February 01, 2024

A Harvard University report finds that in 2022, a record half of US renters are cost burdened, paying more than 30 percent of their income for rent and utilities. Nearly half of them spent more than 50 percent of their income on housing. Despite a cooling housing market, the report emphasizes ongoing challenges, including a shortage of affordable homes and rising rental costs.

New York City plans to accept new Section 8 voucher applications for the first time in 15 years to address rising rents and homelessness. The proposal involves distributing 1,000 vouchers monthly to households with low incomes later this year, but additional details are limited.

The Federal Communications Commission‘s Affordable Connectivity Program, which provides discounted monthly home internet services to 23 million families with low incomes, is set to wind down in February when its funding expires. The initiative has successfully provided internet access to 3.1 million students who receive free or reduced-price school meals. A proposed $7 billion bipartisan extension bill emphasizes the impact on the “homework gap” if millions lose home internet access and stresses the need for sustainable, long-term funding.

Isanti Community Schools in Nebraska addresses chronic absenteeism by emphasizing student connections. The school prioritizes personalized efforts such as home check-ins and transportation support. This tailored approach proved successful, resulting in a reduction of chronic absenteeism by approximately 24 percent among high schoolers, 20 percent among middle schoolers, and 13 percent among elementary students by the end of the first semester of this school year.