Topic
Policy
The rules of the game—and the attitudes of the players—have an enormous effect on community development work at all levels. Here we look at some of the conversations about how to shift that policy for the better.
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How State Coalitions Are Advancing Community Ownership of Housing
In recent years, housing coalitions promoting community land trusts and real estate cooperatives have formed in multiple cities and states—and they are achieving results. Nonetheless, a lot of work is needed to achieve the policy changes these groups desire.
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Colorado Wants to Give Tenants Money for Paying Rent
A new statewide program aims to help renters benefit from the value they add to the buildings they live in. Here’s how the program could work, and when it could begin.
Ownership Matters: Institutional Investors and Corporate Ownership
Who owns our homes is an absolutely essential part of housing policy, and an even greater part of housing politics.
D.C. Had the Country’s First TOPA Law. Could Real Estate Developers Gut It?
Developers are pushing for two exemptions to the landmark tenant rights legislation—affordable housing properties and buildings that are 25 years old or newer.
What the Grants Pass Case Means—For All of Us
In an era of runaway housing costs, the Supreme Court is going to decide whether it’s illegal to not be able to afford them.
Targeting First-Generation Homebuyers Is a Great Way to Direct Downpayment Assistance—And It Could Be Better
The proposed program could shrink the racial homeownership gap while serving a wide cross-section of people. But it only addresses some of the results of past discrimination.
Blockbusting the Big Boys: Bill Would Ban Hedge Funds from Owning Single-Family Homes
The End Hedge Fund Control of American Homes Act is an ambitious attempt to keep private equity’s influence out of single-family homes. If passed, the bill will need ownership transparency to be effective.
LIHTC: Are Little Changes Enough? A Shelterforce Webinar
There are reforms and expansions of Low-Income Housing Tax Credit afoot. But some in the field argue that we need to change the tax credit model of financing housing more deeply—or move away from it entirely. Join scholars and organizers as they discuss these issues and explore a path forward.
VA’s Work to End Veteran Homelessness Is a Nationwide Model. Can It Translate for Civilians?
The VA’s program doesn’t completely meet the needs of all unhoused veterans, but it’s close. That stands in stark relief to the non-veteran population.
How the New CRA Rule Will Help, and Where It Falls Short
The assessments that evaluate a bank’s lending practices have improved, but there are several missed opportunities for reform. For one, the new rules won’t incorporate a racial analysis into lending examinations.
A Fifth of This Town’s Homes Were Saved from Demolition—And Kept Affordable
The decision to demolish Wellston’s public housing had already been made when residents and the mayor decided to fight for it, but persistence, luck, and a financing structure with some unusual twists brought them back from the brink.
How to Really Reform the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program
Adding more credits and making tweaks do not actually address some of the major weaknesses of the program. We should be bolder.
How We Can Bring Vienna’s Housing Model to the U.S.
Legislators visited Vienna to learn about the city’s social housing program. Here’s how they say their states’ housing crises would benefit from similar policies.