February 27, 2020

Officials found levels of a radon gas above the federal standard in more than 60 public housing units in Huntsville, Alabama, but they did not alert residents to the test results—a choice that residents rebuked. The US Department of Housing and Urban Development does not mandate that local housing authorities test for radon, a known carcinogen, and the Huntsville Housing Authority confirmed it has not tested other public housing developments. Residents demand the housing authority take action. The Oregonian’s survey of 64 housing authorities across the US found that only one-third could produce testing records.

New artificial intelligence (AI) could help insurance companies better predict specific structures that would likely burn in a wildfire, which could transform California’s preparedness in the face of increased wildfires because of climate change. Currently, most insurance companies make wildlife coverage assessments based on the zip code–level risk maps drawn by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, but AI insurance technology start-ups such as Zesty.ai and Cape Analytics produce highly detailed wildfire-risk modeling systems that could better inform insurance coverage decisions.

On Monday, US Citizenship and Immigration Services implemented the “public charge” rule, which, among other objectives, will make it more difficult for immigrants to obtain lawful permanent status if they use public benefits like housing vouchers, food stamps, and Medicaid. Last month, the US Supreme Court upheld the rule in a 5-4 decision.

Public criticism influenced DC officials to extend a pilot program that helps shuttle children who live in homeless shelters to school. The service, initially scheduled to end next month, will now provide reliable transportation for impacted students through the end of the academic year. “This section of New York Avenue where mostly Black children experiencing homelessness reside is a far cry from a thriving neighborhood,” said Jamila Larson, executive director of the Playtime Project, an organization that provides youth programming at a shelter. "Getting to school should not be seen as a luxury.”

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is revamping their flood insurance program to operate like private insurance and decrease financial risk for the agency, raising concerns that coverage will become unaffordable for high-risk communities. Officials in New York City caution that increasing premiums could trigger a foreclosure crisis in flood-vulnerable neighborhoods, many of which are communities of color. “Flood insurance has the potential to be the linchpin in climate policy. Right now, it’s a liability,” said Anna Weber, policy analyst at the Natural Resources Defense Council.