February 09, 2023

The Second Circuit Court of Appeals maintained New York City’s 54-year-old rent stabilization system after receiving two court challenges from landlord trade groups and a collection of property owners seeking to undo the tenant protections. “Tenants who may have heard about these rent law challenges and been nervous should be comforted by the fact that the Second Circuit… has, in a very thorough and thoughtful decision, upheld the rent laws,” said Ellen Davidson, a staff attorney with Legal Aid’s Civil Reform Unit.

Data suggest many more formerly incarcerated people will likely start to enroll in higher education. But housing can be a barrier to their educational access and success, so colleges and universities, like California State University’s Project Rebound, are creating supportive housing programs to meet students’ needs and can serve as a model for other colleges.

During the pandemic, small and midsize rural communities saw home prices surge after waves of remote workers sought homes in these areas. Though many remote workers have returned to the office, these rural communities have not seen relief from the massive housing shortages remote workers spurred. “There’s just such an imbalance between how much housing is needed and how much housing is available, and that’s not going to change in the near term at all,” said Lisa Sturtevant, chief economist for the real estate data firm Bright MLS.

This year’s Point-in-Time (PIT) Count will provide a shared understanding of the pandemic’s effects—and the success of government support programs. Last year’s count that showed little change in homelessness likely reflected the impact of the eviction moratorium and rental assistance.