Housing/Homelessness / Public News Service

Though Connecticut's benefits cliff persists, there are other programs helping people maintain benefits of some kind when their income pushes them over the limit. (Adobe Stock)

Wednesday, April 24, 2024

CT Day of Action raises awareness on 'benefits cliff'

Today, groups working with lower-income families in Connecticut are raising awareness about the state's "benefits cliff" with a day of action…

Grass-fed beef is prepared for serving at an industry event called the Meat Summit. (Roots of Change)

Wednesday, April 24, 2024

'Regenerative' beef gets boost from California universities

By Naoki Nitta for Civil Eats.Broadcast version by Suzanne Potter for California News Service reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Public Ne…

According to Zillow, the typical value of homes in North Carolina is about $329,225. North Carolina home values have gone up 4.6% over the past year. (Adobe Stock)

Tuesday, April 23, 2024

Rural North Carolina town gets pathway to homeownership

Residents in a rural North Carolina town grappling with economic challenges are getting a pathway to homeownership. In Enfield, the average annual …

Estimates find 3.4 million New York renters are left out of the state's new

Monday, April 22, 2024

Advocates: NY budget erodes tenant, housing protections

New York State housing advocates say they are furious about the so-called "good cause eviction bill" in the new state budget. It grants tenant …

A housing package passed in Salem aims to create more housing in Oregon cities of all sizes. (RG/Adobe Stock)

Next steps after OR legislators make 'groundbreaking' housing investments

Oregon lawmakers passed a major housing package in this year's session, but said easing the state's housing crisis will take more work. Bills passed …

More than 400,000 people live in poverty in Arkansas, according to the Center for American Progress. (W.Scott McGill/AdobeStock)<br />

'Day on the Hill' in Arkansas calls for investment in families

Family advocates are at the State Capital for a "Day on the Hill" rally today, to voice their concerns to lawmakers about issues affecting Arkansans' …

The majority of women veterans are not enrolled in Veteran Health Administration care, yet these women have experienced a more than sixty-percent increase in suicide rates over the past two decades. (Adobe Stock)

ME women veterans request counselors for military sexual trauma

Advocates for women veterans, who've experienced sexual trauma while serving in the military, are asking state lawmakers for much-needed funding…

Montana's homelessness problem is a combination of unprecedented growth, mental health problems and higher housing costs, according to groups working to shelter more people. (2023 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report)

MT homeless population increase leads the nation

A new report shows Montana has the nation's most rapidly rising homeless population. Advocates for more affordable housing call the situation …

From September 2020 through 2021, more than 60 million Americans volunteered a total of more than 4 billion hours. (DC Studio/Adobe Stock)

Volunteers an essential part of NE Community Action Partnerships

April is National Volunteer Month, and Nebraskans rank high nationwide for their willingness to volunteer. In the most recent Census Bureau/…

More than 650,000 Americans experienced homelessness on a single night in 2023. (Victoria/Adobe Stock)

SCOTUS to hear Oregon case on criminalizing homelessness

A case out of Oregon soon to be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court could have a major impact on how cities treat homelessness. Oral arguments for …

According to House Bill 1017, a person commits the offense of unlawful squatting when they

Georgia to strengthen property owners' rights against squatters

Georgia lawmakers appear to be taking a major step toward safeguarding property owners against people who occupy homes or apartments illegally…

Older Coloradans who may have never been issued a birth certificate because they were born at home qualify for assistance getting vital documents, including identification cards but many cannot access Colorado's Necessary Documents Program. (Adobe Stock)

Cutting red tape to access IDs and other vital documents

Advocates are urging Colorado lawmakers to make key improvements to a state program seen as critical to helping people fleeing domestic violence or ex…

An estimated 57% of people facing homelessness in Utah are white, 38% are Black and 28% are Latino, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness. The group says the figures

UT governor signs slew of bills targeting homelessness, mental health

Almost 2,900 people are unsheltered on any given night in the Beehive State. Gov. Spencer Cox is celebrating signing nine bills he says are geared …

