Category: Affordable Housing News

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Former inmates face housing discrimination during the pandemic

By on May 22nd, 2020

Tagged As: Affordable Housing News, Editorials

Prisons and jails around the country have become COVID-19 hot spots. In an effort to decompress correctional facilities, many state and local governments are allowing early release of some inmates. Those being released face the same problems finding housing as anyone else leaving the criminal justice system. However, they can also face discrimination because landlords … Continue reading Former inmates face housing discrimination during the pandemic

Housing News - Affordable Housing Online

HEROES Act would give a lot of support to low-income renters

By on May 15th, 2020

Tagged As: Affordable Housing News, Editorials

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) unveiled the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act this week. This is the House’s latest aid package to help people and businesses hurt by the coronavirus pandemic. At $3 trillion, it would surpass the recent CARES Act as the largest aid package in U.S. history. … Continue reading HEROES Act would give a lot of support to low-income renters

Housing News - Affordable Housing Online

House lawmakers push national eviction ban and rent suspension

By on May 1st, 2020

Tagged As: Affordable Housing News, Editorials

Democratic lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives are pushing legislation that will ban evictions and suspend rent payments for all renters nationwide during the COVID-19 pandemic. Millions of renters are not covered by a patchwork of local, state and federal eviction moratoria. Even renters in places with eviction protections will still owe crippling back … Continue reading House lawmakers push national eviction ban and rent suspension

Housing News - Affordable Housing Online

Homeless persons face the worst of the coronavirus pandemic

By on April 23rd, 2020

Tagged As: Affordable Housing News, Editorials

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 … Continue reading Homeless persons face the worst of the coronavirus pandemic

Housing News - Affordable Housing Online

Need for emergency rental assistance grows during the coronavirus pandemic

By on April 15th, 2020

Tagged As: Affordable Housing News, Editorials

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, … Continue reading Need for emergency rental assistance grows during the coronavirus pandemic

Housing News - Affordable Housing Online

Infrastructure program at risk of Trump cuts gets big boost to help communities during pandemic

By on April 10th, 2020

Tagged As: Affordable Housing News, Editorials

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 … Continue reading Infrastructure program at risk of Trump cuts gets big boost to help communities during pandemic

Housing News - Affordable Housing Online

Calls grow for rent forgiveness as governments order businesses to close

By on April 3rd, 2020

Tagged As: Affordable Housing News, Coronavirus

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 … Continue reading Calls grow for rent forgiveness as governments order businesses to close

Housing News - Affordable Housing Online

Low-income renters helped by $2.2 trillion coronavirus economic stimulus

By on March 27th, 2020

Tagged As: Affordable Housing News, Coronavirus

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 … Continue reading Low-income renters helped by $2.2 trillion coronavirus economic stimulus

Housing News - Affordable Housing Online

Cities, states and feds suspending evictions during coronavirus crisis

By on March 25th, 2020

Tagged As: Affordable Housing News, Coronavirus

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 … Continue reading Cities, states and feds suspending evictions during coronavirus crisis

Housing News - Affordable Housing Online

Lawmakers grill Carson on controversial HUD policies

By on March 20th, 2020

Tagged As: Affordable Housing News, Editorials

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 … Continue reading Lawmakers grill Carson on controversial HUD policies