Explainers

There are people who believe that the foreclosure crisis occurred because too many unqualified borrowers became homeowners. What actually happened was …

Yes! Although homeownership rates are higher in rural areas, there is still a significant rural population that needs rental housing.

Including rent and utility payments in credit reports and scoring models can increase credit scores, and reduce racial disparities in credit scores.

A: Yes! Since hosts can make 50 to 200 percent more on short-term rentals than on long-term rentals, Airbnb affects purchase prices as well.

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.

A: Yes. Landlords in most places can discriminate against voucher holders, and many do. This often keeps voucher holders in a few segregated neighborhoods.

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 …

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.

A: No! Despite common fears, decades of evidence shows that rent regulation doesn’t restrict housing supply and quality. Feel free to print and distribute! Click on the image above to […]

Shelterforce has gathered some racially loaded terms that are common in our field. We suggest you use these sparingly and carefully, if at all.

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.

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.