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?
Did the Comprehensive Community Initiatives of the 1990s, early 2000s Bring About Change?
Once a must-have for foundations, Comprehensive Community Initiatives found mixed success.
In Trump’s Lame Duck Period, Nonprofits Still Face “Chaotic” Effect of His Orders
Nonprofits struggle to understand how to respond to the ban on “divisive concepts” in their training and protect their federal funding.
Activists Win Control of Vacant Philadelphia Buildings: Now What?
The city and the activists involved have referred to the organization that will receive the properties as a community land trust, but as of late October it was not yet clear how the group will be structured.
‘We Need Those Houses’—Activists Take Over Vacant Housing Authority-Owned Homes
About 50 people—mostly single mothers and their children—have been living in vacant Philadelphia Housing Authority units since March. The move-ins are both acts of necessity and a political protest against the PHA.