Showing posts with label housing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label housing. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 31, 2024

Harvard Study Finds Rental Affordability Lowest Ever

The just-released Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies report America's Rental Housing 2024 has found that in 2022 an all-time high of 22.4 million renters spent over 30% of their income on rent and utilities. Among cost-burdened households, 12.1 million had housing costs that were more than half of their income, an all-time high for such severe burdens. The dwindling supply of low-rent units is only worsening cost burdens, according to the report. As the study explains: "Climbing rents in recent years propelled US cost burdens to staggering new heights: in 2022, half of all US renters were cost burdened. And while rental markets are finally cooling, evictions have risen, the country is seeing the highest homelessness counts on record, and the need for rental assistance is greater than ever."

The negative personal impacts of such tight budgets force financially vulnerable renters to make awful choices. Harvard Joint Center analysis of the 2022 Consumer Expenditure Survey found that severely cost-burdened renter households in the lowest expenditure quartile spent 39% less on food and 42% less on healthcare than unburdened households. Others may end up living in overcrowded or  structurally inadequate conditions, threatening their health and well-being.

Local Data

For the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson area, 86% of renters are considered moderately burdened by the report, and 103% severely burdened. This geographic combination is the sole local breakdown available in the study.

Concerning the renters' race, about 175,000 renters in the area are Black, 134,000 White, 25,000 Hispanic/Latino, 18,000 Asian, and 18,000 multi-racial or another race. Some 52.1% of Blacks are renters, 21.1% of Whites, 45.8% of Hispanics/Latinos, 31.2% of Asians, and 50.1% multi-racial or another race.

Read the Harvard Joint Center study

Go to the Harvard report's summary page.



Tuesday, November 28, 2023

Conference Assesses Positive Housing Opportunity Programs

"Connecting HUD-Assisted Renters to Opportunity"

A recent HUD report published in HUD User reports on the Bipartisan Policy Center's August, 2023 online event, “Investing in Opportunity: Rental Assistance and Neighborhoods of Choice,” featuring recent research from Opportunity Insights (OI) on the Seattle-based "Creating Moves to Opportunity" program along with a general discussion of the challenges and benefits for housing choice voucher (HCV) recipients moving to low-poverty, high-opportunity neighborhoods.

OI detailed recent research showing that children's upward economic mobility varies widely across neighborhoods nationwide. Studies have also shown that moving to higher-opportunity neighborhoods at younger ages can significantly improve outcomes later in life. Considerable research demonstrates that housing location affects essential outcomes, such as income and health, for residents, and that living in low-poverty neighborhoods with high-quality schools and low crime rates is associated with increased economic mobility and other positive effects. However, housing in these neighborhoods often is unaffordable for low-income families. 

Low-income families trying to access housing in high-opportunity neighborhoods face two big challenges: (1) finding a home to rent - one-third of high-opportunity neighborhoods are "rental deserts," many with exclusively or primarily single-family homes - and (2) being able to afford the rent. The assistance of counselors or coaches can help, especially when they are members or representatives of the community. 

For landlords, participation in the HCV program involves additional steps and paperwork, producing delays and uncertainty. Enterprise Community Partners urged policy changes to lower the regulatory burden for landlords to participate in the program and reduce the time to lease to a voucher holder.

Programs that provide housing vouchers and also ensure that the vouchers compete with market-rate rents, lower regulatory burdens for landlords, and provide additional financial supports can help low-income renters move to opportunity neighborhoods. Seattle's "Creating Moves to Opportunity" program and programs providing mobility-related services under HUD's Community Choice Demonstration are successful at increasing opportunity for HUD-assisted renters. 

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Source: Read the October 3, 2023 HUD User report.

Thursday, November 2, 2023

 FAIR HOUSING E-NEWS

October, 2023

 

Welcome to this edition of Fair Housing E-News! This newsletter is produced by the GBCHRB as a public service. More info/resources: http://www.gbchrb.org. Just a few of the headlines are:

Baltimore Civil Rights Week 2023 is October 30-November 3rd. Civil Rights Week 2023 is held by the Baltimore City Office of Equity and Civil Rights (OECR). Civil Rights Week 2023 Sponsorship Packages.