A New York University report recommended lawmakers establish a statewide rental registry system, which could create more transparency in the rental market by forcing landlords to report rents and annual increases. (Adobe Stock)

Report: NY should evaluate pros, cons of 'good cause' eviction

As New York housing advocates demand state lawmakers pass a bill to keep landlords from evicting renters without "good cause," a new report cautioned …

Decades of underinvestment in affordable housing, recently cited by outgoing HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge, have dramatically impacted families with children. (Adobe Stock)

Renaissance marks quarter century serving homeless, low-income kids

This month marks the 25th anniversary of the Renaissance Children's Center, which serves low-income families and those experiencing homelessness with …

A Utah Foundation report found Utah residents in 2022 earning a median income of just under $90,000 dollars could only afford a mortgage payment of just over $2,200 dollars without monthly housing costs exceeding 30% of their income. (Jason Finn / Adobe Stock)

Report: Utah homeownership increasingly out of reach for many

For generations, homeownership has been synonymous with the American Dream, but a new Utah report shows housing affordability is at historic lows…

Hot Springs received more than $6.5 million from the $2.6 billion in American Rescue Plan Act funds given to Arkansas to combat COVID-19 impacts, cover budget gaps and assist hardest-hit communities.<br />(Brandon/AdobeStock)

AR city director speaks with national leaders about housing for rural areas

An Arkansas city director is back home after joining other leaders from across the country for the National League of Cities Congressional City Confer…

The average rent for an almost 900-square-foot apartment in Las Vegas is $1,457 a month, according to RentCafe. (Adobe Stock)

NV's housing crisis heavily impacts disability community

Like many states across the West, Nevada faces challenges with supply and demand for housing. One advocate for the disability community describes the …

Women have worked at the historic Wyoming State Hospital as doctors, nurses, administrators, secretaries, security guards, and in departments such as the post office, purchasing, and scheduling. Some families have several generations of women who have worked at the facility. <br />(Courtesy of Save the Old WSH)<br />

Wyoming women’s history rooted in hospital campus set for demolition

The state has plans to demolish 26 Wyoming State Hospital buildings in Evanston, but some local residents believe the site, which dates back to 1886…

Students and staff from colleges marched in Sacramento on Thursday calling for lawmakers to address the high cost of tuition and housing. (Matthew Hardy/CFT)

College students, staff rally in Sacramento for 'March in March'

Hundreds of college students and staff from across the state held a march and rally in Sacramento on Thursday, calling for changes to make higher …

One of the more well-known housing discrimination cases in Montana involved a $37,343 verdict against a Bozeman landlord for charging $1,000 to a resident with physical and psychiatric disabilities to have a service animal in 2017. (Adobe Stock)

HUD files discrimination charge against MT apartment owner

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has charged a Livingston landlord with discrimination after investigating a complaint filed by a …

Colorado's community mental health centers provide a wide range of behavioral health services to all patients regardless of their ability to pay. (Adobe Stock)

Filling behavioral care gaps for Coloradans with acute mental illness

Behavioral health providers in the Denver metro area are tapping new technologies to ensure people with acute mental health needs don't fall through t…

A 2023 article in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science reports that adults in the United States living with at least one child are twice as likely to be evicted as adults without children, and that Black Americans make up more than 51% of those experiencing eviction filings. (Lyndon Stratford/peopleimages.com/Adobe Stock)

NE bill would reduce eviction impact, increase gender, racial equity

Evictions are on the rise in Nebraska and in many places around the country. Nearly 2,500 more eviction proceedings were initiated in Nebraska courts …

Tepeyac Community Health Center's new 24,500 square foot facility that serves all patients regardless of their ability to pay is just blocks away from public transit stops. (Galatas)

Health center development offers innovative model for affordable housing

A new development in Denver's Elyria-Swansea neighborhood that combines affordable housing, a healthcare provider, a pharmacy - and next, a grocery …

