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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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Blocked, Restored, Blocked Again—Housing Funds Are in Legal Limbo
Since Trump took office, the administration has blocked multiple affordable housing funding streams. Here's a look at which funds have been frozen, which have been reinstated, and which are in the courts.
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Ferguson: No One Should Be Surprised
This op-ed originally appeared in the St. Louis Post Dispatch on October 8, 2014. Recent events in Ferguson constitute the logical outcome of forces spelled out in 1968 by the National Advisory Panel on Civil Disorders, better known as the Kerner Commission. The report warned of a “permanent division of our country into two societies: […]
Asian Americans Key in Virginia Senate Race?
When I drafted this post, incumbent Virginia Senator Mark Warner held a narrow margin of victory over challenger Ed Gillespie (Warner has since declared victory, and Gillespie officially conceded). The race was bitterly contested, and the results are notable in that Asian Americans–with growing populations in Northern Virginia–were very likely determinative in Warner’s victory. UC […]
2014 Elections: The Takeaway for Housing and Community Development Policy
Enterprise Community Partners created this quick yet comprehensive analysis of the implications of the election on housing and community development programs that we here at Shelterforce and Rooflines have found helpful. (Photo credit, Flickr user Carl CC BY-SA 2.0)
Interview with Former HUD Secretaries Senator Mel Martinez and Mayor Henry Cisneros
At the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Housing Summit on Sept. 15 and 16, five former HUD secretaries joined a panel discussing their time at the Department of Housing and Urban Development. […]
Government Works Badly–If We Refuse to Invest in It
At the Bipartisan Policy Center's Housing Summit earlier this week, Shelterforce got to interview former HUD secretaries Mel Martinez and Henry Cisneros (we'll publish that interview here next week). One of the questions we asked was how to handle the fact that the American electorate often seems to have a bias, not so much against […]
Beware the Scammers
This weekend I encountered a representative of an energy service company on my porch. He was flashing a badge at me and telling me that because I hadn't responded to […]
Actually United States
Americans are a people hopelessly divided by culture wars and fundamental disagreements about the role and appropriate size of government. You know this; I know this. Everyone knows this. In […]
Newark, NJ, Mayor Tries Eminent Domain for Underwater Homes
Newark’s newly-elected mayor Ras Baraka has taken a bold step to address one of the city’s and state’s most serious crises. On May 20th, Baraka persuaded his city council colleagues […]
Deep-seated, Anti-Government Mood Remains
The stunning upset of House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in a Republican primary election on Tuesday by a Tea Party-linked insurgent Dave Brat is obviously big news at the national […]
5 Reasons Why Housing Finance Reform Can’t Wait
[Ed note: Last Thursday the Johnson Crapo housing finance reform bill was voted out of the Senate banking committee, 13-9, which was not enough to force a vote on the […]
‘Ohana-Based Approach to Incentivized Youth Savings
How can we measure the impact of incentivized youth savings beyond just financial impacts? Hawai‘i Island ‘ohana participating in the Kids’ Saving Initiative This was one of the many questions […]
Congress Agrees: Collaborative, Comprehensive Care Needed For Rural Vets
Rural America has a strong history of protecting our country. In fact, as highlighted in a recent report on rural veterans, veterans are more prevalent in rural America, comprising 11.4 […]