November 2022: Stories, Events, and Opportunities to Discover
Expand Perspectives
News
- Newsom is withholding $1 billion in state homelessness funding until local governments and service providers come up with more ambitious plans to reduce the number of people living on the streets. Newsom said the local plans would reduce street homelessness by just 2% statewide by 2024 — a figure that is “simply unacceptable.” (CalMatters)
- Homeownership increased dramatically last year, especially among Asian, Black, and Latinx communities. According to an analysis of federal data by The Washington Post, these groups saw the largest growth in homeownership in 2021. Thanks, in part, to the pandemic. But with pandemic-era financial policies — like the student loan payment pause and rental assistance programs — coming to an end, that growth may not be sustainable. And many systemic issues, like biased home appraisals and discriminatory policies, still impact how POC build wealth through homeownership. (Washington Post)
- Here’s How Every Bay Area Housing Ballot Measure Fared This Election (KQED)
- The California Housing Partnership has released a new policy brief co-authored with Enterprise Community Partners documenting the substantial community and economic benefits made possible by the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities (AHSC) program. Impact report available here.
- Have the YIMBY’s evolved? (Shelterforce)
- Why are way more women are working in construction? (Washington Post)
Engage and Network
Upcoming opportunities to learn about intersectional approaches and work
Events to Check Out (in PT unless otherwise noted)
- Unpacking the 2024 IECC Residential Public Comment Draft Tuesday, November 15 at 10 – 11AM
- AHSC Rural Innovation Project Area Webinar Thursday, November 17, 10:00 – 11:00 AM
- From the Ground Up: Building Ethical Land Access with LANDBACK Thursday, November 17 at 4 – 5:30 PM
- Rethinking Thanksgiving: From Land Acknowledgements to LANDBACK Sunday, November 20 at 1PM
Take Action
Ways to deepen your understanding and support initiatives advancing equity, affordability, and environmental vitality in housing
- Calling all Capacity Builders! Both the Department of Transportation and the Department of Housing and Urban Development have released separate Notices of Funding Opportunity (NOFOs) for Thriving Communities Technical Assistance. These programs will help communities plan and deliver transformative projects for their communities that increase affordable transportation options, enhance economic opportunity, reduce environmental burdens, improve access and quality of life, and provide other benefits to disadvantaged communities. Visit the DOT Thriving Communities Program website here. Visit the HUD Thriving Communities website here. For all questions or comments, email [email protected].
- A Guide to Proactive Rental Inspections (ChangeLabs)
Local housing advocates and officials interested in enforcing housing codes through periodic inspections rather than relying on tenant complaints, reducing the likelihood that renters will be evicted or illegally punished for reporting hazards. Proactive Rental Inspections (PRI) programs can also be designed to minimize inequities that might arise from enforcement actions. Through PRI programs, local governments and housing advocates can work cooperatively with building owners to improve housing quality, protect tenant health and well-being, and keep people in affordable homes. - Modeling New Housing Supply in Los Angeles: Simulations from the Terner Housing Policy Dashboard (Terner Center for Housing Innovation at UC Berkeley)
On October 27, the California Strategic Growth Council voted to unanimously approve $96.2 million in grant funding through Round 4 of the Transformative Climate Communities program. The grant funding will support 10 disadvantaged, unincorporated, and tribal communities in planning and implementing neighborhood-level planning and capital infrastructure projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve public health and the environment, and expand economic opportunity for residents. Full press release here.
Header image courtesy of georgeclerk on iStock.
