December 01, 2022

Over the past month, major technology companies have collectively laid off thousands of employees. Experts predict these layoffs could add pressure to local housing markets as prospective homebuyers lack both the financial and consumer confidence to purchase homes. “The housing market is fueled by confidence, affordability, and most importantly, jobs. Housing demand in tech-heavy metros is expected to be lower in the near-term,” said Ali Wolf, chief economist at Zonda.

As part of a five-year plan to halve its population of people experiencing homelessness, Denver, Colorado, recently purchased three motels that eventually will provide hundreds of housing units for unhoused people. Some of these motels served as emergency shelters during the pandemic and will once again play a significant role in addressing the cities’ homelessness crisis.

Tenants’ rights activists are pushing for rent control as households across the country struggle with record-high housing costs. Although some argue rent control can reduce the overall amount of affordable housing, supporters argue that people at risk of eviction and homelessness need help now. “It’s a shame, because rent control attempts to address the symptoms of the problem while making the core issue worse,” says Jim Lapides, vice president of advocacy and strategic communications at the National Multifamily Housing Council.

In Washington State, only 59 percent of students experiencing homelessness graduate in four years compared with 83 percent of all students. At North Thurston Public Schools, a “student navigators” program has helped students graduate at nearly the same rates as their peers by providing one-on-one services to students through a combination of state and federal funding. The program is “what the McKinney-Vento Act at its heart was designed to do but with the resources to actually do it,” said Barbara Duffield, executive director of Schoolhouse Connection.