 Project Begun to Increase Accessibility of Baltimore-Area Houses of Worship. To help religious leaders make their houses of worship more welcoming to people with disabilities and their families, the Kennedy Krieger Institute’s Maryland Center for Developmental Disabilities has started its Faith Community Learning Collaborative. : Read the September 11, 2023 Baltimore Sun article.

 Massachusetts Study of Housing Mobility Program Finds Positive ResultsRead the Full Report and Executive Summary.

Study Links Historic Redlining to Worse Cardiovascular Health for VeteransRead the July16, 2023 Washington Post article.

2022 Saw the Highest Rate of Recorded Antisemitic Incidents in the US and Maryland Sees Antisemitic Graffiti and Noxious High School Behavior. Read the October 13, 2023 CNN article. Read the September 20, 2023 CBS News report. Read the September 20, 2023 WBALTV article.

 Florida Bank that Denied Loans to Blacks, Hispanics to Pay $9 MillionRead the October 19, 2023 Washington Post article.

To read this issue of Fair Housing E-News: fhnews2023oct.pdf.

Contact the GBCHRB for free Fair Housing training.


GBCHRB 

P. O. Box 66180

Baltimore, Maryland 21239-6180

http://www.gbchrb.org

443.347.3701 


Thursday, September 7, 2023

Author of "The Black Butterfly" to Speak at Free September 16th Symposium

 

Attendees will hear from housing experts on topics such as: Recouping Money Damages to Your Unit, Housing Law Updates, Innovation in Development like Tiny Homes, Apply for Housing Grants, and so much more!


The Keynote Speaker at this event is Dr. Lawrence Brown, author of The Black Butterfly, a novel that addresses the intersections of racial equity and housing.


CLICK HERE to register!

Wednesday, August 16, 2023

 Housing Discrimination on Basis of Criminal History Outlawed


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August 15, 2023  

2-Year Evaluation Released of Benefits of Cook County, Illinois, Ban of Housing Discrimination Based on Criminal History


In 2019, Cook County enacted the Just Housing Amendment (JHA) to ensure equitable housing access for individuals with criminal records. The JHA thus helps these individuals obtain safe, stable, and affordable housing. The ordinance prohibits people who are selling or leasing housing units from soliciting criminal background information until an applicant has been determined to be otherwise qualified to occupy a residence. The Cook County Commission on Human Rights (CCCHR), which is responsible for protecting county residents and workers from discrimination and wage theft, subsequently amended its rules and regulations to include interpretive rules for JHA.
Managed by the Cook County Commission on Human Rights (CCCHR), JHA employs a dual-phase screening process: applicants are initially evaluated based on non-criminal criteria, followed by a comprehensive criminal background check considering offense details and rehabilitation efforts. The CCCHR's commitment to fostering fairness is demonstrated by their proactive policy approach and continued assessments of the JHA's effectiveness. Learn more about how CCCHR enforces the JHA here.
As part of its duties, CCCHR has prepared two annual evaluations of JHA and the commission’s interpretive rules. Enforcement data from the most recent evaluation in 2022 indicate that CCCHR has received a total of 38 complaints related to JHA violations. Of these complaints, 26 concerned improper denials based on criminal conviction history, and 12 concerned discriminatory advertisements that included illegal wording such as “no felons” and “no convicted drug dealers.” Twenty-seven of the complaints have been closed. Of the closed cases, 18 resulted in monetary awards totaling approximately $31,000 as well as training for housing providers, 2 cases resulted in the complainant being rehoused, and 7 complaints were withdrawn.
The 2022 report also describes CCCHR’s outreach, training, and intragovernmental coordination meetings. One significant effort during the previous year was CCCHR’s incorporation of the two-step process into software that small landlords commonly use for applicant screening. With the updated software, CCCHR estimates that more than 7,000 housing applications per month will undergo JHA-compliant screening.
Visit HUD User’s RBC In Depth page to learn more about Cook County's Just Housing Amendment, as well as other plans and initiatives that state and local governments have enacted to reduce impediments to affordable housing.

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Sources: U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD), HUD User.

https://www.huduser.gov/portal/rbc/indepth.html.

https://www.cookcountyil.gov/content/just-housing-amendment-human-rights-ordinance.

