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Brandon Duong

30 Posts

Brandon Duong is a former associate editor for Shelterforce. He received a master's degree from the Urban Planning & Policy program at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Close-up of document titled "Rent Increase Notice." Text is partly hidden by a blue and silver ballpoint pen. Visible text says "...inform you that beginning on ____ .... increase by $_____. No other ..... to original rental agreement.... monthly payment is due on the first...."
Affordability

How Tenant Activists Won Protections Against Mid-Lease Rent Hikes in Affordable Housing

Last year, we reported on tenants in Northern Virginia LIHTC properties whose rents were raised in the middle of their leases. Here’s how other states have banned the practice.

A skyscraper at night with windows lit up to form a large dollar sign.
Affordability

LIHTC Right of First Refusal Is Still Under Attack

Three years after our initial story, aggressive investors are still suing LIHTC general partners to profit off of what should be affordable housing. But one legal decision, along with proposed legislation, could help protect the right of first refusal.

A back view of a man in a brown/gray checked coat and a light gray watch cap entering an open door. To either side of the door are wispy shrubs, green against the white walls.His gloved right hand is on the door. He has an orange crossbody bag over his left shoulder. The room ahead of him, inside the house, has orange walls or the light gives an orangey glow.
Disability

Developing Housing that Welcomes People With Developmental Disabilities

Not everyone with intellectual and developmental disabilities needs to live in a highly structured group home. There are ways to make integrated, independent living work.

Housing

Mid-Lease Rent Hikes Surprise Affordable Housing Tenants

Residents of two LIHTC developments in Northern Virginia were informed that their rent would be increasing in 30 days, even if their leases weren’t ending for months. Is this part of a larger problem?

Neighborhood Change

“My City’s So White, I Moved”

We sit down with Carlynn Newhouse, a spoken word artist, to discuss her latest poem on gentrification in Seattle and D.C.

Arts & Culture

The Sound of Music City: Orange, NJ

Music naturally brings people together. In Orange, New Jersey, organizers show how “creative placekeeping” finds its strength in the relationships that are formed within the community.

What’s an Accessory Dwelling Unit?

The cost of housing has skyrocketed across the United States. As a response, some states and localities have legalized accessory dwelling units in hopes of expanding the supply of affordable housing. But what are ADUs?

Policy

What Can Be Done When LIHTC Affordability Restrictions Expire?

The Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program has helped create more than 3 million affordable units across the country. But if something isn’t done soon, thousands of those homes could be lost forever as affordability periods expire.

Screenshot from game of a young Black woman holding a glowing key
Arts & Culture

Dot’s Home, a Computer Game, Addresses History of Housing Discrimination

A new video game aims to educate players on the various housing barriers facing Black Americans through history. How well does it do that?

Racial Wealth Gap

The Role Student Debt Plays in the Racial Wealth Gap

What explains the large disparity in Black and white student debt, and what can we do to address the student debt crisis and close the racial wealth gap?

Housing

Afghan Refugees Face an American Housing Crisis

Resettlement agencies have been racing to house tens of thousands of Afghan refugees in communities across the U.S., but high housing costs and a shortage of available units is making it more difficult than ever.

Two older woman talk at a table, as part of a busy outreach event.
Health

From an Abandoned Mall to Bustling Community Hub

A medical complex in Mississippi draws on local artists to go beyond doctors’ offices and become a gathering place for those living nearby.