On the Home Front

The Rent-Wage Gap: Perspectives on Housing Affordability

In our current economic landscape, a pressing ethical concern emerges from the widening chasm between escalating rental expenses and stagnant wages. This discrepancy, often disregarded, holds ethical implications for individuals, families, and communities. This essay seeks to illuminate this issue from various standpoints, encompassing perspectives from tenants, landlords, economists, and policymakers.
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Building Power through Organizing: An Interview with Maria Hernandez and Marsh Santoro

Maria Hernandez lives in San Diego, California, where she has been part of the statewide Residents United Network (RUN) for 10 years. She now serves as the organization’s steering committee member representing San Diego. Marsh Santoro lives in Fairview, Oregon, and leads the Resident Advisory Committee for her building complex. Marsh is also a member…
Read more: Building Power through Organizing: An Interview with Maria Hernandez and Marsh Santoro
5 Ways We Involve Tenants in Our Work

How are tenants involved in NLIHC’s fight for housing justice? A better question is: how are tenants not involved? In our last post, tenant advocate Miracle Fletcher wrote about her experience attending NLIHC’s second annual Collective Retreat at the Resora in Albany, Georgia, last October. Made up of tenant leaders from around the country, the…
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Reflections on Four Days at the Resora

By Miracle Fletcher NLIHC convened its second annual Collective Retreat on October 6-9 in Albany, Georgia. This year, NLIHC staff and members of the Collective – a group or tenant leaders from across the nation – returned to the sacred grounds of the Resora on Cypress Pond, a property of New Communities, which was founded…
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How to Form a Tenant Group

In our last On the Home Front blog post, we interviewed tenant-advocate Sandra Barksdale about her experience advocating for safe and healthy living conditions for tenants at her apartment complex in Virginia. Among other things, Sandra has focused on establishing tenant groups to propel advocacy efforts. “The most important thing was having resident voices heard,”…
Read more: How to Form a Tenant Group
A Tenant Advocate’s Journey: An Interview with Sandra Barksdale

Sandra Barksdale is a long-time resident of Reston, Virginia. She has been advocating for safe and healthy living conditions for tenants at the Bowman Towne Court apartment complex in Reston since 2019. She has advocated for repairs and maintenance throughout the complex amidst calls by local politicians, developers, and community groups to tear down Bowman…
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Updated Database, New Report Hold Key Information for State and Local Affordable Housing Programs

With support from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP), NLIHC has released an update to the Rental Housing Programs Database (RHPD) and an accompanying report to give policymakers, researchers, and housing advocates greater insight into the growing number of state and local programs that promote affordable housing. The new resources are available here.…
Read more: Updated Database, New Report Hold Key Information for State and Local Affordable Housing Programs
“Like Trying to Find a Needle in a Haystack”: Advocating for Fair and Accessible Housing with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity

R.S. Hurley is an advocate in California who is disabled with the environmental illness (EI) multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS). As a Section 8 voucher holder, she has spent decades working to secure her own reasonable accommodations for accessible/medically safe housing and to support hundreds of other renters living with EI. Ms. Hurley is the author…
Read more: “Like Trying to Find a Needle in a Haystack”: Advocating for Fair and Accessible Housing with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity
Four Easy Ways to Communicate with Your Elected Officials

In a recent blog post, we heard from CJ O’Hara, a Chicago-based advocate with lived experience, about resources and other ideas for those getting started in affordable housing advocacy. In particular, CJ mentions the importance of ensuring your voice is heard by communicating directly with members of Congress. But doing so can seem a little…
Read more: Four Easy Ways to Communicate with Your Elected Officials
Strengthening Civil Rights and Empowering Resident Leaders: Illinois Coalition for Fair Housing Receives Statewide Organizing Award

The Illinois Coalition for Fair Housing is a group of directly impacted community members and advocates committed to making housing access in Illinois equitable and just. Coalition members include tenant leaders, housing and homelessness organizations, disability rights advocates, civil rights and antipoverty groups, and faith communities. For nearly two decades, advocates in Illinois have pushed…
Read more: Strengthening Civil Rights and Empowering Resident Leaders: Illinois Coalition for Fair Housing Receives Statewide Organizing Award
Eugene Tenant Alliance Builds the Political Will for Historic Tenant Protections