A handful of large cities in the U.S. have added protections for tenants in a residential complex to organize in response to poor living conditions. Minnesota is looking to make it a statewide protection. (Adobe Stock)

MN considers 'organizing' protections for renters

Minnesota lawmakers face growing calls this session to boost access to affordable housing and there is a proposal to lend a voice to existing renters …

Majorities of Americans expressed confidence in higher education in 2015, but by 2018, confidence had fallen across all groups, including a 17% drop among Republicans, according to Gallup. (Adobe Stock)

Maine’s Colby College counters higher ed mistrust with community outreach

Americans' confidence in higher education has plummeted but students and staff at Maine's Colby College hope continued community outreach will help br…

Consumer website Bankrate says scammers typically target a property that does not have a mortgage or lien against it, or is vacant and not closely monitored. (Adobe Stock)

Mortgage scams can leave victims clueless, homeless

A scam used to illegally obtain houses and land is silently targeting more unsuspecting victims in Indiana, and it often leaves people in need of …

Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass spoke in Los Angeles on Tuesday in support of legislation to fund programs to build affordable housing and help people experiencing homelessness. (Office of Sen. Alex Padilla)

CA lawmakers propose $100 billion for shelters, affordable housing

Democratic leaders in the U.S. House and Senate reintroduced the Housing for All Act, which would put about $100 billion over 10 years toward solving …

A Regional Plan Association report found across the country, rural communities could lose 100,000 affordable homes in the next decade once USDA Section 515 loans are paid off. (Adobe Stock)

Report: NY affordable housing needs funding

A new report outlined the need to preserve rural New York's affordable rental housing. The report from the Regional Plan Association report showed …

More than 2,900 students who have earned a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Arkansas are currently employed, with an average salary of more than $90,000. (Gift Culture Media/KOTO)<br />

University of Arkansas tackles affordable housing crisis with prototype home

By Matthew Moore for KUAF-FM.Broadcast version by Danielle Smith for Arkansas News Service reporting for the KUAF/Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation-Publ…

The Helena point-in-time survey is conducted each year to count people either living in shelters or other temporary housing. (Adobe Stock)

Helena ups efforts to track, shelter homeless Montanans

Helena is stepping up efforts to track its homeless population. The number of people living without shelter has risen sharply since the city started …

Research by the Vera Institute shows that harsher sentences don't deter crime, can even make communities less safe, and are costly. (Adobe Stock)

KY lawmakers consider bill that would expand felony offenses

Under proposed legislation being considered by Republican lawmakers, Kentucky renters would face harsher criminal penalties for property damage…

Oregon's legislative session is scheduled to adjourn on March 10. (Bob/Adobe Stock)

Coalition proposes 'People's Budget' for OR's short session

A coalition of groups has laid out its budget priorities for the Oregon legislative session in an effort to advance racial, gender and economic …

According to the Indiana Association of Realtors, high interest rates, low supply, and strained household budgets are influencing the state's current homebuying market. (Adobe Stock)

IN plan's backers hope homeownership boosts teacher retention, recruitment

Homeownership continues to be out of reach for many Americans but one Indiana program is helping educators achieve the dream in hopes of boosting recr…

Denver's Stout Street Recuperative Care Center is a facility for people experiencing homelessness to stay for several weeks while healing from a sickness or injury. (Galatas)

Improving health outcomes for homeless linked to housing

Health care providers in Colorado have been drawn into America's homelessness crisis, and are adding institutional weight into a push for solutions - …

IowaAtwork.com is an interactive map of 3,240 infrastructure projects totaling more than $13 million in federal investments in Iowa. (Progress Iowa)

IA group offers successful messaging as national blueprint

An Iowa advocacy group has won a high-profile award from the Analyst Institute, which measures how well a group's message reaches citizens. …

Washington state lawmakers are engaging in important budget negotiations this session, including measures that deal with food assistance. (Zack Frank/Adobe Stock)

