From the Field
Shelterforce has always been driven by the voices of the people in the housing field. From the Field pieces are neither reported journalism nor standard opinion pieces, but articles that share knowledge, insight, lessons learned, or examples from people who work, organize, or volunteer in the field.
The Latest
How State Coalitions Are Advancing Community Ownership of Housing
In recent years, housing coalitions promoting community land trusts and real estate cooperatives have formed in multiple cities and states—and they are achieving results. Nonetheless, a lot of work is needed to achieve the policy changes these groups desire.
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HUD’s FY 2027 Spending Bill Funds Vouchers—But Would Make Them Harder to Get
While not adjusting for inflation, the White House’s FY 2027 budget request otherwise maintains HUD’s Housing Choice Voucher funding, but proposed policy changes would make it harder for families to access and maintain assistance.
A Historic Black Memphis Neighborhood Turns to a CLT to Avoid Displacement
A former hub of Black-owned businesses in North Memphis that suffered urban renewal seeks to rebuild without a new wave of displacement. Can a community land trust strike that balance?
Unlikely Partners: How Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago Came to Be
In the 1970s, anti-redlining movements were in full swing and the idea that activists, lenders, and elected officials could share power to revitalize communities and advance homeownership felt like a reach. But that was exactly my charge.
Advocates in the South Get Organized to Advance Tenants Rights
In states across the South, coalitions that include housing justice advocates, tenant leaders, and legal service providers are coming together to oppose anti-tenant policies and advance tenant rights.
What NYCHA’s Heat Pump Strategy Says About the Future of Green Affordable Housing
New York City’s public housing authority plans to install 20,000 window heat pumps and 10,000 induction stoves over the next five years. The effort shows how large-scale procurement could help affordable housing providers cut emissions and lower the cost of green upgrades.
Opportunity Zones Got an Upgrade: It’s Time to Give Them a Second Look
State-level processes for nominating tracts for opportunity zone designation are open. The next public process will not occur for another decade. Here is how to get involved.
From Protest to Power: Housing, Capital, and Rev. Jackson’s Unfinished Agenda
Rev. Jesse Jackson’s passing reminds us of the need to combine political and economic organizing—and to translate protest gains into lasting structural change.
In Brazil, Organized Favelas Turn to CLTs to Protect Their Land
In Brazil’s settlements, or favelas, residents risk displacement due to unclear property title—but getting clear title could price them out of the community. Could community land trusts offer a solution to this dilemma?
Proposed Change to Rural Housing Program Would Address Looming Preservation Crisis
Housing affordability is not just an urban problem. Section 515, the federal rural rental assistance program, would be extended in the proposed federal housing bills—with an important rule change.
The White House Rural Housing Budget: The Good, the Bad, and the Bigger Picture
The proposed FY 2027 budget for rural housing shows improvements from last year, but still fundamentally fails to provide the support needed for small towns and rural areas to thrive.
“A Grim March Toward Death”: What HUD’s New Homeless Policy Looks Like on the Ground
Administrators from 55 Continuum of Care sites share their views on how proposed cuts, rapid changes to funding guidelines, and delays are affecting their work.
Are Dedicated ‘Sin Taxes’ a Useful Path for Affordable Housing Funding?
In the hunt for ways to fund affordable housing, taxes on controversial activities from gambling to short-term rentals are often appealing. Here’s how that’s been working in four communities.