Monday, July 10, 2023

 Book Review:

Just Action: How to Challenge Segregation Enacted Under the Color of Law

by Leah Rothstein and Richard Rothstein


352 pages. W.W. Norton, 2023. Hardcover, $25.00

In his best-selling book The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America (W.W. Norton, 2017), Richard Rothstein provided “the most forceful argument ever published on how federal, state, and local governments gave rise to the reinforced neighborhood segregation” (William Julius Wilson). This book discusses specific instances, strategies, and organizations that are successfully working to reduce housing segregation. According to Lisa Rice, president of the National Fair Housing Alliance: Just Action "contains plain, concrete actions we can take to be agents of change in the neighborhoods where we live, moving our nation closer to the ideals upon which it was founded. Just Action is the book America needs for this moment." 

Sources:






Tuesday, May 23, 2023

 Fair Housing Training May 22-June 23

Free Fair Housing Training Offered by Economic Action Maryland

Too many renters still face discrimination - often without knowing it. Renters have rights! Economic Action Maryland is offering free, online training to educate tenants about their fair housing rights, and what to do if they have faced discrimination. 

Check out the schedule below. Can’t make it at that time? A recording of the training will be available to all training registrants: info@econaction.org.

Know Your Rights: Fair Housing 101 - This workshop reviews the basics of Fair Housing laws, including the protected classes in Maryland, examples of housing discrimination, and what to do if you think you’ve experienced illegal housing discrimination. Offered twice! Friday May 26, 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. and Friday June 9, 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

Know Your Rights: Disability and Housing - As many as 20% of all Marylanders have a disability. The Fair Housing Act not only protects people with disabilities from housing discrimination, it also affords them additional housing rights. Learn about your right to accommodations and modifications, how to advocate for yourself, and what to do if your housing provider denies your request. Offered twice! Friday June 2, 10:00a - 11:00 a.m. and Friday June 16, 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

Know Your Rights: HOME Act - In 2020, Maryland expanded its fair housing laws by passing the HOME Act, which adds "source of income" as a protected class. This extends fair housing rights to people with government assistance like section 8 vouchers and eviction prevention funds, as well as others with non-wage income. Learn about your newest fair housing rights and how to report discrimination. Friday June 23, 10:00 a.m - 11:00 a.m.

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P.S. If you aren’t already a member, we would love to have you join! Members give us power and strength. You can join as an individual or organizational member. If you can’t join as a member, consider a one-time or sustaining donation. We’re up against highly paid Annapolis lobbyists and your support enables us to be in Annapolis and win these fights for economic rights.

Support Economic Justice

Economic Action Maryland

2209 Maryland Ave  | Baltimore, Maryland 21218

(410) 220-0494 | info@econaction.org


Monday, April 24, 2023

 HUD Fair Housing Month 

Building an Equitable Future: HUD Conversation with Gen Z College Students

Actions Panel

Building an Equitable Future: HUD Conversation with Gen Z College Students

Join HUD's Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) for a virtual housing policy conversation with Gen Z college students.

By HUD's Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity
197 followers

When and where

Date and time

Wednesday, April 26 · 2 - 3:30pm EDT

Location

Online

About this event

  • 1 hour 30 minutes
  • Mobile eTicket

During Fair Housing Month, HUD is commemorating the 55th anniversary of the Fair Housing Act with events highlighting the impact and significance of this landmark civil rights law. Please join the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) on Wednesday, April 26 at 2:00 P.M. (EDT) via webcast for the Fair Housing Month 2023 National Activity, Building an Equitable Future: A Housing Policy Conversation with Gen Z College Students.

In recognition of this year’s Fair Housing Month theme, Choices for All Voices: Building an Equitable Future, FHEO will host a virtual conversation with Gen Z college students. Their conversation will explore housing policy and the importance of securing fair housing protections for the new generation of housing consumers.

The event will feature the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for FHEO, Demetria L. McCain, the Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Policy, Legislative Initiatives and Outreach, DeAndra J. Cullen, and a panel of Gen Z college students.

For more information, visit the Fair Housing Month 2023 webpage. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook for news and updates throughout Fair Housing Month.

We hope you will join us as we engage with the new generation of housing consumers and advocates.


 HUD Fair Housing Month Proclamation

April is National Fair Housing Month!

This year, we commemorate the 55th anniversary of the passage of the Fair Housing Act, the landmark civil rights law signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson on April 11, 1968, that made discrimination in housing transactions unlawful. The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing because of race, color national origin, religion, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, and familial status. For more information about your fair housing rights, visit FHEO's website.

