During the Pandemic, Community Development Organizations Prioritize Relief and Assistance Work
While rent relief might not be their mission, organizations are focusing on the immediate needs of residents. But with all of their staff and monetary resources being used to plug holes, some organizations believe they’re a few months or another crisis away from financial disaster.
The Many Fronts of COVID-19 Related Housing Needs and Measures
Stable housing is crucial during a pandemic. Front-line providers and local governments are moving to address the impacts, but they need more federal funds
Response to Pandemic Shows What’s Possible in Housing
We’re seeing bold actions from states across the U.S.—from strong eviction moratoriums in Massachusetts to a major homeless initiative in California. What if these new housing measures were designed to last beyond the coronavirus crisis?
Forming Partnerships With Public Health Departments, Part 1: Why It’s a Good Idea
What public health practitioners do and why community partners are essential to their goal of health equity.
Anti-Eviction Advocates Want the DOJ to Support the Right to Counsel Movement
The revival of an office within the Department of Justice that is focused on equitable legal representation has tenants’ rights advocates calling on the federal government to do more to strengthen the right to counsel movement.
Expanding Housing Choice Vouchers Would Strengthen the Safety Net
It’s time to mend the housing safety net. The COVID-19 crisis has thrown light on the fragility of millions of American families for whom a missed paycheck forces a decision between paying rent and...
Did Ithaca Really Cancel Rent?
In early June, residents and organizers successfully pressured the Ithaca Common Council to pass a resolution that requests that the state grant them the authority to cancel rent in response to COVID-19. Contrary to many headlines, it didn't actually cancel rent—yet.
Top 10 Shelterforce Articles of 2020
Eviction, tiny houses, hotel rooms for the homeless, and COVID-19—Shelterforce's 10 most-read articles of 2020.
Real Estate Firms Take Federal Aid, Evict Tenants Anyway
When the pandemic hit, real estate firms gladly took government assistance to keep their businesses afloat as they faced financial hardships. Then they turned around and evicted scores of tenants enduring the same COVID-induced difficulties.
What Prior Disasters Have Taught Housing Advocates About How to Respond to COVID-19
When it comes to helping people maintain or recover their housing, hurricanes and fires aren’t as different from a pandemic as one might think.
States Use CARES Act Funds to Keep Renters Afloat, But It Won’t Be Enough
More than a dozen states are using Community Development Block Grant funding from the CARES Act to fund emergency rental and mortgage assistance programs.
Fixing the Harms of Our Eviction System: An Interview with Emily Benfer
Emily Benfer talks about what needs to change in our housing and eviction systems—not just now, but once the pandemic is past, the connections between health and housing, and how she came to be a go-to voice on the eviction crisis.
Help for Small Businesses
What kinds of emergency measures are advocacy organizations proposing to make sure that when small businesses can open again, they’ll be financially able to do so?
Albuquerque Artists Sustain Connection Despite Social Distancing
Placemaking is an inherently in-person practice, but it doesn’t always have to be. In Albuquerque, an exhibit was reimagined to highlight the work of local photographers, who captured striking images of life during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Housing Organizing in the Year of the Pandemic
California housing organizers reflect on what changes, and what stays the same, during a pandemic.
How State and Local Governments Can Avoid Mass Evictions
Beyond the immediate need to stop mass evictions, there is much more that state and local officials can do to facilitate housing stability in a longer-term transition out of the pandemic emergency. The time for those critical measures is now.
High-Risk, Essential, and Illegally Evicted
Eviction moratoriums are only as good as their enforcement, as one man’s harrowing story in New Orleans shows.
6 Ways to Prevent Post-COVID Vacancy
Local governments must explore ways to minimize commercial and residential property deterioration and subsequent vacancy.
Making Eviction Diversion Meaningful in Massachusetts
Whether the governor’s rent relief and eviction diversion program will keep people in their homes depends on whether landlords can be persuaded—or compelled—to participate.
Lessons from Award-Winning Hospital-Community Partnerships
American Hospital Association's NOVA awards honor hospitals' success in addressing social determinants of health.