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Reported Article

Rescue Plan has Billions Available for Housing, Advocates Urge Officials to Take It

With relatively few strings attached to the $350 billion in funds states and municipalities will receive, the door is wide open for governments to make a dent in their housing needs. But will they?

Reported Article

Scams on the Rise, Say Housing Counselors

As more people seek help after being defrauded, housing counselors worry that with up to 11 million families facing eviction or mortgage default, the situation will get worse before it gets better.

COVID

Improving Racial Equity via Emergency Rental Assistance

Five ways to ensure that rental assistance reaches communities of color with high levels of need.

A FEMA sign posted outside the hurricane Harvey disaster recovery center.
Reported Article

FEMA Offers Full Reimbursement for Pandemic Shelter Costs—But Cities Are Still Jittery

Cities and counties have been slow to take advantage of the promise of full and retroactive FEMA reimbursement to expand emergency housing programs, frustrating housing advocates. What’s getting in the way?

Community Development Field

More Than a Mural: How Arts and Culture Advance the Mission of the Seattle Housing Authority

Arts programs at one public housing development in Seattle have eased the challenges of redevelopment by helping residents define what the community means to them.

A sofa and two matching chairs in pink upholstery are piled up on the sidewalk, next to a mattress.
The Answer

Q: Does the CDC’s Extension of the Eviction Moratorium Mean No One Is Being Evicted Now?

Even with the moratorium in place through July 31, there have been and will continue to be many, many Americans who lose their homes.

Equity

Don’t Go Back to Old Economic Development Ways

Cities have led the way in enacting equity-focused pandemic policies. It’s time to build on that momentum, starting with neighborhoods.

Housing

Struggling Landlords Should Favor Rent Forgiveness

If we simply pay tenants’ rent indiscriminately, we have no way of knowing where the ultimate benefit goes.

Close-up of the back of a t-shirt that says "Because the rent won't wait."
Whatever Happened to ...

Now and Then: Rent Control, Rental Assistance, and Universal Vouchers

In the second installment of updates to Shelterforce articles of old, we check in on how well some of the recommendations, predictions, and worries about rent control, rental assistance, and universal vouchers have aged.

Reported Article

As the Pandemic Continues, Officials Look to Long-Term Housing Options with Hotels

Advocates point to a bevy of successes in slowing the spread of the virus, but authorities struggle with cost burden.

Interview

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.

Reported Article

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.