Housing

2024-01-31 21:20:01
by Tom Ramstack
Fair Housing Advocates Ask Congress for Protection From AI Abuses

WASHINGTON — Computer engineers have controlled artificial intelligence in the financial sector so far but now lawyers and regulators need... Read More

WASHINGTON — Computer engineers have controlled artificial intelligence in the financial sector so far but now lawyers and regulators need to oversee the emerging field to avoid injustices, according to housing industry experts at a congressional hearing Wednesday. Otherwise, algorithms... Read More

Biden Administration Encouraging Conversion of Empty Office Space to Affordable Housing

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is launching a multi-agency effort to encourage states and cities to convert more empty... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is launching a multi-agency effort to encourage states and cities to convert more empty office buildings into housing units, with billions of federal dollars available to help spur such transitions. The new initiative, announced... Read More

2023-06-07 18:38:52
by Quinn O'Connor
New House Caucus Seeks to Address Renter Woes

WASHINGTON — Responding to a growing number of constituents whose rents are outpacing their ability to pay them, Rep. Jimmy... Read More

WASHINGTON — Responding to a growing number of constituents whose rents are outpacing their ability to pay them, Rep. Jimmy Gomez, D-Calif., on Wednesday established the first-ever Renters Caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives. "As the burden of rent... Read More

Cities Reviving Downtowns by Converting Offices to Housing

NEW YORK (AP) — On the 31st floor of what was once a towering office building in downtown Manhattan, construction... Read More

NEW YORK (AP) — On the 31st floor of what was once a towering office building in downtown Manhattan, construction workers lay down steel bracing for what will soon anchor a host of residential amenities: a catering station, lounge, fire... Read More

Rent Stabilization Measures Win in US Midterm Election

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Ballot measures in the U.S. to build more affordable housing and protect tenants from soaring rent... Read More

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Ballot measures in the U.S. to build more affordable housing and protect tenants from soaring rent increases were plentiful and fared well in last week's midterm elections, a sign of growing angst over record high rents... Read More

US Retail Sales Were Flat in July as Inflation Takes a Toll

WASHINGTON (AP) — The pace of sales at U.S. retailers was unchanged last month as persistently high inflation and rising... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — The pace of sales at U.S. retailers was unchanged last month as persistently high inflation and rising interest rates forced many Americans to spend more cautiously. Retail purchases were flat after having risen 0.8% in June, the... Read More

2022-08-02 21:28:13
by Tom Ramstack
Skyrocketing Rent Creates a Housing Crisis That Raises More Questions Than Answers

WASHINGTON — The Federal Reserve is bemoaning a new monthly report showing the highest inflation rate since 1982 while housing... Read More

WASHINGTON — The Federal Reserve is bemoaning a new monthly report showing the highest inflation rate since 1982 while housing advocates in the Senate Tuesday said the result could mean more families living in cars. A day earlier was the... Read More

Rents Reach 'Insane' Levels Across US with No End in Sight

Krystal Guerra's Miami apartment has a tiny kitchen, cracked tiles, warped cabinets, no dishwasher and hardly any storage space. But... Read More

Krystal Guerra's Miami apartment has a tiny kitchen, cracked tiles, warped cabinets, no dishwasher and hardly any storage space. But Guerra was fine with the apartment's shortcomings. It was all part of being a 32-year-old graduate student in South Florida,... Read More

2021-09-10 21:31:18
by Tom Ramstack
Congress Tries to Repair Rental Assistance Program

WASHINGTON -- Republican and Democrat lawmakers could not agree on much during Friday’s heated House hearing on the Emergency Rental... Read More

WASHINGTON -- Republican and Democrat lawmakers could not agree on much during Friday’s heated House hearing on the Emergency Rental Assistance Program, except that the funds were not reaching the renters and landlords quickly enough.  “Congress gave the Treasury Department... Read More

2021-08-31 20:38:20
by Tom Ramstack
U.S. Attorney General Asks Lawyers to Help Renters Avoid Evictions

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Justice Department sent out an urgent request this week for attorneys nationwide to volunteer to represent... Read More

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Justice Department sent out an urgent request this week for attorneys nationwide to volunteer to represent an expected flood of renters trying to avoid eviction. A letter from U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland asked "the entire... Read More

