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A young family of three seen from the back as they look at a house. From right: A light brown-skinned man with shaved head and chin whiskers in a blue chambray shirt and khakis points to the house, at something out of frame. His other arm is around a black-haired woman in a narrow-striped button-up white shirt over blue jeans. One of her arms is around the man's waist; with the other she holds a small dark-haired child in a pale blue top and black leggings and no shoes. The house is white with brown window trim, and a sold sign in one window.

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A close nighttime view of the front of a squad car, with red and blue lights glowing on the roof, and red and blue lights in the grille. The headlights are also on. The windshield appears black and no people are visible in the car.
Equity

Sweeps Aren’t Outreach—Policing Homelessness Still Doesn’t Work

A new study shines light on the connection between homeless outreach teams and policing, and examines why so many cities are still using resident complaints to guide their response to the homelessness crisis.

Construction

Making Housing More Accessible for People With Multiple Chemical Sensitivities

Accessibility for this challenging disability can look different from other measures—but addressing it could help improve everyone’s health. 

An artist's rendering of a bungalow-style two-family home in white and blue with yellow doors. At left, a winding ramp leads to one door; at right, conventional steps lead to the entrance of the other residence.
Disability

The [Un]Affordability of Accessibility: The Challenge of Retrofitting American Homes

Home modifications vary greatly in form and cost, a challenge for disabled residents whose homes aren’t accessible to them.

Close-up of the word NO stencil-painted on blacktop
Disability

Accessible Housing Is Not Just About How Buildings Are Built

The ways in which buildings are managed after they are built also affects how accessible and inclusive they are.

A large open space with a staircase that has multicolored balusters. At left is a large mural of people with different skin tones and in front of it is a person holding a small child. Dual handrails on staircase ensure adult and child can safely use stairs by holding height appropriate handrails. There’s another small child, this one on crutches, and a woman in white is crouching beside him. There’s a man on the landing of the staircase and a small girl climbing the steps. Behind her is a woman carrying a bag or briefcase and drinking from a cup.
Disability

Cross-Disability Design Makes Housing Better for Everyone

Affordable housing projects should incorporate a range of accessibility features, going above and beyond code requirements.

Six disabled people of color smile and pose in front of a concrete wall. Five people stand in the back, with the Black woman in the center holding up a chalkboard sign reading "disabled and here." A South Asian person in a wheelchair sits in front.
Housing

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.

A composite picture that includes blueprint-style drawings on blue, a row of apartments in pink and a tall tower in blue. Large figures are a smiling young woman with long black hair and a smiling young man in a wheelchair. Smaller images include people with canes and in wheelchairs, and two men seated on a bench at a bus stop, the older one wearing dark glasses and holding a cane.
Disability

Disability Justice and Equity in Housing

Welcome to Shelterforce’s newest Under the Lens series, Not Just Ramps—Disability and Housing Justice. This introductory article lays out why the connection between disability and affordable housing is so strong, and why it’s so important for housers to understand.

Aerial view of brick three-story buildings in Philadelphia, in golden light, with a church tower in the distance. At top right, part of a big rainbow is visible
Equity

Appraisal Bias Is the Fair Housing Issue of the Day

Newly released data on home appraisal practices is a step forward in the fight against racially biased appraisals. There’s still a long way to go.

Jennifer Made, a Newark, New Jersey, native who formed the Newark Community Action Network.
Organizing

Building Community Power in Newark, NJ

Jennifer Made started organizing at 13 and began feeding her community at 19, an effort that grew into the Newark Community Action Network.

The card for Women of Color, an interview with Kea Mathis.
Organizing

Through Her Eyes: Community Organizing in Detroit

Kea Mathis organizes alongside tenants—mostly Black, women-led households—to create and support affordable, quality housing. “It is very hard . . . as a Black woman here, to be the one to try to ask the question first or stand up first,” says Mathis.

Aerial view of the KeyBank building at night. Windows in it and nearby buildings are lighted.
Equity

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?

View from across the road of homeless tents lining the freeway in Los Angeles. Behind them are palm trees, with multistory apartment buildings in the background
Policy

Bordering Towns in LA County Clash Over Their Homeless Policies

Local governments often come to different conclusions about how to address homelessness within their respective city borders. Varying approaches only exacerbate the problem.