 

Celebrate With Us: 
Fair Housing Month Events

 

Fair Housing Month 2023 Opening Ceremony

Fair Housing Month 2023 Opening Ceremony

FHEO hosted the Fair Housing Month Opening Ceremony on April 11.

Watch the recording (coming soon)

Fair Housing Month 2023 National Event

Fair Housing Month 2023 National Event

Register to watch the National Event, Building an Equitable Future: A Housing Policy Conversation with Gen Z College Students, on Wednesday, April 26 at 2:00 p.m. EDT

Fair Housing Poster and Virtual Backgrounds

Fair Housing Poster and Virtual Backgrounds

For more Fair Housing Month resources, visit FHEO’s Outreach Tools Page.

 

Opening Ceremony Features

 

Marcia L. Fudge

Marcia L. Fudge, HUD Secretary

Demetria L. McCain

Demetria L. McCain, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity

Lee Porter

Lee Porter, Executive Director, The Fair Housing Council of Northern New Jersey

 


Wednesday, March 29, 2023

 HUD Housing Summit 2023

HUD Bridging the Wealth Gap: Asset Building and Economic Justice Summit

May 1, 2023

11am - 4pm ET,

Robert C. Weaver Federal Building, 451 7th Street, SW, Washington, D.C. 20410

In person / Virtual option available

In addition to housing, asset building and financial empowerment are key components of HUD’s efforts to support those who have been historically underserved. During this hybrid convening, attendees will hear from HUD leadership and peers about the importance of leveraging housing as a platform to build assets and work towards economic justice. Participants will engage with community leaders, staff from across the federal government, policy experts, affordable housing practitioners, and other stakeholders in the field.

Housing, asset building, and financial empowerment are key components of HUD’s efforts to support those who have been historically underserved.

Learn about the importance of housing as a platform for asset building and economic justice. Engage with community leaders, staff from across the federal government, policy experts, affordable housing practitioners, and other stakeholders. 

Register for the HUD Summit.

Friday, March 24, 2023

 Fair Housing Law

HUD Restores “Discriminatory Effects” Rule to Strengthen Fair Housing Enforcement

On March 17th, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced that it has submitted to the Federal Register a Final Rule entitled Restoring HUD's Discriminatory Effects Standard. This cancels HUD's 2020 rule that weakened Fair Housing Act disparate impact claims and restores the 2013 discriminatory effects rule. In the new Rule, HUD states that the 2013 rule is more consistent with how the Fair Housing Act pertains to the courts, and that it more effectively implements the Act's remedial purpose of eliminating unnecessary discriminatory practices from the housing market.

The restored discriminatory effects policy (which includes disparate impact and perpetuation of segregation) provides a strong means to tackle those policies that unnecessarily cause systemic housing  inequality, even if not adopted with discriminatory intent. For many years, it has been used to challenge policies that exclude people from housing opportunities, including zoning requirements, lending and property insurance policies, and criminal records policies. 

The rescinded 2020 rule weakened HUD's 2013 discriminatory effects rule that legally supported Fair Housing Act cases involving discriminatory effects for cases filed with HUD and by private plaintiffs. The 2013 rule was that a policy with a discriminatory effect on a protected class was illegal if it did not produce a substantial nondiscriminatory interest or if a less discriminatory alternative could also serve that interest. The 2020 rule added new pleading requirements, new proof requirements, and new defenses that made it more difficult to prove that a policy violating the Fair Housing Act was lawful. 

Due to a court ruling halting the implementation of the 2020 Rule in Massachusetts Fair Housing Center v. HUD, the 2020 Rule never went into effect. 

Read HUD’s Final Rule on Restoring HUD's Discriminatory Effects Standard.

For more information, read this Fact Sheet.

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Read the March 17, 2023 HUD press release.

Monday, February 6, 2023

Educational Webinar

HUD Appraisal Bias Webinar Series for Housing Counselors

HUD is developing a process for borrowers seeking Federal Housing Administration (FHA) financing to request an appraisal review when they suspect racial bias. The National Fair Housing Training Academy has an upcoming three-part series titled Combating Appraisal Bias Series: Identify, Empower, and Collaborate.

HUD’s Office of Housing Counseling (OHC) and the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) are working together to combat appraisal bias. The work of the Property Appraisal and Valuation Equity (PAVE) task force includes developing strategies and action plan steps that housing counselors can adopt to best serve their clients. The PAVE Task Force was directed to evaluate the causes, extent, and consequences of appraisal bias and to recommend actions to reduce racial and ethnic bias in home valuations.