Anti-hunger advocates call for action at WA Capitol

It's Hunger Action Day at the Washington State Capitol. Advocates are in Olympia to meet with lawmakers and call for policies that curb hunger…

About 77% of Pennsylvania students who experienced homelessness lived in doubled-up situations, 11% lived in shelters or transitional housing, 8% stayed in hotels and 4% lived in unsheltered locations, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Education. (Homeless Children Education Fund)

Mobile classroom 'Winnie’s Wagon' helping unhoused students

In Pennsylvania, a unique mobile classroom brings education and support directly to unhoused youths. More than 3,100 school-aged children in …

On average, the lowest-income 20% of taxpayers face a state and local tax rate nearly 60% higher than the top 1% of households in Missouri, according to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. (tirachard/Adobe Stock)<br />

Missouri's taxes require more from low and middle-income families

New data show Missouri has the 35th most regressive state and local tax system in the country. The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy found …

A Consumer Financial Protection Bureau report finds, in households that frequently incurred overdraft fees, 81% had difficulty paying a bill in the last year. (Adobe Stock)

Proposed overdraft-fees rule would benefit NYers

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is proposing a rule on overdraft fees that would benefit New Yorkers. The rule closes a loophole exempting …

Data from the Pew Charitable Trusts showed higher rates of homelessness in New York can be found in areas with the highest rents. (Adobe Stock)

NY advocates call out state for mishandling the housing crisis

New York housing advocates feel the state is not taking the affordable housing crisis seriously. The recent budget proposal and State of the State …

The idea of vital documents being made ready in time for a person's re-entry to society began as a pilot program launched in September 2020 across four state prisons and has expanded across the entire Michigan Department of Corrections. (wolfhound911/Adobe Stock)

Vital document release to prevent Michigan recidivism

Most legally free Michiganders possess their vital records, but some people recently coming back to society after incarceration do not. A package of …

The Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness finds, as of Jan. 15, 801 people are outside, unsheltered in cold temperatures, despite Connecticut recently implementing the Severe Cold Weather Protocol due to extremely low temperatures. (Adobe Stock)

CT takes action to keep homeless people safe in winter

Connecticut organizations are working to protect homeless people from winter's biting chill. This time of year poses severe health challenges for …

The $80.1 million investments from the U.S. Department of Agriculture are part of President Joe Biden's commitment to advance equity for people who have been historically underserved and adversely affected by persistent poverty and inequality. (ysbrandcosijn/Adobe Stock)

USDA funds 28 housing units in Michigan's Alpena County

Braving the week's icy conditions, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and several members of the Legislature highlighted the state's housing crisis at …

Ohio's minimum wage increased this year to $10.45 per hour, but a report by the Coalition on Housing and Homelessness in Ohio found full-time workers in the Columbus area need to earn $22.37 an hour to rent a two-bedroom apartment. (Adobe Stock)

Annual point-in-time count of homeless set for Columbus, Franklin County

More than 150 volunteers will fan out across Columbus and Franklin County this week for the annual point-in-time count of the homeless. Last year's …

Out of 1,000 possible index points, no racial or ethnic group came close to the maximum score in the

Report: Racial inequities persist for NV children of color

Nevada's children of color continue to experience disparities, according to new data. The Annie E. Casey Foundation's "Race for Results" report …

A Marist Poll found 71% of rural New Yorkers think the state is not providing enough resources to address the lack of affordable housing. (Adobe Stock)

NYS budget proposal doesn’t address rural housing needs

Gov. Kathy Hochul's 2025 budget proposal is missing key funding priorities for rural housing, according to a coalition advocating for the issue…

Black children are more than six times more likely to re-enter foster care than white children.<br />(Jade M/peopleimages.com)<br />

Report: Strengthening PA child-welfare system for kids, families

The 14th annual "State of Child Welfare in Pennsylvania" report is out. It shows some progress but also highlights ongoing areas of concern. Reports …

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