Under Fire, Aldermanic Prerogative Is Turned to Democratic Ends
Long used to maintain segregationist and discriminatory policy, aldermanic prerogative is now being wielded in a more inclusive way.
Tiny Houses: Does Size Matter?
The suggestion of tiny houses as a solution to housing unaffordability is both condescending and impractical. Here's why.
Tiny Houses — Not a Big Enough Solution
Tiny houses are a step up from shelter beds, but are they also a distraction from real, obvious solutions to our homelessness epidemic?
Rents Will Only Go So Low, No Matter How Much We Build
Why doesn't market rate housing seem to bring rents down to where the lowest income people can afford them?
What Do Housing Groups Think About Dems’ Affordable Housing Plans?
Despite the near silence about the housing crisis during the last five Democratic debates, several frontrunners have proposed serious housing legislation. But will the plans actually address the crisis? We talk with several housing groups to get their take.
Increasing Access to Affordable Housing in Indian Country
There is a strong desire for homeownership among Native households, but a set of obstacles specific to Native lands are getting in the way.
Criticisms About Community Preference Policies Are Misguided
Community preference policies have been challenged by those inside and outside of government who fail to see or value the anti-displacement benefits of the policy.
Move to the Front of the Line
Community preference policies, which give current residents preference for new affordable housing in their neighborhood, have become increasingly controversial. Supporters say these types of policies are a crucial way to fight displacement, but fair housing advocates argue that the policies are exclusionary. Different cities are balancing these two concerns in different ways.
A Home After Prison: There’s No Place Like Homecoming
Formerly incarcerated people are nearly 10 times more likely to be homeless than the general public. The Homecoming Project imatches those returning home with a community host for six months.
NJ Pays Hospitals to Build Affordable Housing
New Jersey’s Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency offers significant subsidies to encourage local hospitals to build housing for low-income residents and frequent users of hospital services.
Habitat for Humanity Steps into Housing Politics
The primary image evoked by the Habitat for Humanity name remains that of President Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter working with volunteers to build or...
Q: Is Rental Housing a Rural Issue?
Yes! Although homeownership rates are higher in rural areas, there is still a significant rural population that needs rental housing.
Storytelling Makes the Case for Affordable Housing
To increase public support for investment in affordable housing, we must build a broader coalition by amplifying new voices and creating channels to build awareness of affordable housing needs.
Trump Administration Takes Giant Step Backward on Racial Equality
A HUD proposal virtually eliminates the long-standing disparate impact doctrine and would leave more families vulnerable to housing discrimination.
How California’s “Sleeping Giant” Woke Up and Won Statewide Rent Caps
California's momentous statewide win for statewide rent caps is owed to organizers and the power of organizing. Now that the giant is awake, what's next?
Working up a Sweat with the Self-Help Housing Program
Fifty-four years and 52,000 homes later, the future of the Self-Help Housing Program for low- and very-low income households is uncertain after it was eliminated in a budget proposal for next fiscal year.
Affordable Housing on Transit Land
Transit providers are often major landowners in their communities. These sites are also opportunities to provide desperately needed affordable housing.
Creating Moves to Opportunity in Seattle-King County
Starting in 2017, researchers at Opportunity Insights and several other universities partnered with the Seattle and King County housing authorities, J-PAL North America, and...
To Address Displacement in Your Community, Start by Asking, “Who’s Financing It?”
While developers, tech companies, and greedy landlords are often cited as the usual suspects driving the housing crisis, one group is often overlooked: the banks that finance the deals.
The Geography of Mixed-Income Neighborhoods
Where are "naturally-occurring" mixed income neighborhoods, how do we support them, and how do we use them as examples to model?