News Roundup

  • President Trump Proposes to Oust Low-Income Suburban Housing
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    Last week, the Trump administration rescinded a 2015 fair housing rule that requires local governments to proactively ensure fair housing in order to receive federal housing. The administration said the rule imposed burdensome requirements on localities. Yesterday, President Trump declared that the new rule’s objective is to prevent the development of low-income housing in the suburbs. “Every American deserves access to the American dream,” rebuked Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

  • Seattle’s Community Preference Policy Aims to Mitigate Gentrification
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    A new subsidized apartment complex in the Jackson Heights neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, reserved half of its 74 rent-capped units for people with long-standing ties to the neighborhood. This complex is the first building completed under the city's new community preference policy that encourages developers to mitigate gentrification by selecting residents with community connections. “The underpinning of fair housing is making sure that people have choices, we want people to be able to choose to stay," said Emily Alvarado, housing director at the City of Seattle.
  • Undocumented Tenants in Texas are “Self-Evicting” Because of Fears of Legal System, Deportation
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    The Texas Tribune reports that undocumented immigrants struggling to make rent in Texas are increasingly “self-evicting” from apartments and leaving their residences before an eviction case is filed, even while COVID-19 eviction moratoriums are in place, out of fear of retribution and deportation. Tenant rights during the eviction process apply to undocumented people, but housing lawyers and immigration advocates say undocumented residents can be hesitant to exercise their rights because of fears of the legal system, lack of access to government-funded financial help, and concerns that Immigrations and Customs Enforcement could be present in courthouses. 

  • New York City Activists Sue Developer to Preserve Abolitionist Landmark
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    New York City activists are suing a local developer to preserve 227 Abolitionist Place, the last standing historic residence on a block with ties to the Underground Railroad. The developer, who currently owns the property, intends to demolish the home and build a 13-story apartment building in its place. Advocates say the city’s past practice of using eminent domain to redevelop historically Black neighborhoods, as well as inequitable and antiquated landmark designation practices, contribute to displacement and the whitewashing of New York’s history. “It is our responsibility as New Yorkers to ensure that we do not build over this important piece of the past” said New York attorney general Letitia James.