Eugene Tenant Alliance is a grassroots political action committee that represents and mobilizes tenants in Lane County, Oregon. Organizers with Eugene Tenant Alliance know firsthand the importance of programs and policies that keep renters stably housed: leaders of the group include voucher holders, LIHTC tenants, and people who have experienced no-cause evictions and homelessness. The…
Read more: Eugene Tenant Alliance Builds the Political Will for Historic Tenant Protections
Bipartisan Housing Bills in the 118th Congress

The 118th Congress kicked off on January 3, 2023, with Republicans in charge of the U.S. House of Representatives and Democrats in control of the Senate. A divided Congress may pose a challenge for passing effective solutions to homelessness, but advocates should not lose hope. NLIHC will continue to advocate for the bold policy goals…
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Community Corporation of Santa Monica: Building an Equitable and Sustainable Region

Community Corporation of Santa Monica (Community Corp) is a nonprofit organization that restores, builds, and manages affordable housing for people of modest means. Founded in 1982, the organization has built and rehabilitated over 2,000 affordable homes in Santa Monica and additional areas in western Los Angeles County. Last year, Community Corp celebrated 40 years of…
Read more: Community Corporation of Santa Monica: Building an Equitable and Sustainable Region
“Information is key”: Advice for Advocates from CJ O’Hara

CJ O’Hara is a homeless and housing advocate based in Chicago. In 2014, CJ became homeless. While trying to find a place to stay, he learned about the programs designed to help people experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity, as well as the barriers that exist in some of these programs. In 2015, he began his…
Read more: “Information is key”: Advice for Advocates from CJ O’Hara
Pasadena Tenants Union Wins Rent Control and Just Cause Protections at the Ballot Box

Pasadena Tenants Union was founded in 2016 to defend tenants’ rights, advance tenant solidarity, and push back against rent gouging and no-cause evictions in Pasadena, California. Tenants in Pasadena are confronting rapidly rising rents and widespread displacement, with a disproportionate impact on residents of color: Pasadena’s Black and Latino communities have each experienced population decreases…
Read more: Pasadena Tenants Union Wins Rent Control and Just Cause Protections at the Ballot Box
NLIHC’s Tenant Leader Cohort Visits the White House

By David Foster, NLIHC, based on interviews with tenants and tenant leaders Members of NLIHC’s Tenant Leader Cohort – alongside other people with lived expertise, legal aid providers, advocates, and researchers – attended a meeting focused on tenant protections at the White House on November 14, 2022. The Cohort and NLIHC President and CEO Diane…
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Tenant Organizing and Advocacy Efforts

In our last blog post, tenant organizer Linda Soderstrom explained how she and 36 other tenants at her Minnesota housing complex fought back against an attempt by a new owner to evict tenants who were recipients of Section 8 vouchers. Soderstrom writes that her tenant group “stood up for the 2,500 of us and alleged…
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Crossroads at Penn: We Can Do Better Than This

By Linda Soderstrom, NLIHC Tenant Leaders Cohort Memberllsod.lindalee@gmail.com507.932.9908 In 2015, on a beautiful fall day, written notices were given under the kitchen doors of 698 units in a single afternoon. The notices said that no more county rehab programming or Section 8 housing choice vouchers would be accepted at Crossroads at Penn, located in a…
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Expanding Access to Housing for People with Disabilities through Universal Design

In our last post, we heard from Claudia Swaney, a disability and housing rights activist from Michigan. As Claudia explains, almost half of all extremely low-income renter households in Michigan are headed by seniors or people with disabilities, but the state lacks the units necessary to provide affordable housing for them. What’s more, the units…
Read more: Expanding Access to Housing for People with Disabilities through Universal Design
“They are building luxury apartments and condos, not low-income housing.”

