Category: Editorial
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Trump executive orders will not help workers or stop evictions
President Trump issued executive orders last weekend that he promised would help jobless workers. He made this move, he said, because of the stalemate in Congress over the next coronavirus stimulus package. But these orders are just more false promises from a president who has hurt millions with his mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic. One…
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Low-income, minority, and immigrant renters hurt by Trump cutting census short
The U.S. Census Bureau will cut short the time for the 2020 Census count by a month, which will leave millions of people uncounted; most of those being low-income, minority, and immigrant households. This cynical move by the Trump administration will short-change states and cities with large minority or immigrant populations for a decade. Ironically,…
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Trump fans race and class tensions as HUD guts key fair housing rule
The Trump administration abruptly terminated a key fair housing regulation last week that required states and cities to reduce historic patterns of housing segregation. This rule change will allow local governments to continue policies that restrict housing choice for low-income and minority renters. The rule being targeted promotes Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH). This requires…
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Trump Admin again proposes rule that will hurt homeless transgender persons
HUD announced this month that it will propose a rule change that allows local shelter providers to discriminate against homeless transgender persons. If the rule is implemented, transgender persons who are homeless could be turned away from shelters because of their gender identity. The Trump administration originally announced this rule change last year, but did…
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House passes pandemic housing bills; pressure on Senate Republicans to support more housing assistance
Editor’s Note: Contact your senators about the importance of passing these housing bills! Follow the three-step instructions below! A housing bill passed in June by the House of Representatives is one of several moves to pressure Senate Republicans into supporting major housing provisions in the next coronavirus stimulus package. Called the Emergency Housing Protections and…
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Experts fear for eviction crisis during coronavirus pandemic
July rent is due for millions of American renters, but many are still unable to pay as the coronavirus pandemic rages on. As states lift eviction moratoria, many fear a wave of evictions is soon to come. The Eviction Lab at Princeton University has been leading the effort to document the growing crisis of eviction…
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American renters want housing assistance during the pandemic
Low-income renters across the country are at risk of losing their homes because of the coronavirus pandemic. A new poll shows that more than half of all people worry that they will lose their housing without additional assistance, and the vast majority of Americans also feel the government should help people stay in stable housing…
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HUD report shows housing programs serve those with the lowest incomes
A recent HUD report shows that even though HUD programs reach a fraction of those who qualify, tenants in HUD-assisted housing are among the poorest and most vulnerable in our nation. HUD’s report, Characteristics of HUD-Assisted Renters and Their Units in 2017, is the tenth report in this series since 1989, and allows HUD to…
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Former inmates face housing discrimination during the pandemic
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…
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HEROES Act would give a lot of support to low-income renters
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.…