable housing plan proposes national rent control
Senator Bernie Sanders outlined a sweeping affordable housing plan in his 2020 campaign for the presidency, calling for a national rent control policy and making Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers an entitlement. Speaking last week at a union hall in Las Vegas, Sanders also proposed funding to modernize public housing, combat homelessness, and strengthen fair…
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HUD Inspector General finds no misconduct by Carson in furniture controversy
HUD’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) issued a report finding no evidence of misconduct by Secretary Ben Carson related to a controversy surrounding efforts to purchase expensive furniture for his office. The investigation focused on whether Carson and his wife improperly tried to purchase a dining set that cost $31,561 as part of an office…
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Disparities in disaster aid: an uphill battle for poor and minority renters
Low-income renters suffer the most when disasters strike, and they continue to suffer in the rebuilding process. From the cost of evacuating ahead of disasters, to the frustration of having aid applications denied, low-income renters face many more challenges than households in affluent neighborhoods. Recent moves by the Trump administration have made it even harder…
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Inclusionary Zoning: One piece of the affordable housing puzzle
The City of Seattle, Washington adopted new inclusionary zoning policies last spring to push private developers into building more affordable housing. Seattle joins a growing list of other communities that have used zoning regulations to benefit low-income renters. Inclusionary zoning policies were first developed in the 1970s. They were a response to zoning regulations that…
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Los Angeles considers restrictions on where homeless people can sleep
The Los Angeles City Council is considering major restrictions on where homeless people can sleep. The effort comes following a ruling against the City of Boise by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. The appellate court said that local governments cannot criminalize sleeping on sidewalks, in parks or other public places if there are no…