Tag: affordable housing
How your shadow credit score could decide whether you get an apartment
The vast tenant screening industry is subject to less regulation than credit scoring agencies, even though experts warn that algorithms could introduce racial or other illegal biases that can prevent people from getting housing. by Erin…
In San Francisco, hundreds of homes sit vacant
In spite of a growing Department of Homelessness with an annual budget of $598 million, eligible people still wait months or even years after being approved for assisted housing. Meanwhile, hundreds of units remain unused. by…
Reno Seeks to purchase motels as affordable housing instead of letting developers demolish them
The mayor of Reno did little to stop the razing of motels that housed low-income residents or to replace lost units. Following a ProPublica investigation, that may change. by Anjeanette Damon For more than…
Suspicious of fixes for affordable housing and health care
by Wade Rathke November 19, 2021 New Orleans A headline that promises to offer a “fix” for those of us who want affordable housing and healthcare has to rate as a “must read” in my…
Reno developer plans to demolish motel that serves as housing lifeline
Jeffrey Jacobs has been buying and demolishing Reno motels for years. He promises the low-income tenants who live there he’ll find them a better place. Displaced residents of the Castaway Inn paint a fuller picture of…
He Tore Down Motels Where Poor Residents Lived During a Housing Crisis. City Leaders Did Nothing.
by Anjeanette Damon, photography by David Calvert, special to ProPublica November 12, 2021 Co-published with Reno Gazette Journal For most of his life, Ernest Block has managed to stay one step ahead of homelessness. When he…
Homeownership gap widens
by Wade Rathke September 28, 2021 New Orleans When I wrote Citizen Wealth, published in 2009, I proudly recorded the role that ACORN played in increasing the homeownership rate of Black and Hispanic Americans…
The fight for rent control is global
by Wade Rathke September 25, 2021 Pearl River Talking to Sydnee Blum, ACORN’s head organizer in eastern Canada on Wade’s World, she told a shocking story of a member in one of the neighborhoods who…
Rent squeeze
by Wade Rathke December 16, 2020 Atlanta As the team visits one family after another in apartment complexes in metro Atlanta, after we talk to them about voting, early and by mail, we have been…
Trump races to weaken environmental and worker protections, and implement other last-minute policies, before Jan. 20
The Trump administration is rushing to approve dozens of eleventh-hour policy changes. Among them: The Justice Department is fast-tracking a rule that could reintroduce firing squads and electrocutions to federal executions. by Isaac Arnsdorf Six days…
Demanding White House Climate Office and ‘fierce’ Cabinet picks, groups urge Biden to claim his ‘FDR moment’
“Democrats have a once-in-a-generation moment to deliver policies at the scale of the crises our generation is facing.” by Jon Queally, staff writer Wednesday, November 11 The left is not waiting for permission to be heard—and…
The Kushners’ Freddie Mac loan wasn’t just massive, it came with unusually good terms, too.
Despite a history of underperforming properties, Kushner Companies received a near-record sum from a government-backed lender. Should it default, taxpayers could be forced to foot much of the bill. The agency says politics played no role….
The vultures are circling the housing market
by Wade Rathke September 21, 2020 New Orleans Following right behind the crisis that tenants are facing with the eviction situation clouded in different courts and interpretations and no stimulus in the offing, mortgage holders…
Community land trusts could help heal segregated cities and reduce homelessness
Efforts to build wealth for Black Americans could focus on property ownership. Matt McClain/The Washington Post via Getty Images by Mark Roseland, Arizona State University and Christopher Boone, Arizona State University American cities represent part of the…
Sanders warns nation: Trump is laying groundwork for election result mayhem
“Trump is now using his lies and misinformation to sow confusion and chaos in the election process and undermine American democracy,” says the Vermont senator. by Jon Queally, staff writer Sunday, September 6 Warning of the…
Navigating the eviction relief labyrinth
by Wade Rathke Saturday, September 5 Pearl River All of the headlines read that the Center for Disease Control (CDC) had directed no evictions for the rest of the year. Before we do the happy…
Eviction fears mount as grace period for federal moratorium expires
‘Coming to a Town Near You.’ “It is morally obscene that the American people have to rely on GoFundMe to pay for rent and food,” said Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). by Kenny Stancil, staff writer Tuesday,…
New Communities and community land trusts
by Wade Rathke Greenville Reading in Harper’s about New Communities farming land trust in Georgia celebrating the 50th anniversary since its founding, my memory is playing tricks on me. I keep thinking that I met…
Millions stuck at home with no plumbing, kitchen or space to stay safe
Laura Ungar and Elizabeth Lucas, Kaiser Health News May 12, 2020 In nearly half a million American homes, washing hands to prevent COVID-19 isn’t as simple as soaping up and singing “Happy Birthday” twice while scrubbing….
Progressives call again for ‘Peoples Agenda’ with eyes towards next relief package
“No more waiting for ‘next time.’ Next time is now.” by Andrea Germanos, staff writer Sunday, April 3 As the Senate prepares to reconvene Monday, progressive organizations are encouraging people to put pressure on lawmakers to…
Tens of thousands take part in Covid-19 rent strike across US on May Day
“People aren’t striking because they don’t feel like paying rent. They’re striking because they can’t pay rent.” by Jake Johnson, staff writer Friday, May 1 Tens of thousands of people across the United States are expected…
Airbnb’s gray market is collapsing
Pearl River There were some pieces of the Airbnb business model that had appeal. Homeowners that were willing to open their own homes to visiting guests seemed like it could build relationships and even, dare…
Renters still left out in the cold despite temporary coronavirus protection
by Kirk McClure, University of Kansas and Alex Schwartz, The New School Emergency relief for renters across America may protect them from the threat of eviction during the coronavirus crisis – but it won’t last…
Ilhan Omar bill would cancel all rent and mortgage payments for duration of Covid-19 crisis
“In 2008, we bailed out Wall Street. This time, it’s time to bail out the American people who are suffering.” by Jake Johnson, staff writer Rep. Ilhan Omar on Friday unveiled legislation aimed at providing relief…
