Category: Editorial
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Bipartisan infrastructure bill will extend broadband to low-income renters
Yesterday, the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill was signed by President Joe Biden. It does not provide any money for affordable housing, but it does give billions to improve roads, bridges, ports, and airports. Improvements that are part of this bill will provide a lot of help to low-income renters. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs…
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NIMBY opposition to affordable housing and shelter takes many forms
There are few places in this country that have enough affordable rental housing or shelter for people experiencing homelessness. Part of this is due to “Not In My Back Yard” (NIMBY) opposition in cities around the country playing a large role in halting new shelter, transitional housing, and affordable rentals. Fair housing research in New…
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Eviction hotspots found in most cities before and during the pandemic
Research at Princeton University shows that a large portion of eviction filings are made by just a few landlords in a handful of buildings. In addition, most cities have neighborhoods that account for the largest share of eviction filings, both before and during the pandemic. Black renters continue to face eviction at rates higher than…
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New bill proposal will speed up ERA payments
Many state and local Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) programs have been slow in getting funds to desperate renters and landlords. New legislation in the House of Representatives will speed up ERA payments, if voted into law. It will also allow landlords to apply directly for emergency rental assistance, and provide protections for tenants in those…
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How a government default could impact low-income renters
Low-income renters will be badly hurt if Congress fails to suspend the debt ceiling before the middle of October. If the Treasury can no longer pay the nation’s bills, it would shut down most federal programs, including housing programs. A federal default would be catastrophic. It would badly damage the U.S. economy and global markets,…
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House proposes historic housing funds for infrastructure bill
The House voted 30-24 last week to approve more than $330 billion in affordable housing funding for the bipartisan infrastructure package. The bill makes historic investments in rental assistance, public housing improvements, and the production of new affordable housing. Housing advocates look at the bill as a once-in-a-generation commitment to affordable housing. Because these large…
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What the new CDC eviction moratorium means, and how it works
On August 3, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a new moratorium on evictions. Now, landlords and owners are not allowed to evict most tenants until after October 3, 2021. The CDC wants to prevent renters from having to move into congregate settings where COVID-19 spreads, stating that “Such mass evictions and…
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Eviction diversion programs keep tenants out of court and in their homes
Some state and local governments are taking steps to keep low-income renters out of eviction courts as the national eviction moratorium nears its end. These state and local eviction diversion programs offer renters and landlords a less costly alternative to eviction court. Eviction diversion programs also help most renters who are behind on their rent…
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Persistent poverty counties and the digital divide
There are hundreds of counties in the United States where poverty has been entrenched for decades. These are places where on average more than a quarter of the population lives in poverty. Although we tend to think of inner city urban areas when we think of extreme poverty, persistent poverty counties are overwhelmingly rural. What…
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Why housing is infrastructure
President Biden announced last week that senators have reached an agreement on an infrastructure bill, which would invest $1.2 trillion to improve America’s aging infrastructure. Republicans have pushed to fund only what they see as “traditional” infrastructure improvements. This includes things like roads, bridges, railways, airports, and ferry terminals. It also includes improving and extending…