January 26, 2023

The newly proposed Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule would require communities that receive US Department of Housing and Urban Development grant money to create plans that address local housing discrimination—or risk losing federal funding altogether. “We are going to hold responsible those that we give resources to. We no longer as a federal government can continue to fail the very people we need to help,” said Secretary Marcia Fudge.

The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) collected just 65 percent of the rent it charged in the 12 months leading up to December, the lowest percentage in the agency’s 100-year history. Low revenue has limited the agency’s ability to maintain and manage the residential buildings. “Without money, we can’t do anything else. We can’t fund the much needed repairs. We can’t handle emergencies,” said Lisa Bova-Hiatt, interim CEO of NYCHA.

A new report found the average US renter now spends 30 percent of their income on rent, marking an all-time high. For many renters, the increase prevents them from saving or spending on other essentials like food, health care, or school supplies. “We are in a situation where this cost of shelter—a necessity to life—has continued to rise and it is hurting households,” said Thomas LaSalvia, director of economic research at Moody’s Analytics.

The Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously to expand antieviction protections for renters, and the new policy will go into effect just before the city’s pandemic-era tenant protections are set to expire. It prohibits landlords from evicting tenants unless there was unpaid rent, documented lease violations, or other specific reasons. Though “just cause” protections already cover rent-stabilized units, making them universal will expand protections to about 400,000 additional units, according to the city’s housing department.