Both Dems Release Housing Platforms!





In this issue: Development's Racial Comfort Zone ● Energy Efficiency and Low-Income Households ● Harvard Planners Talk Race, Design, and St. Louis
www.shelterforce.org
Tuesday, April 19, 2016


Events

Webinar | Homes For All: A National Dialogue with Matthew Desmond & HFA Leaders | May 18, 3-5pm EDT

Homes For All & Right To The City Alliance host a national online discussion with Matthew Desmond about the eviction epidemic facing black & brown communities, women, and low and moderate income families across the country. Desmond is the author of the book Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City.

Webinar | Housing as a Health Care Investment for Children | April 25, 2-3pm EDT

Affordable and safe housing has an important impact on the health of children. The National Housing Conference hosts this webinar, analyzing recent research conducted by Children's HealthWatch showing that access to affordable housing is associated with lower risk of hospitalization among infants from vulnerable, low-income families. Speakers will also discuss policy implications and solutions to increase access to affordable housing for low-income families.

Video | Brown Is the New White: How the Demographic Revolution Has Created a New American Majority

As we move through this polarized election season, political organizations are spending millions of dollars chasing white swing voters--when in fact, it's minority voters who increasingly make up the political majority and have the power to determine our next president. The Ford Foundation recently hosted a discussion with author Steve Phillips about the shifting demographic landscape and its underlying disconnects at the launch of his new book.

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Axel-Lute Comparing the Democratic Candidates' Housing Platforms
Miriam Axel-Lute, Shelterforce
"There's still time to get the nation's housing and urban crisis on the presidential campaign radar," wrote Randy Shaw in February. I doubt at the time he had high hopes that it would happen. I didn't. But since then, the Democrats have stepped up! Here's what the Clinton and Sanders affordable housing platforms look like . . .  More


Break Development Out of Its Racial Comfort Zone

Ana Garcia-Ashley, Gamaliel Foundation
Many of us live in cities that are undergoing a renaissance, but the longstanding populations are no better off than before. In the midst of giant cranes building hotels and condos sprouting like weeds . . . More


Energy Efficiency = Dollars and Sense for Low-Income Households

Michael Bodaken and Dana Bartolomei, National Housing Trust
The poorest among us tend to live in the least energy-efficient housing in the country. This coalition of local and national groups intends to upend that dynamic . . . More

Harvard Planners Talk Race, Design, and St. Louis
Miriam Axel-Lute, Shelterforce
Long-time urban planner and racial equity advocate Chester Hartman has recommended that urban planning programs be moved out of design schools, where they so often reside, and instead locate them where they would have more interaction with politics and public policy programs. He might have been surprised, but also pleased, by the conference put on recently by the Harvard Graduate School of Design . . .  More


You Said It!

On Two Sneaky Reasons Why Building More Housing Isn't Helping

By using statistics for a touristy area like Venice, you are cherry-picking. Even the study you rely on claims that CITYWIDE, AirBnB reduces citywide housing supply by just over 7,000 units--a drop in the bucket in a city as large as Los Angeles. And these units meet supply too; short-term rentals address housing needs just as long-term rentals do . . . . --Michael Lewyn

Author Reply
Housing markets are local. The linked report notes that AirBnB units are clustered very heavily in an handful of touristy neighborhoods--in those neighborhoods they are absolutely having an effect. And short term rentals do not address supply for housing, any more than conversions to office space would. They are hotel units. Different kettle of fish . . . . --Miriam Axel-Lute
On Why We Must Build

Allowing more units per acre does increase profit in the short run. But land markets will capitalize those values, and land values will increase, reducing profits to the next buyer. The capitalization is unlikely to be perfect, and density may produce some higher profits or lower rents, but in the long term . . .
--Dan Immergluck

Buildings age, causing the net income to decrease while the demand for that building also decreases. It may not lead to abandonment, but it can lead to a number of other outcomes including removal or becoming poorly maintained. --David Nelson

On Integrating Whitman

. . . Although the Whitman resident may have believed that all prospective families were on welfare, that is just not the case, and because of the rigorous approval process for potential tenants, no family on welfare would have been approved to live in Whitman. Also, 50 percent of the houses were reserved for people who had previously lived in Whitman. After driving around the neighborhood myself, I have a very hard time seeing the Whitman Park Townhouse Project as a failure. An embarrassment, maybe, because of the massive civil rights violations. --C. DeFelice


Looking for a Job?

Research Manager
The Research Manager has primary responsibility for designing and implementing our research program in order to advance best practices and innovations in housing programs and policies that lead to lasting affordability and more inclusive communities. S/he will oversee all aspects of Research, including . . . Read Full Listing 


Marketing and Support Specialist
HomeKeeper Program
Responsible for growing the Salesforce/HomeKeeper membership community and helping nonprofits and local governments become successful users. Leads all activities related to marketing, sales, onboarding and orientation. S/he coordinates internal and external projects and manages consultants . . . Read Full Listing 

Project Manager 
The Project Manager will work in the Tenant Purchase Program on tenant opportunity to purchase TOPA projects, managing 4-6 projects & overseeing tenant organizing, financing, and renovation of the buildings. Through this program, Mi Casa has prevented the displacement of over 1,000 people, and supported and empowered tenants to . . . Read Full Listing 


Associate Director,
Affordable Homeownership
CFED is a national nonprofit with a mission of empowering low- and moderate-income households to build and preserve assets. We seek a proven leader who combines a depth of affordable housing policy experience and project management know-how, who thrives on collaboration, curiosity, and . . . Read Full Listing  
Community Development Director 

The CD Director will prepare assessments and inventories of existing community conditions and resources potentially useful for revitalization and related projects in cooperation with local businesses, community-based groups, individual residents, appropriate city departments and other nonprofit organizations . . . Read Full Listing 
Director - Homebuilding & Stabilization   

This position requires a breadth and depth of real estate experience, and a genuine commitment to the mission of building and preserving quality housing and transforming communities. Responsible for leading all single-family real estate development activities for the organization, including integration with broader neighborhood stabilization . . . Read Full Listing 







Rental Housing Development Program Manager


The role of this position is to ensure line-of-business activities result in successful projects and support the mission and business objectives of Community Frameworks and our clients, and to actively participate in project development work. The Manager is skilled in real estate/affordable housing development and finance . . . Read Full Listing 



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Featured Bloggers
Center for Health, Environment
& Justice

Murtaza Baxamusa
Sol Price School of Public Policy, USC

Housing Assistance Council

Michael Bodaken
National Housing Trust

Raphael Bostic
USC Price School of Public Policy

Janis Bowdler
JPMorgan Chase & Co.

HOPE Credit Union

Burlington Associates

Democracy Collaborative

Ana Garcia-Ashley
Gamaliel Foundation

Jamaal Green
Portland State University

Texas Low Income Housing Information Service

Lisa Hodges
Hodges Development, LLC

Planner, Louisa County, Va.

National CAPACD

Rick Jacobus
Street Level Advisors

Daniel Kravetz
Freelance Writer

CFED

Center for Community Progress

Alexandra Moffett-Bateau
City University of New York

Tulane University

Habitat for Humanity

National Urban League

CFED

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities  

NCRC

San Francisco Community 
Land Trust

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Shelterforce Weekly

Senior Editor, Lillian M. Ortiz

Associate Editor, Keli Tianga

Publisher, Harold Simon

Assistant Publisher, Terri L. Clegg