Tag: explainer
What Is Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing?
Shelterforce has put together a short video to explain what "Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing," or AFFH, means, and the history of its enforcement.
Tenant Protections 101
Tenant advocates have long been pushing for a “tenants bill of rights” to codify rules that protect renters from landlords. Here’s a rundown of the top protections housing justice activists say need to be included.
What Is the Financialization of Housing?
It's a wonky term with real-life consequences. At its most basic level, the "financialization of housing" means treating a home like a financial asset first, and a place to live second. But there are many more perspectives.
Q: Would More Housing Vouchers Increase Rents?
A: So far, researchers haven't found that an increase in vouchers by itself causes rents to rise.
ADUs: Defined, Disambiguated, and Debated
Accessory dwelling units are being touted as a way to provide more affordable rental units for tenants, and additional monthly income for homeowners. But some cities allow them, others don’t. So what are ADUs exactly?
What’s an Accessory Dwelling Unit?
The cost of housing has skyrocketed across the United States. As a response, some states and localities have legalized accessory dwelling units in hopes of expanding the supply of affordable housing. But what are ADUs?
Alphabet Soup: Breaking Down All Those Housing and Community Development Terms
Confused by the acronyms and initials dotting your reading material? All fields have them, and housing is no exception. Here’s what many of the most common mean.
What Is NIMBYism and How Do Affordable Housing Developers Respond to...
NIMBYism is often expressed as concerns about crime, congestion, schools, property values, and “quality of life.” But when developments are built these fears rarely come to pass.
What Does ‘Gentrification’ Really Mean?
The word "gentrification" has become a widespread and highly debated term. We’ve found that there are (at least) four broad kinds of things that people mean when they say they are concerned about “gentrification."
Understanding Community Land Trusts
What are CLTs? How do they work? What are the benefits and areas of concern? An overview.
Q: Does the CDC’s Extension of the Eviction Moratorium Mean No...
Even with the moratorium in place through July 31, there have been and will continue to be many, many Americans who lose their homes.
Q: Who Enforces CRA?
Why are there three different agencies enforcing the Community Reinvestment Act, or CRA? Who does each agency enforce it on?
Q: What Do All These Rent Regulation Terms Mean?
As rents have been rising, organizing for rent regulations have gained steam. However, the terms used to describe rent regulations can be unclear.
Q: Did Extending More Credit to Subprime Borrowers Cause the Foreclosure...
There are people who believe that the foreclosure crisis occurred because too many unqualified borrowers became homeowners. What actually happened was ...
Q: Is Rental Housing a Rural Issue?
Yes! Although homeownership rates are higher in rural areas, there is still a significant rural population that needs rental housing.
Q: Can Including Rent and Utility Payments in Credit Scores Reduce...
Including rent and utility payments in credit reports and scoring models can increase credit scores, and reduce racial disparities in credit scores.
Q: Does Airbnb Cause Rents to Increase?
A: Yes! Since hosts can make 50 to 200 percent more on short-term rentals than on long-term rentals, Airbnb affects purchase prices as well.
Q: Can Nonprofits Get Out the Vote?
A. Yes! Nonprofits are often uncertain about what they can legally do, but they can get out the vote among their residents, clients, and staff.
Q: Can Prohibiting Source-of-Income Discrimination Help Voucher Holders?
A: Yes. Landlords in most places can discriminate against voucher holders, and many do. This often keeps voucher holders in a few segregated neighborhoods.
Q: Why Don’t People Who Get Rental Assistance Get a Job?
A: More than half are elderly or disabled. Of the rest, most of them do have a job! Ninety-four percent of rental assistance receipts are ...