Q: Do economic development incentives support small businesses?
A. Not very much. Despite the claims of many states, when you look at the numbers, the vast majority of taxpayer dollars directed to economic development go to big corporations.
Q: Why doesn’t the market produce enough affordable housing where people want it?
A: The market is supposed to meet demand, but the importance of location, location, location, plus other factors, keep this from working for affordable housing.
Q: Can Prohibiting Source-of-Income Discrimination Help Voucher Holders?
A: Yes. Currently landlords in most places can discriminate against voucher holders, and many do. For example:
An African-American female tester using a voucher was denied...
Q: What Do All These Housing Affordability Terms Mean?
While we use terms like "affordable housing," "moderate income," "housing poverty," and "area median income" often, we thought it'd be helpful to explain what all these housing affordability terms mean. Make sure you're using these 19 terms correctly.
Q: Is scattered-site rehab always more expensive than new construction?
A: No! A long-running program in Philadelphia is showing that scattered site rehab can be cheaper and have a larger revitalizing effect at the same time.
Q: Can Supporting Community Development Improve Outcomes for the Health Sector?
Yes! Over 50 percent of premature deaths in the U.S. can be attributed to preventable non-medical factors, specifically behavioral, environmental, and social conditions.
Q: What Do All These Rent Regulation Terms Mean?
As rents have been rising, organizing for rent regulations have gained steam. However, the terms used to describe rent regulations can be unclear.
Q: Did Extending More Credit to Subprime Borrowers Cause the Foreclosure Crisis?
There are people who believe that the foreclosure crisis occurred because too many unqualified borrowers became homeowners. What actually happened was ...
Q: What’s the difference between community economic development and traditional economic development ?
A: A lot! In fact, they are so different that the Democracy Collaborative, which made the chart below, has coined the term “community wealth building” to set apart the truly community-oriented practitioners of economic development.
Q: Are manufactured homes a bad form of affordable housing?
A: Not any more! There are many myths out there about manufactured (or "mobile") homes, but in fact they can be a very important source of quality affordable housing...
Q: Why Don’t People Who Get Rental Assistance Get a Job?
A: More than half are elderly or disabled. Of the rest, most of them do have a job! Ninety-four percent of rental assistance receipts are ...
Q: Can Including Rent and Utility Payments in Credit Scores Reduce Racial Disparities in...
Including rent and utility payments in credit reports and scoring models can increase credit scores, and reduce racial disparities in credit scores.
Q: Who Enforces CRA?
Why are there three different agencies enforcing the Community Reinvestment Act, or CRA? Who does each agency enforce it on?
Q: Can Nonprofits Get Out the Vote?
A. Yes! Nonprofits are often uncertain about what they can legally do, but they can get out the vote among their residents, clients, and staff.
Q: Do Section 8 voucher holders increase crime in a neighborhood?
A: No! This is a perennial fear, but research shows that additional voucher holders don't change the crime rate at all. However it does show that . . .
Q: Is a Land Bank the Same As a Land Trust?
A: Nope. They are totally different, though complementary tools. This chart will walk you through the differences.
Q: Do Immigrants “Take Our Jobs”?
A: No! This is a common fear, especially for people who are already struggling to get by. But it’s not true. Here are the facts:
Q: Isn’t the foreclosure crisis over?
A: Not for everyone. Even after significant recovery, most of the country still has record high levels of . . .
Q: Does Shared-Equity Homeownership Build Assets?
A: Yes! And keeps them safer than traditional homeownership does.
Q: Do Rent Regulations Make the Housing Crisis Worse?
A: No! Despite common fears, decades of evidence shows that rent regulation doesn't restrict housing supply and quality.
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