Supreme Court Allows Evictions to Resume During Pandemic

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court's conservative majority is allowing evictions to resume across the United States, blocking the Biden... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court's conservative majority is allowing evictions to resume across the United States, blocking the Biden administration from enforcing a temporary ban that was put in place because of the coronavirus pandemic. The court's action ends... Read More

2021-08-26 20:29:49
by Tom Ramstack
Supreme Court Ruling Coming Soon On Federal Eviction Moratorium

WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court is expected to rule within days on a lawsuit by associations of realtors that seek... Read More

WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court is expected to rule within days on a lawsuit by associations of realtors that seek to overturn the federal extension of the eviction moratorium until Oct. 3. In a hearing on Monday, the realtors argued... Read More

2021-08-05 12:23:18
by Alexa Hornbeck
The New Social Determinants Caucus

Two weeks ago, Reps. Cheri Bustos, D-Ill.,Tom Cole, R-Okla., G.K. Butterfield, D-N.C., and Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., created a new Social... Read More

Two weeks ago, Reps. Cheri Bustos, D-Ill.,Tom Cole, R-Okla., G.K. Butterfield, D-N.C., and Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., created a new Social Determinants Caucus, which will coordinate federal investments in health and social drivers of health such as food, housing and transportation.... Read More

2021-08-03 22:09:16
by Dan McCue
CDC Issues Limited New Eviction Moratorium

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a new eviction moratorium that would last until Oct. 3, as the... Read More

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a new eviction moratorium that would last until Oct. 3, as the Biden administration sought to quell intensifying criticism from progressives that it was allowing vulnerable renters to lose their homes during... Read More

2021-08-02 20:28:11
by Tom Ramstack
Rush is on to Extend Eviction Moratorium While Landlords and Republicans Oppose It

WASHINGTON -- The Biden administration announced Monday that it is trying to find a way to extend the federal eviction... Read More

WASHINGTON -- The Biden administration announced Monday that it is trying to find a way to extend the federal eviction moratorium that expired Saturday. As many as 11 million Americans are in danger of losing their homes within weeks after... Read More

Pelosi, Democrats Call on Biden to Extend Eviction Ban

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the House Democratic leaders called on the Biden administration to immediately extend... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the House Democratic leaders called on the Biden administration to immediately extend the nation's eviction moratorium, calling it a "moral imperative" to prevent Americans from being put out of their homes during... Read More

CDC Extends Eviction Moratorium a Month, Says It's Last Time

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration has extended the nationwide ban on evictions for a month to help tenants who... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration has extended the nationwide ban on evictions for a month to help tenants who are unable to make rent payments during the coronavirus pandemic, but it said this is expected to be the last... Read More

Millions Fear Eviction as US Housing Crisis Worsens

NEW YORK (AP) — More than 4 million people say they fear being evicted or foreclosed upon in the coming... Read More

NEW YORK (AP) — More than 4 million people say they fear being evicted or foreclosed upon in the coming months, just as two studies released Wednesday found that the nation's housing availability and affordability crisis is expected to worsen... Read More

2021-03-11 16:55:35
by Victoria Turner
Historic Hearing on Racial Inequality

Paulina Gonzalez-Brito’s grandfather bought a house in a southeast neighborhood of Los Angeles in the 1930s that was designated a... Read More

Paulina Gonzalez-Brito’s grandfather bought a house in a southeast neighborhood of Los Angeles in the 1930s that was designated a “yellow area” under the U.S. Housing and Urban Development redlining map of the time, which singled out neighborhoods based on... Read More

2021-03-05 20:41:52
by Reece Nations
Affordable Housing in Danger in the Lone Star State

AUSTIN, Texas — Texas has long been an attractive hotspot for individuals fleeing their states in search of low taxes... Read More

AUSTIN, Texas — Texas has long been an attractive hotspot for individuals fleeing their states in search of low taxes and affordable housing. But the state’s reputation as an economical place to live might be in danger as cost-of-living expenses... Read More

2021-02-26 18:19:37
by Dan McCue
A New Mayor Champions Keeping COVID-Impacted Families In Their Homes

BOISE, Idaho – To the outsider, it seems like a movie that has a bizarre twist just as the heroine... Read More

