Archives
Rescue 311
People in Baltimore worried about losing their homes to foreclosure can now call a city hotline to get help. When they dial 311, the...
Next Time, a Better FEMA
In September Congress passed several reforms to the notorious agency known as FEMA, though it comes far too late for the victims of its...
2006 Housing & Community Development Victories
In 2006, housing advocates across the country scored numerous legislative victories in their states. From new funding sources for housing trust funds to improving local tax credit regulations, policies are now in place to promote the production of affordable housing, protect residents from displacement and help low-income workers afford their housing. Here are some of the highlights.
Aging on the Street
The median age of San Francisco’s homeless population rose from 37 to 46 from 1990 to 2003, according to a recent study by University...
Reclaiming a Community Focused Congress
The 110th Congress: What's in store for housing and community advocates?
Replacing Hotel Housing
Officials in Sacramento, CA, are scrambling to protect the residential hotel units that remain in the city’s downtown for people with very low incomes....
Cincy CDC Settles With Loan Flippers
Price Hill Will, a CDC in Cincinnati, agreed to an out-of-court settlement with a group of mortgage appraisers, investors and brokers that allegedly took...
Making Tax Credits Work for the Disabled
Throughout the country, low-income people with mobility disabilities face an unprecedented and growing housing crisis. Accessibility and housing costs rank high among the problems...
Housing for All
With simple design changes and a few added features, an attractive and functional home can be built for people both with or without disabilities.
NYC Fights Poverty
A new effort by New York City to fight poverty couples local policy changes with a national legislative agenda. The city will offer cash...
Already in My Back Yard
How can long-standing providers of services for the poor resist gentrifying forces to stay in place?
Why CDCs Should Advocate for a Right to Housing
While the Constitution of the United States ensures citizens many rights, housing is not one of them - although such a right has been advocated for many years. _Shelterforce_ asked Chester Hartman and Rachel G. Bratt (co-editors of A Right To Housing, with Michael E. Stone) to discuss this notion of a "right to housing." Bratt explains how a right to housing can advance the work of CDCs. Hartman, answering a series of questions, puts it into the context of other rights Americans expect.
When Goliath Comes
Promise and Betrayal: Universities and the Battle for Sustainable Urban Neighborhoods, by John I. Gilderbloom and R.L. Mullins Jr. Albany: State University of New...
Rhode Island Tenants Fight and Win!
On August 1, 2005, 193 residents at the Barbara Jordan I properties in Providence, Rhode Island, received a letter informing them that the owner...
A Very High Stakes Deal
The $5.4 billion sale of Manhattan's last middle-class enclave might have been prevented if there had been progressive policies in place.
The Struggle for Fairness
On November 7 voters around the nation expressed their disdain for the current Congressional leadership. In January, both Houses will change hands. As the...
Homeless Dumping
Police in Los Angeles are investigating whether a major hospital is dumping homeless patients on the city’s Skid Row. They report having videotaped five...
Reform the Insurers
In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, many Gulf Coast residents were denied insurance payments because the insurers said that storm damage fell outside policy...
Got Voucher, Need Decent Housing
While a Section 8 voucher is a wonderful thing to have, it doesn’t always lead to decent housing. In Birmingham, AL, HUD auditors found...
Putting on the Pressure
Under pressure from local activists, members of the Champaign, IL, city council decided not to repeal protections for tenants with Section 8 vouchers. The...