Claudia Swaney is a disability rights and housing justice advocate in Michigan. She has personally faced the impact of rising rents. As Claudia explains, “I have moved a lot due to high rents, and renovations have increased my rent from $185 to $205 this year alone. My voucher amount is still the same.” Claudia has…
Read more: “They are building luxury apartments and condos, not low-income housing.”
Section 8 Housing

In our last blog post, Yvonne Farrell, a very low-income tenant and senior living in Washington D.C., wrote about her experiences facing housing instability. Yvonne explained that she gets “more run-around and rejection than rent assistance” but she believes that “HUD, with the current focus on eviction prevention, is going to come up with a…
Read more: Section 8 Housing
May is Affordable Housing Month!

The month of May is National Affordable Housing Month! This year, NLIHC is celebrating the occasion by highlighting the history of affordable housing in the United States. The shelter provided by housing is one of humanity’s most basic needs for survival, yet due to social, economic, and political challenges, many people struggle to obtain and…
Read more: May is Affordable Housing Month!
Fair Housing and Its History

The “Fair Housing Act of 1968” (FHA) was signed into law on April 11, 1968, by President Lyndon B. Johnson. Meant to complement the “Civil Rights Act of 1964,” the FHA prohibits discrimination in the sale, renting, or financing of property and mortgages based on race, religion, national origin, or sex. The FHA was the…
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Washington Low Income Housing Alliance: Organizing for Transformative Legislative Victories

The Washington Low Income Housing Alliance (WLIHA) is a statewide networked organization of affordable housing and homelessness providers, tenant advocates, and individuals working to ensure that everyone in Washington State has a safe, healthy, and affordable home. WLIHA’s efforts to secure tenant protections and housing resources have become especially significant during the pandemic, when more…
Read more: Washington Low Income Housing Alliance: Organizing for Transformative Legislative Victories
Housing Equity Now St. Paul: Grassroots Organizing for Victory at the Ballot Box

Housing Equity Now St. Paul (HENS) is a coalition representing St. Paul neighborhoods and residents who are dedicated to housing justice. The coalition is driven by the communities most affected by economic inequality – low-wealth people as well as Black and Indigenous people and other people of color. For years, HENS coalition members have experienced…
Read more: Housing Equity Now St. Paul: Grassroots Organizing for Victory at the Ballot Box
Environmental Health Watch: Building the Movement for a Lead-Free Future

As one of the most longstanding environmental justice organizations in Northeast Ohio, Environmental Health Watch (EHW) educates the public and elected officials about environmental hazards, advocates for policy solutions, and provides direct services to support healthy homes and communities. Lead poisoning is one of the most pressing environmental health hazards confronting Clevelanders. More than 90%…
Read more: Environmental Health Watch: Building the Movement for a Lead-Free Future
Homes RI Makes History in the 2021 Legislative Session

Homes RI – a multisector coalition of more than 60 organizations – advocates to increase the supply of safe, healthy, affordable homes for low-income Rhode Islanders in communities of their choice. Housing Network of Rhode Island (HNRI), the state’s association of nonprofit community development corporations, convenes Homes RI. HNRI educates the public and pushes for…
Read more: Homes RI Makes History in the 2021 Legislative Session
Caritas of Austin: A Housing-First Approach to Ending Unsheltered Homelessness

Caritas of Austin provides safe, stable, and affordable housing for people and families experiencing homelessness in Greater Austin. The organization’s staff members partner with clients to construct a community of ongoing support so clients can withstand the storms of life that affect us all. To support clients and build the conditions of holistic well-being, Caritas…
Read more: Caritas of Austin: A Housing-First Approach to Ending Unsheltered Homelessness
Regional Challenges, Federal Solutions: NPH Urges Bay Area Congressional Delegation to Champion Build Back Better’s Housing Resources

The Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern California (NPH) is the lead convener of the Bay Area’s affordable housing industry, activating its 750 members to make the Bay Area a place where everyone has an affordable and stable home. NPH’s policy work advances bold solutions meant to bring about more affordable, stable housing and contribute to…
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CAMBA, Inc: Keeping New Yorkers Stably Housed Across All Five Boroughs

