State & Local Policy
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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.
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Tenant Protections Undone: How Florida Organizers Are Moving Forward
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill that overrode dozens of local tenant protection laws won there in recent years. How are housing organizers in Florida fighting back? And what can other organizers do if they live in a state that is hostile to tenant protections?
Holding Redlining’s Perpetrators Accountable
Richard and Leah Rothstein talk about their new book, Just Action, inspired by readers of The Color of Law who asked what could be done about the enduring effects of a century of unconstitutional housing discrimination.
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.
What Are Your Landlord’s Legal Obligations? Depends on Where You Live
Landlord-tenant relations are governed by a mix of laws at all levels of government and can vary a lot.
Going Statewide to Boost ADU Development
ADUs are typically regulated at the local level, but advocates argue statewide legislation is what’s actually needed to get to scale. California has been aggressively leading the way.
The Dark Side of Community Preference Policies
Community preference policies give existing residents first dibs on subsidized housing built in their neighborhoods. But what happens when these policies are applied to communities that are exclusive, well-off, and majority white?
Arts for Community Control: Planning an Arts and Innovation District Without Displacement
Jason Moreno first learned about redevelopment efforts taking place in his Boston neighborhood on a sunny summer afternoon in July 2018 at his local outdoor basketball court. Dudley Street 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.
Move to the Front of the Line
Community preference policies, which give current residents preference for new affordable housing in their neighborhood, have become increasingly controversial. Supporters say these types of policies are a crucial way to fight displacement, but fair housing advocates argue that the policies are exclusionary. Different cities are balancing these two concerns in different ways.
Displaced Portland Residents Given Priority for Homeownership
A Portland policy gives priority for housing funded by the city’s housing bureau to residents who were displaced, are at risk of displacement, or are the descendants of families who were displaced due to urban renewal in North and Northeast Portland neighborhoods.
These States Are Trying to Level the Field for Disadvantaged Students
How would the trajectories of children’s lives change if they knew that their state, their community and their parents were investing in their future success for as long as they could remember?
In Which a Skeptic Is Won Over to Child Savings Accounts
While I am a firm believer in equal access to higher education for all, it’s over-emphasized in our individualistic culture as a solution to society’s woes.