April 04, 2024

The Biden administration plans to introduce a cap on rent increases for certain federally subsidized affordable housing units, limiting yearly increases to 10 percent. This move has drawn mixed reactions, with tenant advocates applauding the protections, while some housing experts fear it may discourage affordable housing development.

In Georgia, the Division of Family and Children Services’ housing requirements—such as individual bedrooms for children of different ages and genders—are prolonging some children's stays in foster care. Vivek Sankaran, a professor at the University of Michigan and attorney representing parents and children, recommends the state’s child welfare system should provide housing assistance to parents. “If your issue is housing, that’s a societal problem, not an individual failing, and we need to dig a little bit deeper to come up with a way and a solution to that problem that doesn’t scar children,” Sankaran said.

Multigenerational housing is resurging in the US, with a quarter of adults ages 25 to 34 now living in households with two or more generations. Financial challenges, student debt, and housing costs are primary drivers, along with shifting cultural norms and caregiving needs.

Infants and toddlers experiencing homelessness are largely unenrolled in early childhood development programs, with only 1 in 9 enrolled nationwide according to a recent report. The authors write that “the impacts of homelessness on young children, including on children’s school readiness, can be long-lasting, even after families are stably housed.”