Practitioner Voice
Shelterforce has always been driven by the voices of the people in the housing field. Practitioner voice pieces are neither reported journalism nor standard opinion pieces, but articles that share knowledge, insight, or examples from people who work or research in the field.
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How a Dallas Housing Coalition Won Bonds for Affordable Housing
Dallas's bonds aren't usually used for housing. A new coalition of advocates changed that.
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Nonprofit Housing Developers Deserve Better LIHTC Terms
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.
Lessons from Detroit: Joining Forces with Resident-Led Groups
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.
In the Rush to Build, Existing Affordable Housing Is Falling Apart
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.
What Do Residents Think of Community Development Organizations?
Research explores residents’ experiences with and observations about community development organizations in four cities.
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.
Why Combining Community Land Trusts and Limited-Equity Cooperatives Benefits Residents
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?
Let’s Harness the Growth of the Shared-Equity Field
Between 2011 and 2022, the number of nonprofits with shared-equity programs and CLTs increased by 30 percent. Here’s a look at the diversity of their programs and portfolios, and who’s benefiting from their rise.
Low-Income Residents of Inclusionary Housing Report Facing More Bias
A survey of Cambridge, Massachusetts, residents found that residents of affordable units in inclusionary housing properties reported frequently experiencing bias, especially from management. Here’s how we can change that.
How the New CRA Rule Will Help, and Where It Falls Short
The assessments that evaluate a bank’s lending practices have improved, but there are several missed opportunities for reform. For one, the new rules won’t incorporate a racial analysis into lending examinations.
What’s Driving Homelessness? It’s Not Immigration and It’s Not Opioids.
Homelessness rose by 12 percent between 2022 and 2023. Blaming drug use and immigration for the increase distracts us from the real causes.
Can Residents Get More Out of Tax Credit Housing?
Arrangements in which LIHTC tenants share in the development’s financial benefits, or become partial or full owners, are rare—but some properties have pulled them off. This scan of several examples shows the possibilities—and the conditions needed for them to succeed.
Memphis Is Shrinking. Here’s Why We Need to Change That
Memphis is struggling with a dwindling population, driven in part by a high crime rate and disinvestment in low-income areas of the city. What are local organizations doing to turn this around?