LIHTC: How It Started, How It’s Going
The Low-Income Housing Tax Credit was created in a moment when other real estate tax preferences were going away—but at the time, no one expected it to grow into the main source of affordable housing finance in the country.
Meet Me at the Intersection of Housing, with Guest Dawn Kelly
Dawn Kelly, founder of the New York-based healthy food and beverage restaurant The Nourish Spot, chats with Shelterforce's Schlonn Hawkins about the connection between entrepreneurship, housing, building communities, and more.
Western States Look to These Lands for New Affordable Housing
In several western states, state-owned trust lands were created to support schools and other community benefits.
A COVID Upside: It Pushed Organizations to Do Better
During the pandemic, community development organizations had to work double-time to adapt to residents' needs. For some, that work yielded important lessons about better helping their communities, permanently.
Squatters Ask Chicago: Why So Many Vacancies?
Officials in Chicago are struggling to address the city's homelessness and housing crises. So why does the Chicago Public Housing Authority have one of the highest rates of vacancy in the country?
Let’s Act Now to Stop Racism in Real Estate Appraisals
In 2022, a government task force released an action plan about combating bias in the appraisal industry. How can CDFIs fight back against the damage caused by under-appraisals?
A Critical Look at the Section 8 Program, a Webinar
In September, Shelterforce’s Shelby R. King was invited to participate in a virtual “Housing Hangout.” Panelists discussed the history of the Section 8 program, its strong points and failings, and ideas for large-scale reforms.
Low-Barrier Motel Shelter Is a Success—But Not an Easy One
Many guests at Motels4Now are on their second or third stays—but staff say that's doesn't equal failure, and the numbers bear them out.
How It’s Working: Laws That Help Tenants and Nonprofits Buy Buildings
Shelterforce checks in on three communities that have passed policies giving tenants and nonprofits first dibs on purchasing property. Are these policies keeping residents in their homes?
Checked Out: How LA Failed to Stop Landlords From Turning Low-Cost Housing Into Tourist...
Fifteen years ago Los Angeles passed a law to preserve residential hotels as housing of last resort. Now, amid the homelessness crisis, Capital & Main and ProPublica found some hotels may be violating that law by offering rooms to tourists.
Nonprofit Affordable Housing Developers Navigate Troubled Waters
As housing and building costs rise, nonprofit developers find themselves with strained resources as pandemic relief dries up and tenants need housing assistance more than ever.
Why Housing Policy Should Include More Funding for Home Repairs
Researchers found that older homeowners in St. Louis averaged $13,000 in unmet home repairs. Here's how advocates can measure home repair need in their own cities, and why repairs make a difference.
‘Renters Are Struggling’: Economists Back Tenant-Led Push for Federal Rent Control
"We have seen corporate landlords—who own a larger share of the rental market than ever before—use inflation as an excuse to hike rents and reap excess profits beyond what should be considered fair and reasonable."
What Can We Learn From the U.K.’s Council Housing? (Hint: Vienna Isn’t the Only...
Social historian John Boughton explains how the U.K.’s social housing system changed millions of low- and middle-income people’s lives—and how privatization has crippled its power.
How One Organization Is Preserving Housing Co-Ops
A group formed to promote student housing co-ops in the ’60s is acquiring and preserving cooperative housing for future generations.
Why an Eldercare Facility Turned to Employer-Provided Housing
Providing temporary housing in tiny homes has helped a long-term care facility keep its doors open in the face of a growing housing crisis.
Social Housing: How a New Generation of Activists Is Reinventing Housing
Not so long ago, social housing was rarely discussed in the U.S. Today. there are over a dozen social housing campaigns across the country.
Cross-Disability Design Makes Housing Better for Everyone
Affordable housing projects should incorporate a range of accessibility features, going above and beyond code requirements.
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.
How States Can Use Medicaid to Address Housing Costs
New federal guidance enables states to use Medicaid dollars to support housing needs.
