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Organizing
Community development relies on policies, resources, and recognition that were won by decades of organizing—and organizing remains essential to face new threats, preserve existing wins, and continue to fight back against the big lie that the way things are is inevitable.
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Are NYC’s Rent-Stabilized Buildings Really in Crisis?
A two-year rent freeze, affecting about 1 million rent-stabilized apartments in New York, was just approved. Before the freeze passed, landlords said their buildings wouldn’t survive it. But recent analyses suggest the real culprit behind distressed buildings is predatory equity, not rent stabilization.
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How One of Boston’s Top Evictors Changed Its Ways
After learning it was one of the city’s most prolific evictors, a for-profit affordable housing provider created a tenant retention program that’s being touted as a model for other developers.

Idalia Rios—A Community Organizer in California
Idalia Rios began her organizing career advocating for her son, who has a speech delay. In the process, she learned that even when advocacy begins with your own family, you have to fight for the class, school, and larger community to achieve lasting change.

How Affordable Housers Perpetuate Past Harms, and How They Can Do Better
Some elements of affordable housing—from the development process to the way buildings are managed—are rooted in racist assumptions that dehumanize residents. Here are some simple ways you can be a better housing provider.

Donna Price—An Organizer in Detroit
Once homeless, Donna Price persevered with unshakable strength, which landed her in a position she once couldn’t imagine.

A Note From Our Publisher—Lifting Up Women’s Voices
There are countless women who are driven to turn up the volume of their voices when faced with unfair circumstances. As the publisher of Shelterforce, I am privileged to lead a publication that makes way for many of these voices to be heard.

Minneapolis, St. Paul Voters Say ‘Yes’ to Rent Stabilization
Despite an all-out effort by the housing industry to stop them, two rent stabilization initiatives were given the green light following this month’s vote.

Tech Company Promises More Than It Delivers to Tenants of Single-Family Rental
Tech-based property management companies promise convenience and customer service, but these Kansas City renters’ experience has been, and continues to be, anything but.

Landlords Don’t Have to Control Security Deposits
The UK saw a dramatic change in landlord behavior once security deposits were put into the hands of a third party.

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.

From At-Risk Tenants to Activist Property Owners
Minneapolis tenants won the right to buy their neglected buildings from a slumlord. They now have about two years to transition to owners.

Right to Counsel Movement Gains Traction
New York City became the first in the nation to give low-income tenants free legal representation. Now, several other counties and cities have either passed similar legislation or have drafted bills in the pipeline.

Housing Solutions—Centering Community in Ownership, Control, and Long-Term Affordability
How is community control of housing realized? We explore different community ownership structures, how tenants form a cooperative, and how larger housing nonprofits can incorporate residents into decision-making.
