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Week of Aug. 14, 2023

'Renters Are Struggling': Economists Back Tenant-Led Push for Federal Rent Control

Jake Johnson, Common Dreams

“We have seen corporate landlords—who own a larger share of the rental market than ever before—use inflation as an excuse to hike rents and reap excess profits beyond what should be considered fair and reasonable,” more than 30 economists noted in a letter to FHFA. Read Full Article

How States Can Use Medicaid to Address Housing Costs

Dori Glanz Reyneri, Manatt Health

The Biden administration has been creating new opportunities for state Medicaid agencies to partner with organizations and providers that address housing insecurity and homelessness. Read Full Article

Black Congregations Are Developing Housing on Church Land

Nadia Mian, Rutgers

Houses of worship find themselves with dwindling congregations, dilapidated church buildings, and underutilized and expansive church property that is difficult and expensive to maintain. Black churches are responding by asking how their properties can serve a different function in the community. Read Full Article

In Case You Missed It

• Poor by Design: SSI Asset Caps

• Vienna Isn’t the Only Example of Transformative Social Housing

• Would More Housing Vouchers Increase Rents?

Industry News

Dominique Merriweather will be the new executive director of Proud Ground. Merriweather will replace Diane Linn, who will leave the position at the end of August. Merriweather previously served as director of finance and business affairs at Innovative Housing Inc.

Events

Age-Friendly Housing in NJ | Tuesday, Aug. 15, noon ET | The Regional Plan Association will host a webinar about how to make communities more age-friendly. Registrants will gain a working knowledge of funding and governance structures and be encouraged to work on their own campaigns to address housing in their communities. Speakers include Harold Simon, Shelterforce’s former executive director. Learn more and register.

You Said It

On “Poor by Design: SSI Asset Caps”

Joanna Ain: Appreciate this great piece by Lara Heard at Shelterforce highlighting how #assetlimits can hurt #LMI households. …  Via LinkedIn

On “Vienna Isn’t the Only Example of Transformative Social Housing”

Abbott Gorin: John Boughton’s interview covered a great deal of ground. In his reference to the high standards that initial council housing was built too; it is important to remember that opposition to President Truman’s desire to build more public housing, came from the private sector concerned that the proposals were too good, (Author Rachel Pratt). Private builders thought that …  Read More

On “The Dirty Little Secret—Rising Property Values Are Incompatible with Affordability”

Joshua: Making the cost of holding land too expensive will drive down the selling price of land. The revenue gained from collecting taxable land values can go to affordable housing trust funds and even acquiring land that local and state governments often hold. Read More

On “Developing Housing that Welcomes People With Developmental Disabilities”

Jim Karpe: … Alternative housing models as described in the article can work for a much wider range of people, including those who require 24/7 monitoring and care. When we start setting limits on who is ‘allowed’ to participate in the community, we start down a slippery slope . . . Read More

Reporting Fellow, Shelterforce, Remote ● Shelterforce is hiring a reporting fellow to cover a range of housing-related news stories. (See our coverage here.) This is a contract position, starting at six months, renewable for longer terms. The reporting fellow will work closely with Shelterforce’s editor in chief and managing editor to . . . Read Full Listing

Risk Manager, AHC Inc., Arlington, VA ● AHC Inc. seeks an analytical and problem solver Risk Manager for this newly developed position. You need to be able to quantify risks and provide a mitigation strategy. AHC is a nonprofit developer of affordable housing communities in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C., and . . . Read Full Listing

Real Estate Development Project Manager, RUPCO Inc., Kingston, NY ● The Real Estate Project Manager is responsible for leveraging their skills experience in affordable housing best practices to take a significant leadership role in the creation of new housing for RUPCO’s growing portfolio. Must have experience and be technically proficient in aspects of . . . Read Full Listing

Communications Manager, Center for Community Land Trust, Remote ● The Center for Community Land Trust (CLT) Innovation seeks to hire a Communications Manager as a full-time employee. This is a fully remote position, with the expectation of international travel at least once per year. We are looking for someone to play a key role in co-designing and . . . Read Full Listing

Director of Real Estate, Homeowners Rehab Inc., Cambridge, MA ● Homeowners Rehab Inc (HRI) seeks a motivated and experienced affordable housing developer to lead our Real Estate Development Department. HRI was founded in 1972 to support low- and moderate-income homeownership in Cambridge (MA). Today, we are a well-respected regional nonprofit developer . . . Read Full Listing

Resident Services Coordinator, Washington, DC ● National Housing Trust

Real Estate Development Manager, Fresno, CA ● Fresno Housing

Project Director, San Rafael, CA ● City of San Rafael

Executive Director, Ann Arbor, MI ● Avalon Housing

CEO/Publisher, Schlonn Hawkins

CEO/Editor-in-Chief, Miriam Axel-Lute

Managing Editor, Lillian M. Ortiz

Investigative Reporter, Shelby R. King

Associate Editor, Lara Heard

Assistant Editor, Elizabeth Sheedy

● Robert Wood Johnson Foundation ● The Kresge Foundation ● Oak Foundation

● Wells Fargo

and

● The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation ● JPMorgan Chase Foundation

● Kaiser Permanente ● NeighborWorks America ● PNC Bank Foundation  

● Surdna Foundation ● Valley National Bank

... and with the support of readers like you.

Shelterforce began in 1975 and is the oldest, national, independent, nonprofit community development publication in America. Whether you provide or support affordable housing, economic or workforce development, community organizing, arts and culture, community planning, health, or transportation, Shelterforce will help you do your work better tomorrow than yesterday. Help keep us strong by making a tax-deductible donation today.

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