Meir Rinde
Meir Rinde is the former policy fellow at Shelterforce. He is based in Philadelphia.
Which U.S. Laws Require Accessibility in Housing—And How Well Do They Do?
Activists have been fighting for decades to expand accessible housing for disabled residents. They’ve made progress, but say that current regulations and enforcement don’t go far enough.
Who Gets Tenant Protection Vouchers?
A program to stabilize residents whose subsidized housing is disrupted has also been used to support other highly vulnerable residents, but those uses are a matter of controversy.
AFFH’s Bumpy Road to Overcoming Segregation
The Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule was intended to force communities to take action to address housing segregation and discrimination. How has the rule evolved throughout the years, and will a proposed new rule finally put some teeth into the legal concept?
NCRC Claims KeyBank Broke Promises, Failed Black Homeowners
Who is responsible for evaluating whether groups adhere to promises made in a community benefits agreement (CBA)? Is there any recourse for those who don’t get what they were promised? And what lessons can we take away from the KeyBank CBA?
Major Changes Coming for CDFIs
Requirements to be certified as a community development financial institution (CDFI) will soon change—and some lenders that qualified before might no longer.
Tenant Advocates Wait for Action After Meeting with White House Officials
Tenants got to talk directly to the Biden administration about the need to rein in soaring rents. Will action follow?
Homeowners Seeking Foreclosure Assistance Face Delays and Confusion in Many States
While a lot of attention has been paid to emergency rental assistance, foreclosure relief funds are also being distributed at the state level—and are also having mixed results getting to those who need them.
New Philly Land Trust Was Promised Dozens of Homes; How’s It Going?
Two years ago, Philadelphia officials agreed to give 59 vacant buildings to homeless advocates. The historic deal has faced several setbacks, but is still moving forward.
Income Averaging Allowed LIHTC Housing to Reach More People—Will It Last?
A Trump-era policy that actually helped poor people could be dismantled by the IRS.
Biden Has Power to Impose Rent Control, Say Housing Advocates
There’s legal precedent for the administration to limit rent hikes at least on all buildings with federally backed loans.
Could This Supreme Court Ruling Affect Fair Housing?
Experts on housing law discuss the potential repercussions of a recent Supreme Court decision that struck down the EPA’s authority in limiting greenhouse gas emissions. Could conservative judges apply the same rationale to limit HUD's authority?
Unfair Market Rents: How Inflation Is Skewing FMRs
"Fair market rents" are set by HUD and used to determine how much federal assistance programs will pay toward rent. But with rental costs rising so rapidly, they aren't keeping up.
Proposed CRA Rule Receives Mixed Reviews from Housers
Public comment is open through Aug. 5 on proposed Community Reinvestment Act rule changes. They are worlds better than the Trump-era proposal. Why are some advocates still disappointed?
Something Old, Something New: Biden’s Housing Plan
President Biden’s Housing Supply Action Plan is a catchall of existing proposals, tiny tweaks, and things Congress would have to fund—plus a few genuinely interesting administrative moves. Here’s the rundown.
COVID Relief Funds Filling Some Housing Budget Gaps
As COVID relief funds have flowed out across the country, state and local governments have so far allotted at least $13.8 billion of their discretionary dollars to housing efforts.
What Happened to Those Build Back Better Housing Investments?
Build Back Better would have made huge new investments in housing. But most of what it promised isn’t going to happen. Would any housing plan have a chance of making it through Congress?
How an Obscure HUD Definition Is Leaving Housing Dollars Unspent
Agencies are required to set aside a percentage of their HOME grants for projects led by community housing development organizations. But changes HUD implemented in 2013 have made it harder for nonprofits to receive those funds.
Say It With Your Chest: Race Matters in Lending
The Community Reinvestment Act was created to address racist lending practices, but it doesn’t specify race. Special purpose credit programs could help.
Are Tiny Homes a Piece of the Affordable Housing Puzzle?
More and more tiny homes are being built across the U.S. Where are they being developed, who they are serving, and what obstacles do they face in addressing the need for more affordable housing?
From Mobile Home Parks to Multifamily Housing Cooperatives
As tenants organize to take over their buildings, there's been an increased interest in going the co-op route. Could the networks that support resident-owned mobile home park communities shift their focus to support residents of multifamily buildings that want to go co-op?