Housing Justice

Housing in the U.S. has a deplorable history as it reflects the legacy of post-Colombian colonization: the displacement of native communities is the nation’s original eviction. Cultural eradication ensued resulting in the adoption of the belief that humanity was to dominate the Earth as opposed to steward it. Native communities were driven into the most undesirable parts of the country. Although they were granted the status of sovereign nations. whenever a valuable natural resource was at stake, those rights have been and continue to be easily disregarded. Integral to housing is the indigenous value of being connected to the land on which you reside. This connection involves a sense of commitment, which today is regarded as ownership; belonging, also known as community identity; and respect for shared space with other living creatures, i.e. a connection to nature such as plant and animal life.

Today’s conversation translates these values into affordability, housing choice/mobility, and environmental justice.

Advocacy Targets – Current Legislative Proposals and Executive Orders

HUD Secretary Proposes Historic 44% Reduction in Federal Funding for Affordable Housing

On May 2, the full budget request proposes a historic 44% cut to HUD’s vital affordable housing, homelessness, and community development programs, and would impose changes to rental and homelessness assistance that would leave more families struggling to afford rent, and at increased risk of homelessness. For a detailed analysis, please see here: Administration Releases Additional Details of FY26 Budget Request Slashing HUD Rental and Homelessness Assistance Programs – Take Action! | National Low Income Housing Coalition

HUD’s Proposed “Verification of Eligible Status” Rule for Mixed-Status Families

HUD’s proposal, “Verification of Eligible Status,” targets immigrant families by undoing longstanding guidelines that allow undocumented people—who get zero federal assistance—to live with documented family members in federal housing. The administration refers to this as a ‘loophole’—however, federal assistance is pro-rated to only assist documented immigrants. Thus, the justification for this rule is inconsistent with actual current policy. Budget analysis indicates that the rule would prove more costly to implement due to administrative costs and the loss of the marginal increase in rent provided by undocumented family members that would be generated by deeming mixed-status families wholly ineligible. For additional information, please see here: HUD’s Mixed-Status Rule is Cruel, Costly & Counterproductive.

To take direct action on this issue, please click HERE.

HUD’s Proposed “Establishing Flexibility for Implementation of Work Requirements and Term Limits” Rule.

The administration is currently drafting a rule that, reportedly, would allow more providers of rental assistance and other HUD-assisted housing to add work requirements and/or time limits to their programs.3 Under the draft rule, housing providers could:
➔ Require “work-eligible” adults to engage in work activities for up to 40 hours per week to continue receiving rental assistance
➔ Allow providers to establish term limits of no less than two years for non-elderly,non-disabled families

Unstable housing is a pivotal barrier in finding and remaining employed. Witness folks walk out from under a freeway overpass or from an RV in an old business suit with a briefcase at 7am makes this reality plain. Economic shocks and drastic technological changes make this rule foreseeably damaging to vulnerable communities. For additional facts and information, please click HERE.

The Issues

The following is an adaptation of the PolicyLink’s summary of housing and anti-displacement policy principles. Below is a link to some of the most useful online toolkits to advocate to protect federal funding for affordable housing and policies to promote the production of affordable homes.

Renter Relocation Assistance

Requires landlords to provide financial compensation to tenants to offset the costs of displacement, including covering moving expenses, security deposits, and other relocation costs under statutorily-defined circumstances.

Tenant / Community Opportunity to Purchase

Promotes housing stability and preserves affordability by requiring property owners to provide tenants or qualified nonprofit organizations with advance notice of intent to sell, along with the first right of purchase.

Right to Counsel for Tenants

A right to counsel can help prevent households from facing the negative repercussions of an eviction or other housing-related proceedings by providing tenants with a right to free legal representation.

Housing Trust Funds

Housing trust funds are funds established by cities, counties, and states to provide temporary or ongoing financing for affordable housing preservation, development, rehabilitation, and retrofits in both rental and homeowner properties.

Just Cause

Just cause eviction protections prevent arbitrary, retaliatory, or discriminatory evictions by specifying that landlords can only evict tenants for specific reasons — just causes — such as failure to pay rent.

Rent Stabilization

Rent stabilization, also known as rent control, helps prevent displacement and homelessness by protecting tenants from excessive rent increases, establishing a predictable annual schedule for the maximum allowable rent hike.

Community Land Trusts

Community land trusts (CLT) are non-profit organizations that acquire and manage land and buildings to guarantee housing with lasting affordability and community control

Inclusionary Zoning

Addresses historic patterns of exclusion and segregation by requiring or encouraging developers to set aside a fraction of newly constructed housing units to be affordable to lower-income households.

Rental Registries

Rental registries are databases of rental properties that include detailed information about the property owner and the rental property in an effort to gather important data needed to address a community’s unique housing challenges and inequities.

Eviction Records and Tenant Screening Protections

These policies prevent, restrict, or clarify the power landlords and tenant screening companies have to utilize background information, like eviction, credit, or criminal history records, in tenancy decisions.

Fair Chance Housing

Fair chance housing policies seek to confront re-entry barriers and expand housing access by limiting how housing providers can use criminal records when making tenancy decisions for applicants.