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

A casually dressed young man and woman sit with their toddler in a small office room. A man with his back to the camera sits at a desk in front of them, with paperwork on the table.

HUD’s Work Requirement and Time Limit Proposals Put Rental Assistance at Risk

July 7, 2026 | Erik Gartland

A proposed HUD rule that would allow housing agencies and subsidized housing owners to impose work requirements and time limits on tenants has drawn nearly 2,000 public comments, most opposing changes that advocates say could threaten housing stability for millions.

Search & Filter Within this Topic

filter by Content Type

filter by Date Range

search by Keyword

About eight people of varied ages and skin tones sit at conference tables placed to create a squared horseshoe shape, of which one side is visible. Several people are wearing masks and nearly all are raising their hands. Behind the row on the right a woman stands holding a sheet of paper.
From the Field

We Need a Plan for Decarbonization That Doesn’t Displace Renters

February 7, 2025 | Chelsea Kirk

More and more cities and states have plans to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions in housing. Here’s how we can avoid possible harms to renters.

A person in blue coveralls stands on a ladder (out of frame) with their head and shoulders above a square cut hole in the ceiling, which is moldy and peeling. The person's arms are reaching up and can't be seen.
From the Field

Condos—a Key Source of Affordable Housing for Homeowners—Are in Jeopardy

January 29, 2025 | Karen Black

Decades of increasing costs and deferred maintenance could lead to people losing their homes, unless changes are made.

A two-story brick school building on a sunny day, seen from across the entrance to the parking lot. Sign in front says "Frederick Elementary School/2501 Frederick Avenue." There are no people in the photo.
From the Field

Rebuilding Together: How One Baltimore Program Advanced Both Education and Community Development

December 5, 2024 | Ariel H. Bierbaum

When Baltimore got funding for a round of school renovations, the state directed it to design schools that would also advance neighborhood revitalization—and it learned some lessons about why that’s not always so simple.

In a large sunny library, a red-haired student sleeps at a large library table covered with books and papers. Their head rests on folded arms across an open book.
From the Field

How These Schools Worked With Community Groups to Fight College Homelessness

November 27, 2024 | Jessica Wolin, Jennifer Wilking and Molly Calhoun

College-focused rapid rehousing aims to support students facing housing instability all the way through graduation.

A light rail train on a city street on a wet fall day. The destination in the front window says "Gresham." The train is going past a row of two-story commercial storefronts built in the late 19th or early 20th century, with ornate molding and trim. Lining the opposite side of the street are trees whose leaves have mostly fallen, but some yellow-orange leaves remain.
From the Field

Can We Resist Displacement From Transit-Oriented Development?

November 7, 2024 | Michael Rodriguez

Transit stations increase nearby jobs and populations, but they could also contribute to displacement. What can we do differently?

A row of about 10 people with other people behind them, most in blue T-shirts and holding up hand-drawn posters saying "Keep Dallas Affordable," "Affordable Housing 4 Veterans," "Todos Mereden Vivienda," and a few others with messages not readable at camera distance.
From the Field

How a Dallas Housing Coalition Won Bonds for Affordable Housing

September 19, 2024 | Bryan Tony and Kate Gustafson

Dallas’s bonds aren’t usually used for housing. A new coalition of advocates changed that.

Parking-lot view of an apartment building in the "5 over 1" style, with a gray exterior at the bottom, the third- and fourth-floor exteriors in bright red, and a lighter gray top level, for a horizontal stripe effect. An end unit is all white, and the row of windows is broken by one projecting all-glass section. To the right of the building is a terrace area with umbrellas and a gathering of people.
Opinion

Nonprofit Housing Developers Deserve Better LIHTC Terms

June 25, 2024 | James Peffley

When it comes to LIHTC deals, nonprofit developers don’t get the same advantages big, for-profit developers do. A new fund is setting out to change that.

Seven people in red T-shirts bearing a logo for CDAD are smiling as they stand in a row on the grass at an outdoor event. They're either dancing or listening to music. Behind them are lots of other people talking, playing, making music. In the background is a large white pavilion tent and off to the left, trees in leaf.
From the Field

Lessons from Detroit: Joining Forces with Resident-Led Groups

May 22, 2024 | Madhavi Reddy

It’s been 14 years since the Community Development Advocates of Detroit opened its membership to resident-led groups. Here’s a look at what they’ve learned about working together and navigating the transition.

Partial view of two houses, semi-attached. The one on the left has been updated and renovated and looks shiny and new. The one on the right is dilapidated, with broken orange roof tiles, grimy and boarded-up windows, and climbing plants taking over the walls.
Opinion

In the Rush to Build, Existing Affordable Housing Is Falling Apart

May 9, 2024 | Priya Jayachandran

With attention—and funding—focused on new housing supply over preservation and operations, even mission-driven nonprofit affordable housing managers are struggling to maintain decent conditions in older affordable housing.

A pyramid-shaped building, mostly white but blue at the top. In front of it is a tall sign that reads "Memphis" in capital letters, with a guitar standing in for the letter I. In front of that is a trestle of brownish metal, and crossing the view diagonally are five parallel power lines.
From the Field

What Do Residents Think of Community Development Organizations?

May 7, 2024 | Dominique Miller, Seth Beattie, Freda Epum and Francis Esmeralda Estrada

Research explores residents’ experiences with and observations about community development organizations in four cities.

A crowd of protesters gather in front of the U.S. supreme court. One woman is speaking. They are holding signs that say "housing solves homelessness" and "housing not handcuffs."
From the Field

What the Grants Pass Case Means—For All of Us

April 26, 2024 | Jesse Rabinowitz

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.

aerial photo of a group of small, colorful homes
From the Field

Why Combining Community Land Trusts and Limited-Equity Cooperatives Benefits Residents

April 5, 2024 | Andrew Heben and Jeffrey Albanese

A church with a shrinking congregation sold its land to SquareOne Villages to develop the Peace Village Co-op, a 70-unit housing development that’s both a community land trust and limited-equity co-op. How does combining these shared-equity homeownership models work?