Matthew Brian Hersh

326 Posts

Matthew Brian Hersh served as senior editor at Shelterforce from March 2008 to October 2012. He studied English at Rutgers University and has spent his professional career in journalism, policy, and politics.
Policy

In the Nation’s Service

When I was a newspaper reporter in New Jersey, one of my beats was Princeton University, and I’m always reminded of what is always referred to as the school’s “unofficial […]

Housing

Affordable Housing and the Financial Crisis

It’s been interesting to watch the conservative conga line blame the affordable housing expansion effort for the country’s current financial crisis. But, as writers on Rooflines displayed when community organizing […]

Housing

Not Your Clinton’s Foreclosure Holiday

First the gas tax holiday, then the Columbus Day holiday, now again with the foreclosure holiday. Everyone should be wary of “holidays” in taxation or government function largely because it […]

Organizing

McCain Hearts ACORN

Just picked this up from the Jed Report:

Housing

Mortgage Buyout Plan Changes by the Hour

John McCain made news Tuesday night during the town hall-style debate with Barack Obama when he announced his plan to buy up bad mortgages at the taxpayer’s expense. The plan, […]

Equity

Got a House? Cast Your Vote.

Sounds scary, right? With the foreclosure crisis ushering over a million people into homelessness in the last two years, we’re seeing, again, political machinery go into high gear looking for […]

Housing

House Passes Bailout: Let The Market Soar!

Amid all of the gloom and doom, perhaps a few positive headlines will help to boost the mood of the nation’s sagging economy. If anything, the Bush-Paulson plan to create […]

Equity

DOJ Keeps An Eye On Michigan

Following reports out of Michigan earlier this month as outlined on this Rooflines post that state Republicans there were planning to use a list of foreclosed homes to block people […]

Will Financial Crisis Lead to Hard Times for Nonprofits?

With congressional leaders reaching an agreement Thursday afternoon on the president’s proposal to pump $700 billion into the country’s financial system, it’s not yet clear how corporations and foundations will […]

Housing

Affordable Housing as an “Unfunded Mandate”

Sorry to keep the focus on New Jersey, folks, but if you are a long-time Rooflines reader, you’ll know that I will, once again, preface this post with: At least […]

Communities

Discouraging the Voter

We’ve seen it before, and we’ll see it again, but, in Michigan—which is shaping up to be a crucial swing state in the presidential contest—we’re already seeing a mounting campaign […]

Housing

For Brooklyn’s Starrett City, Affordability is Binding

The owners of Brooklyn’s 140-acre Starrett City, the largest federally subsidized housing complex in the country, have reached an agreement to sell the property that includes affordability provisions for working- […]