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.

Lasting Affordability Is the Path to Resilience

We now have a unique opportunity, generated by a combination of life-threatening conditions and focused political will stemming from the Black Lives Matter movement, to re-prioritize local housing policies and resources.
A protestor holds a "Rent Relief Now" sign during a North Carolina demonstration this month

In Unprecedented Times, Nothing Less Than Universal Rent Relief Will Do

If we stick with yesterday’s policy and programs in an unprecedented year of crisis, we will leave an unconscionable number of people, families, and communities behind.

Anti-Foreclosure Neighborhood Stabilization Efforts

Reid Cramer of the New America Foundation chats with Shelterforce's Miriam Axel-Lute about anti-foreclosure neighborhood stabilization efforts.
View from across the road of homeless tents lining the freeway in Los Angeles. Behind them are palm trees, with multistory apartment buildings in the background

Bordering Towns in LA County Clash Over Their Homeless Policies

Local governments often come to different conclusions about how to address homelessness within their respective city borders. Varying approaches only exacerbate the problem.

CRA Modernization:  A Critical Moment for Underserved Neighborhoods

The Community Reinvestment Act and the Consumer Financial Protection Agency Act hold great promise for the creation of a more financially inclusive nation, but both depend on critical "moments in time" in Congress that will determine whether they become good laws or are weakened beyond recognition

Defending Progressive State Housing and Land Use Policies

The fates of three venerable policies on fair share housing and sustainable land use can point the way for how to support similar efforts in other states.

Signs of the End Times

The end of attack politics, that is. Could it be? Ask Mark McKinnon, who resigned from the McCain campaign Tuesday, fulfilling a vow he’d made last year not to help John McCain in a battle...
JOe Biden

Obama-Biden: What Does It Mean?

The text message hadn’t yet arrived: the media, once again, by way of stakeout, pestered its way to this scoop. After 1 a.m. Saturday morning, and after leaks throughout Friday evening indicated that Barack...

Will 2009 Be the Year of No Credit for College Tuition or a Green...

As forecasters offer their new year’s predictions of a struggling economy, it is past time to be asking how a federal bailout of our financial institutions can equal no relief for consumers in accessing...

Can’t Sue ‘Em? You Can Move Your Money

Local governents, frustrated (there’s an understatement for you) with the devastating effects of massive foreclosures have tried suing lenders for essentially offering defective products, and also for discriminatory treatment. Albany Law School Professor Ray...

Congress Needs to Listen to Latinos

The 2012 presidential election debate centered on how best to jumpstart our economy and spur job creation.  The candidates campaigned on their opposing plans, drawing stark contrasts on fundamental economic issues such as taxes,...

Harnessing Immigrant Entrepreneurship for Economic Growth

Last week’s release of Bread for the World’s new paper on immigrant small businesses was marked by racial tension from unexpected quarters, as audience members and presenters at a...

Fairness and The Financial System

Trying to bring fairness to financial transactions for everyday people has long been both an avocation and passion for me, anchored largely in my belief in the “Golden Rule,”...
A blue and white Louisiana road sign.

After a Far Fall, Is Louisiana Becoming a Better Place for its Lower Income...

When the 2017 Prosperity Now Scorecard was published last month, it was no surprise that Louisiana ranked second-to-last among all 50 states and the District of Columbia, as it typically falls somewhere near the bottom. In many ways, the Scorecard confirmed what we already knew: that most Louisiana families, especially low-income families and families of color, are not faring well financially. What was surprising, however, was how far Louisiana had fallen.
The spires and statue atop an old bank building.

CRA “Reform” Under Trump Threatens Communities of Color and the 99 Percent

Banks enjoy consumer and taxpayer-funded privileges, such as deposit insurance, and not too long ago, subsidized trillion-dollar bailouts. It’s not too much to insist that they invest a fair share of those dollars back into all of our communities.
The spires and statue atop an old bank building.

Warren Housing Bill Presents a Clear Choice on CRA

Senator Elizabeth Warren and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency have offered contrasting visions for the future of CRA. How do they differ, and what would the implications for historically disinvested communities be?
Guadelupe Neighborhood

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.

The CARES Act Was Supposed to Protect NJ Tenants from Eviction. It Didn’t.

State activists say eviction cases were filed in violation of the CARES Act’s ban on evictions. Pre-trial settlement conferences are further complicating the situation.

To Fight Family Homelessness, HUD Must Count It Correctly

What should we be doing now to address the increasing number of children who are expected to suffer pandemic-related homelessness?
US Congress on Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C. The housing portion of the Build Back Better plan likely won't happen.

What Happened to Those Build Back Better Housing Investments?

Build Back Better would have made huge new investments in housing. But most of what it promised isn’t going to happen. Would any housing plan have a chance of making it through Congress?