BOISE, Idaho – To the outsider, it seems like a movie that has a bizarre twist just as the heroine should be taking her victory lap.  Lauren Stein McLean, an entrepreneur who had served on Boise, Idaho’s city council for... Read More

2021-02-16 15:39:59
by TWN Staff
Biden Extends Ban on Housing Foreclosures

President Joe Biden is extending a ban on housing foreclosures to June 30 to help homeowners struggling during the coronavirus... Read More

President Joe Biden is extending a ban on housing foreclosures to June 30 to help homeowners struggling during the coronavirus pandemic. The moratorium on foreclosures of federally guaranteed mortgages had been set to expire on March 31. On his first... Read More

2021-01-04 14:34:21
by Sean Trambley
House Legislation Provides Rental Assistance to Families in Response to Recessions and Natural Disasters

WASHINGTON – This week, Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., introduced the Crisis Housing Act establishing a new automatic housing assistance program... Read More

WASHINGTON – This week, Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., introduced the Crisis Housing Act establishing a new automatic housing assistance program to provide emergency rental assistance vouchers to households during natural disasters or economic recessions.  “When responding to an unforeseen disaster... Read More

Miami-Dade Is One Storm Away From a Housing Catastrophe. Nearly 1 Million People Are at Risk

MIAMI — As the tail end of one of the most active hurricane seasons in history nears, Miami-Dade County appears... Read More

MIAMI — As the tail end of one of the most active hurricane seasons in history nears, Miami-Dade County appears once again poised to emerge unscathed. The region dodged hurricanes and tropical storms that posed a potential threat to South... Read More

States Raid Fund Meant for Needy Families to Pay for Other Programs

WASHINGTON — Nearly 25 years ago, President Bill Clinton vowed to “end welfare as we know it,” and Congress bought... Read More

WASHINGTON — Nearly 25 years ago, President Bill Clinton vowed to “end welfare as we know it,” and Congress bought in, passing landmark legislation designed to help millions of low-income Americans find work and get off the rolls for good.... Read More

COVID-19 Is About to Make Our Affordable Housing Crisis Much Worse. Here’s One Way to Help Stem the Tide

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic created a global economic downturn, the U.S. faced a mounting affordable housing crisis. In March,... Read More

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic created a global economic downturn, the U.S. faced a mounting affordable housing crisis. In March, the National Low Income Housing Coalition estimated that the U.S. needs at least 7 million more affordable units to sufficiently house extremely... Read More

Ready to Move, Californians Tour Their Top Destination: Texas

PROSPER, Texas — When half a dozen California families arrived in a limo-style bus for a daylong tour of suburban... Read More

PROSPER, Texas — When half a dozen California families arrived in a limo-style bus for a daylong tour of suburban homes for sale north of Dallas on a recent Saturday, the sun was shining but the temperature had dipped below... Read More

2020-01-16 19:10:09
by Dan McCue
NewDEAL Applauds Passage of Renters Choice Legislation in Cincinnati

WASHINGTON - Two months ago, Cincinnati City Councilmember P.G. Sittenfeld told attendees at the NewDEAL Leaders Conference in Washington that... Read More

WASHINGTON - Two months ago, Cincinnati City Councilmember P.G. Sittenfeld told attendees at the NewDEAL Leaders Conference in Washington that he had a plan to remove a significant barrier to housing affordability in his city. This week, he and his... Read More

2019-12-20 18:24:20
by Dan McCue
Rice Pushes for Investigation of Alleged Widespread Bias in Long Island's Housing Market

WASHINGTON - Rep. Kathleen Rice, D-N.Y., is leading a congressional effort to urge the U.S. Justice Department to open an... Read More

WASHINGTON - Rep. Kathleen Rice, D-N.Y., is leading a congressional effort to urge the U.S. Justice Department to open an investigation into potential fair housing violations exposed in a recent report in Newsday, a Long Island newspaper. Using undercover testers... Read More

Homeless Populations Are Surging in the West — Even as Federal Spending Rises

WASHINGTON — More and more people are living on the streets, in makeshift encampments or their cars — what the... Read More

WASHINGTON — More and more people are living on the streets, in makeshift encampments or their cars — what the federal government calls “other places not suitable for human habitation.” While Washington, D.C., lawmakers are sympathetic and ready to increase... Read More

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