Founded in 1977 and located in Brooklyn, CAMBA, Inc. is a nonprofit agency that spans across New York City with 95 locations. The organization serves more than 65,000 individuals and families each year, including 10,000 youth. Driven by a commitment and multidimensional approach to connecting people to opportunities that enhance quality of life, CAMBA operates…
Read more: CAMBA, Inc: Keeping New Yorkers Stably Housed Across All Five Boroughs
Family Promise Mat-Su: Fulfilling a Bold Vision to Meet Community Needs

For nearly 20 years, Family Promise Mat-Su has supported families experiencing homelessness in the Mat-Su Valley of Alaska by helping them achieve housing stability. Located in Wasilla, Alaska, the organization is an affiliate of the national Family Promise network, which consists of more than 200 community organizations committed to preventing family homelessness, operating shelters, and…
Read more: Family Promise Mat-Su: Fulfilling a Bold Vision to Meet Community Needs
$25 Billion in Rental Assistance and Eviction Moratorium Extension Can Provide Immediate Assistance to Renters

by NLIHC Research Team Congress is currently negotiating a bipartisan COVID-19 relief package that includes $25 billion in rent relief through the U.S. Treasury Department, funding critical to state and local emergency rental assistance programs, and a one-month extension of the federal eviction moratorium. Federal resources have played a significant role in state and local…
Read more: $25 Billion in Rental Assistance and Eviction Moratorium Extension Can Provide Immediate Assistance to Renters
Estimating Hurricane Laura’s Possible Impact on the Lowest-Income Renters

On August 27, Hurricane Laura made landfall as a Category 4 storm in southern Louisiana, near the Texas border, as one of the most powerful to hit that area of the Gulf Coast in years. While we still wait for a final assessment of the full damage, we know that low-income households will likely shoulder…
Read more: Estimating Hurricane Laura’s Possible Impact on the Lowest-Income Renters
Household Pulse Survey Shows Continuing Struggle Among Lowest-Income Renters

The Census Bureau released the first wave of results from Phase 2 of their Household Pulse Survey on September 9, and the responses reveal that many renters continue to struggle to afford their housing.
Read more: Household Pulse Survey Shows Continuing Struggle Among Lowest-Income Renters
Fixing America’s Broken Disaster Recovery System

America’s disaster recovery system is broken for the lowest income households. Members of the Disaster Housing Recovery Coalition (DHRC) & partnering organizations across the country who have endured numerous disasters, re-imagined what recommendations are needed to secure a just recovery system.
Read more: Fixing America’s Broken Disaster Recovery System
Let’s Talk Housing Wage: Understanding ‘Out of Reach’ 2020

NLIHC published this year’s Out of Reach: The High Cost of Housing report in mid-July. Out of Reach estimates a Housing Wage, the hourly wage a full-time worker must earn to afford modest rental home. Here we provide detailed responses to some FAQs to help readers better understand the report and the need for long-term…
Read more: Let’s Talk Housing Wage: Understanding ‘Out of Reach’ 2020
COVID-19 Housing and Homelessness Updates

The Disaster Housing Recovery Coalition is leading on daily updates and resources for people experiencing homelessness, low-income renters and homeless shelter providers.
Read more: COVID-19 Housing and Homelessness Updates
Looming Rise in Family Homelessness will Harm Child Health

A new commentary from pediatricians provide further evidence that housing is healthcare. Without significant federal intervention, the COVID-19 housing crisis will leave children without a home.
Read more: Looming Rise in Family Homelessness will Harm Child Health
The Next COVID-19 Relief Package Must Meet this Perilous Moment, Not Pinch Pennies

By: Mike Koprowski, Opportunity Starts at Home (OSAH) Campaign Director| July 16, 2020 Which of the following statements do you agree with more, even if it is not exactly how you feel? Statement A: “Because we are in a time of national crisis, our most important priority right now needs to be the health and…
Read more: The Next COVID-19 Relief Package Must Meet this Perilous Moment, Not Pinch Pennies
Rental Assistance is Needed to Keep Families Stably Housed

