Frequently Asked Questions

Who We Are

What is the National Housing Institute and how does it relate to Shelterforce?

The National Housing Institute (NHI) is the 501(c)3 organization that publishes Shelterforce. NHI has also done some research and holds periodic convenings, but our primary purpose is and always has been Shelterforce.

Why are you called Shelterforce?

Shelterforce was started as a tenants’ organizing publication in 1975, so our name evokes the idea of being a force for [decent, affordable] shelter, or perhaps forcing reluctant landlords to provide it.

So do you basically cover housing issues?

Though that is our history (and therefore reflected in our names), and we do cover a lot of affordable housing topics, we recognize that housing by itself is not enough to create healthy neighborhoods or stable, empowered households. Therefore for the last 15 years or more we have covered the full range of topics that might fall under the heading of community development, including transportation, economic development, creative placemaking, healthy communities, community organizing, and much more.

Funding

How are you funded?

Like every other mission-oriented publication, we are primarily reliant on grants and donations. We are grateful to our funders for their support. While our earned income from advertising is important, it does not, and is unlikely to ever cover the full costs of producing Shelterforce. Help us keep doing our good work with a one-time or recurring donation.

Do your funders have a say in your content?

No! We maintain strict editorial independence, and have been known to criticize the hand that feeds us more than once. Many of our funders do have good insights on the field, and good connections or ideas, and we treat these with the same standards as ideas from any other source. Sometimes we do accept grants to allow us to increase coverage in specific areas that we already had an interest in covering, but we maintain editorial control of what we write.

Resources

Can you help me find housing?

No, we are a media organization, not a social service or housing provider. If you are looking for affordable housing, or housing-related legal assistance, there are places you can go for help, but they vary widely from state to state.

Learn more on this resource page.

Can I place a paid blog post on your site?

No! We do not accept paid editorial content. Advertising must be clearly identifiable as such.

Do you take ads?

Yes! See here for more details.

Publications

Do you accept submissions?

Yes! See here for more details.

When did you stop your print publication?

In 2020 we made the decision to cease our quarterly print publication so that we can focus our time and resources on producing more—and better—stories, and getting them online more quickly, where the vast majority of our readers already are. Since then, we’ve launched Under the Lens, Shelterforce’s deep dives into a single topic or theme.