By now you’ve probably heard the news that two Republican legislators have introduced bills in both the House and Senate that would remove funding for HUD’s assessment tools and tracking/database capabilities. This is a dangerous move for two reasons: This data is used by researchers across the country, along with state and local governments, and Read more about The Gutting of American Government[…]
The Problem Baltimore’s current affordable housing crisis is yet another fire our government has to put out — despite it smoldering for years, turning into a full blaze right around the same time as the housing bubble and subsequent “bust”, leaving thousands in foreclosure and unable to afford steadily rising rents. Many cities are faced Read more about Putting Out the Affordable Housing Fire[…]
Housing affordability, particularly for median income workers, has become a much-talked about topic of late. Rising rents have forced a large segment of city residents to spend well over 30% of their net monthly income on shelter costs, which can lead to severe financial trauma later on. One of the reasons why city residents are Read more about The Other Side of the Affordable Housing Coin: Jobs and Wages[…]
People make much of the idea of “two cities” in Baltimore — one, affluent and white, and the other is usually labeled as poor and black. This view leaves out the third group: the folks, black and white, who earn around the city’s median income of $40,000 or so, and have solid potential to be Read more about A Tale of Three Cities[…]
It’s never too early to start thinking about legislative priorities for 2015. We have a few issues that we’ll be working on, just in time for the start of Maryland’s legislative session in January, and we want to hear your priorities, too: LLC transparency Transfer of real estate Historic preservation Affordable housing, based on local Read more about Thinking About 2015[…]
Millions of Americans are paying more than 30% of their net monthly income for housing costs, resulting in overburdened households in danger of falling into poverty, if they’re not there already. In the Baltimore region, according to the new report released today by the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University, almost 50% of Read more about The Time for Affordable Housing is NOW.[…]
After the mortgage meltdown, housing crisis, foreclosure boom — whatever you choose to call it — across the country, it was suddenly important to discuss affordable housing. But what exactly is affordable housing? Affordable to whom? Depends on who’s doing the talking, with all things being relative… A good rule to follow is that your Read more about Priority Number One: Affordable Housing for the Working Folk[…]