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.
The Latest
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.
Explore Articles in this Topic
Search & Filter Within this Topic
filter by Content Type
filter by Date Range
search by Keyword
Three Dangers and an Opportunity
If it seems like we’re approaching a domestic policy pivot point, it might be because we are. Since Nov. 9, we’ve been thinking about the near- and long-term implications of […]
CFPB: Government for the People
Those of us who work in regulated industries, such as banking institutions and credit unions, often succumb to the temptation to see government regulators as adversaries and to view any […]
Carson Tries to Please Everyone in Confirmation Hearing, Mostly Succeeds
Triage is in effect among those opposed to the incoming administration and the president-elect's cabinet picks. This morning’s Senate hearing for Ben Carson was not a exercise in determining whether […]
Time for a Job Guarantee
In various economic pundit conversations on Twitter, the new target of scorn is Universal Basic Income (UBI). Supporters of UBI (at least those who identify as being more left-leaning) posit […]
GOP Tax Plan Takes Mortgage Interest Deduction Unfairness Off the Charts
Let’s raise the standard deduction and lower tax rates to give everyone a tax cut! It should not surprise you that since this is a description of the House GOP […]
The Real Social Engineering Ben Carson Needs to Address
HUD is the nation’s primary enforcer of the Fair Housing Act. This is one obligation Ben Carson will assume if he is confirmed as HUD secretary. But in his defense […]
How CRA Can Promote Integration in Gentrifying Neighborhoods
Gentrification—the process of neighborhood demographic and economic change in which middle- and upper-income people move into lower-income neighborhoods, increasing home values and rent prices—has intensified in large cities and metropolitan […]
All the Fury Over CFPB Ignores Its Modest Mission
Ever since its creation, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has been the focus of heated controversy, with banks and politicians alike calling for cutbacks in its authority, if not […]
The Foreclosure King Ascends to Treasury
There is considerable unease in the housing and community development world about the future of federal policy, including support for vouchers, fair housing, and other critical policies and programs. While […]
No, Housing Policy Really Could Get Done Next Year
Housing didn’t feature prominently in the 2016 presidential campaigns, and while we might wish it had gotten more attention, we may ultimately be glad it wasn’t the focus of hyperbolic […]
Malign Neglect? Urban Policy in the Trump Era
To paraphrase physicist Niels Bohr, (or maybe it was Yogi Berra), “predicting is difficult, especially when it’s about the future.” One would think even more so, looking at this subject, […]
On Clinton, Obama, Trump, and the Failures of Liberal Urban Policy
In the closing days of the seemingly endless 2016 U.S. presidential campaign, it became increasingly clear to political observers that Hillary Clinton was explicitly adopting a platform of continuity with […]