Even before the pandemic, the United States faced an affordable housing crisis. More than seven million extremely low-income renter households were severely housing cost-burdened, spending more than half of their income on rent. The economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic will exacerbate housing instability, particularly for people of color who are disproportionately represented among people…
Read more: Rental Assistance is Needed to Keep Families Stably Housed
#HousingIsInfrastructure

Policymakers from both sides of the aisle understand that a significant investment in infrastructure should be a top priority. An infrastructure package provides a unique opportunity to address one of the most critical issues facing extremely low-income families today – the lack of decent, accessible, and affordable housing.
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Frequently Asked Questions: COVID-19 and Racial Equity

The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionally afflicts people of color and illustrates in stark relief the historical and systemic racism and discrimination that puts them at risk. Our national response to COVID-19 must, as a moral imperative and a healthcare necessity, address systemic inequities, discrimination, and racism. Never has it been more important to identify policies and…
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Frequently Asked Questions: Eligibility for Assistance Based on Immigration Status

Congress has passed the “Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Stability (CARES) Act” as a response to providing financial support for individuals with the greatest need among the coronavirus outbreak. Through a series of programs, the CARES Act has assisted hundreds of extremely low-income renters. These programs that are intended to assist some of the communities…
Read more: Frequently Asked Questions: Eligibility for Assistance Based on Immigration Status
Frequently Asked Questions: Renters’ Rights

Rent is still due and renters are desperate for resources, guidance, and support to help them make it through the next several months. As a renter, here’s what you need to know about your rights.
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Frequently Asked Questions: Economic Impact Payments

The Economic Impact Payments was authorized through the CARES Act as a one-time direct payment from the federal government. Here’s what you need to know.
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Frequently Asked Questions: Unemployment Insurance

The temporary increase in unemployment insurance benefits is ultimately not sufficient on its own to ensure stable housing for the lowest-income renters. Here’s what you need to know.
Read more: Frequently Asked Questions: Unemployment Insurance
52 Organizations in 27 States will Receive Over $3 Million to Help Support Homeless Communities

NLIHC will regrant $3,500,000 to 52 organizations in 27 states. The funds are supporting efforts to keep highly vulnerable homeless communities safer by decompressing shelters to implement social distancing and reduce outbreaks and moving people experiencing homelessness into hotels or apartments.
Read more: 52 Organizations in 27 States will Receive Over $3 Million to Help Support Homeless Communities
Shelter Closings Due to Lack of Resources to Keep the Doors Open or to Safely Operate

The Disaster Housing Recovery Coalition is leading on daily updates and resources for people experiencing homelessness, low-income renters and homeless shelter providers.
Read more: Shelter Closings Due to Lack of Resources to Keep the Doors Open or to Safely Operate
The Dire State of Latino Housing (and How to Deal with It)

Latinos lack access to affordable housing. But policies and practices are emerging to create affordable housing and keep renters in their homes, which can boost Latino health equity. Read about new research on Latino housing from Salud America!
Read more: The Dire State of Latino Housing (and How to Deal with It)
What Is Lived Experience?

In a recent blog post, tenant advocate Tiffiny Graven discusses what she calls “the profound significance of lived experience.” As Tiffiny explains, when it comes to developing effective housing policies – or any policies, for that matter – lived experience is “the compass, the lighthouse, and the map. It has the power to decipher the…
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Transcending the Textbook Approach: A Reflection on the Power of Lived Experience

By Tiffiny Graven In contemplating the prospect of collaboration, I find myself compelled to emphasize the profound significance of lived experience. As someone who has walked the difficult paths of domestic violence and homelessness, I recognize the intricate layers that comprise these struggles. This familiarity with the labyrinthine nature of public assistance systems, the intimate…
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What Advocacy Can Do for You

Advocacy is about changing the world for the better – but it can change you for the better, too. Take it from Deanna Nagle, a tenant advocate and NLIHC member. In a recent blog post, Deanna recounts her experience at a city council budget meeting. When first asked by a local housing group to make…
Read more: What Advocacy Can Do for You