There will be three educational webinar sessions. The first session will feature an engaging roundtable format where consumers and HCAs share their experiences from two different markets in the country. The second and third sessions will discuss the work of the PAVE Task Force, the PAVE Action Plan, and highlight tools, strategies, and next steps for HCAs.

HCA participants will learn: (1) How to raise awareness of appraisal bias and how appraisal bias can be identified; (2) How appraisal bias impacts consumers; (3) How to assist consumers who may have been subjected to biased appraisals; (4) What commitments federal agencies have made to root out appraisal bias; and (5) How to share strategies and available resources which can support housing counselors and empower their clients.

Appraisal Bias and the Generational Wealth Gap Roundtable - Racial bias in the home appraisal process, what consumers need to know, and solutions to combat it. January 31, 2023 1:00 - 2:30 PM. Register Now.

What Housing Counselors Need to Know - Strategies in the PAVE Action Plan to combat bias and current available resources to support impacted individuals. February 22, 2023 2:00 - 3:30 PM . Register Now.

Housing Counseling and FHEO Agencies Combining Forces to Combat Appraisal Bias - Practical steps housing counseling agencies, FHIPs, and FHAPs can take to combat appraisal bias and protections under the Fair Housing and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act. March 15, 2023 2:00 - 4:00 PM .

Consumer Story: Black Family Sees Home Value Increase $500K After Erasing Themselves from Appraisal.

Consumer Story: Couple's Home Value Rose nearly $300K After it was Shown by White Colleague.

A federally-commissioned report from the National Fair Housing Alliance identifies recommendations to address racial discrimination in home appraisals.

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Sources



Wednesday, February 1, 2023

 HUD Improves Housing Options for Victims of Domestic Violence

Fair Housing News - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

WASHINGTON - Today, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced new resources to advance housing protections for survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). These resources include a new VAWA website, a Notice setting out HUD’s enforcement authority under VAWA, and up to $5 million in funding to provide VAWA training and technical assistance to HUD grantees and other stakeholders.

“No one should have to choose between maintaining housed and staying safe. The Violence Against Women Act makes clear that survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking cannot be denied housing and are eligible for an emergency transfer should the need arise,” said Secretary Marcia L. Fudge. “We are making these protections clear on HUD’s website, so landlords are aware of our requirements and survivors know their rights.”

Under VAWA, applicants and tenants of certain HUD rental assistance programs may not be denied housing, evicted, or have their housing assistance terminated because they have experienced domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking. Additionally, survivors must be able to access certain remedies, such as the ability to request an emergency transfer for safety reasons related to the violence.

If a housing provider or survivor is unclear on VAWA’s protections, they can visit the newly launched webpage, which serves as a clearinghouse for HUD’s VAWA resources. The site features FAQs on VAWA housing protections, VAWA trainings, related forms and legal authorities, as well as referrals to direct services for survivors.

On March 15, 2022, President Biden signed into law the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022 (VAWA 2022), which enhances housing protections for survivors applying for and living in units assisted by HUD programs. VAWA 2022 protects an individual’s right to call emergency services and report crime from their homes – meaning that families do not have to fear losing their housing if they need to call 9-1-1. The protections also ensure that individuals do not have to fear retaliation from their housing provider for exercising their rights under VAWA or assisting others in doing so, including filing VAWA complaints.

Further, in a Notice published today, HUD establishes that the Department will implement and enforce VAWA in such way that provides the same rights and remedies as those provided under the Fair Housing Act. Accordingly, HUD’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) may exercise discretion to investigate alleged or suspected non-compliance with VAWA, similar to how it may do so under the Fair Housing Act. VAWA also requires federal agencies, including HUD, to establish a process to review compliance with the applicable requirements in VAWA. HUD will implement this broader compliance review obligation, as discussed in more detail in the Notice. To the extent possible, HUD will identify existing compliance review procedures that already allow for such reviews, including those currently administered by FHEO.

“FHEO has long worked to eradicate discrimination in housing. With this new authority to enforce the housing provisions of VAWA, FHEO is committed to protecting the rights of VAWA survivors and their families,” said Demetria L. McCain, HUD’s Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity.

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Source: HUD press release, February 1, 2023.