Shelterforce: Essential Reporting on Affordable Housing Shelterforce

An aerial view of a town with lots of greenery and fields and a large rectangular, green lagoon.

We Really Need to Talk About Substandard Housing in Alabama’s Black Belt

July 15, 2026 | Sharlene Newman

When this researcher moved back to her home state to direct a research institute, she thought she knew rural Alabama and its needs. But she was wrong. “I found myself unprepared for the extent of the rural housing crisis here.”

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Two painted shapes are suspended in a window: a monopoly board with squares related to the power system, and a large cat painted with lightning bolts

Art

Art: Moving Away From Harmful Energy Infrastructure

July 14, 2026 | Lara Heard

A New York art and architecture exhibition offers a vision of renewable public power.

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A young white couple—a man and a woman—wearing summery clothing sit on the front steps of their home with their infant son. Behind them is the front door of their house, where a dog can be seen peeking behind a door side window. The family's house is light green, with white windows and black shutters. A landscaped area of short plants and pebbles is in the foreground.

Opinion

Should Everyone Have a Decent Home? Obscure HUD Document Suggests No

July 13, 2026 | Alan Mallach

A call for research proposals on reducing housing demand suggests a radical and troubling shift that may be coming in housing policy.

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Webinars

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3:00 pm, July 15, 2026

What Does a Good Housing “Impact Investment” Look Like?
State & Local Policy
Laboratories of Democracy: Emerging State and Local Policy Visions, a Shelterforce Webinar

July 9, 2026 | Miriam Axel-Lute

There is a lot that can be done to advance housing and community investment at the local and state level. This is the perfect moment to do it.
Housing
What Does a Solidarity Approach to Housing Look Like? A Shelterforce Webinar

June 10, 2026 | Steve Dubb

In this webinar, we examine what a solidarity economy approach is, what its principles are, how these principles are being applied presently, and how they might be applied more broadly to support housing justice and transformative economic change.
Affordability
Making Homeownership Affordable: Bringing Fannie and Freddie Back to Mission, a Shelterforce Webinar

April 30, 2026 | Steve Dubb

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac guarantee most U.S. home loans, which is supposed to make homeownership widely accessible. But is this happening? In this webinar, three field leaders argue that these government-sponsored enterprises need to step up with new products and services to expand access to homeownership.

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A screenshot of a Shelterforce webinar showing five women. Three participants are shown on the top: Megan Miles, Miriam Axel-Lute, and Sara Myklebust from left to right. On the bottom, from left to right, are Lauren Strickland and Trinity Tran.

State & Local Policy

Laboratories of Democracy: Emerging State and Local Policy Visions, a Shelterforce Webinar

July 9, 2026 | Miriam Axel-Lute

There is a lot that can be done to advance housing and community investment at the local and state level. This is the perfect moment to do it.

Two men sit on the front steps of a National Association of Real Estate Boards building, holding signs that read "This realtor discriminates" and "CORE: Congress of Racial Equality." A policeman standing off to the left talks with a man holding a protest sign.

From the Field

How HUD Is Seeking to Make Fighting Housing Discrimination Even Harder

July 8, 2026 | Amber Banks

Fair housing law has never been easy to enforce. But HUD’s proposal to eliminate the use of disparate impact analysis will remove another crucial tool for doing so.

A casually dressed young man and woman sit with their toddler in a small office room. A man with his back to the camera sits at a desk in front of them, with paperwork on the table.

From the Field

HUD’s Work Requirement and Time Limit Proposals Put Rental Assistance at Risk

July 7, 2026 | Erik Gartland

A proposed HUD rule that would allow housing agencies and subsidized housing owners to impose work requirements and time limits on tenants has drawn nearly 2,000 public comments, most opposing changes that advocates say could threaten housing stability for millions.

The United States Capitol—a large, white government building—set against a cloudy, stormy-looking sky.

Opinion

Federal Grant Rule Change Threatens Community Access to Public Funds

July 1, 2026 | Alexandra Gallo and Amy Kenyon

A proposed rule from the Office of Management and Budget would facilitate political interference in federal grant disbursements across all agencies. The deadline for public comment is July 13.

A small white house made out of paper sits atop a pile of silver coins.

Research

Affordable Housing Financing Is Overpriced, But It Doesn’t Have to Be

June 30, 2026 | Kris Adhikari

Affordable housing construction finance reflects market norms, but its track record shows it’s far less risky than conventional market-rate housing loans. While lower default rates should lead to lower interest rates, they currently do not.

A diverse but majority Black crowd stands in front of an Olympic rings statue with various pro-labor signs such as "Stop Corporate Greed" and "UNITE Here." A man in an red-orange shirt holds a microphone.

Solidarity Corner

Linking Immigrant, Worker, and Tenant Struggles to Build Community Power

June 29, 2026 | Steve Dubb

In Atlanta, nearly 1,000 labor union members and community allies gathered at the Jobs With Justice national conference, where one of the themes was linking immigrant, worker, and tenant struggles to build community power.

Stress Test: Rethinking Affordable Housing Finance

More with this Tag

A white man with curly hair and a short beard, wearing a black sweatshirt and tan Carhartt pants, hands supplies to a white man with a close-shaved head and short beard, wearing a black Vans sweatshirt, and checkered red-and-black pajama pants. They are standing in the interior doorway of an apartment in what appears to be a residential building. A white woman with strawberry-blonde hair, wearing a checkered shirt and dark pants, stands behind them, holding a pen and papers in her hands.

Unsupported Housing: When Stability Isn’t Enough

Shelby R. King

As the country’s mental health, substance use, homelessness, and affordability crises collide, traditional affordable housing providers say they’re being pushed to fill the gaps left by underfunded supportive systems—without the money, staff, or resources to do so.

Section of yellow wall of a high-rise apartment building, with prominent window air conditioners.

Breaking Point: Why the Affordable Housing Business Model Is Unraveling

Shelby R. King

Affordable housing has never been easy to finance. Now, with rising insurance, debt, and operating costs outpacing rents and subsidies, developers say it’s getting harder to make the math work.

A large housing development under construction. The building is covered in Tyvek wrap and sits behind fencing with blue and white signs that read "Colas Construction: Building Tomorrow Today."

What Does It Mean When Anchor CDCs Start Selling Affordable Housing?

Shelby R. King

Portland’s REACH CDC recently offloaded a 23-unit legacy building and 66 scattered-site homes—not because the mission has changed, but because the math has. The industry veteran’s portfolio triage offers a bellwether look at how rising costs, rent arrears, and aging properties are forcing even well-run nonprofits to rethink what they can afford to own.

From the Field

A large, colorful mural painted on the exterior of a building. It says "WELCOME TO NOHO" in capital letters and depicts people of different ages, genders, races, and ethnicities dancing and playing music in front of different types of housing and community buildings, including apartment buildings, a health and fitness center, a theater, and a gallery. The building is set back from a public sidewalk, and part of a tree shades the right-hand side of the mural.

How State Coalitions Are Advancing Community Ownership of Housing

Leo Goldberg and Miriam Zuk

In recent years, housing coalitions promoting community land trusts and real estate cooperatives have formed in multiple cities and states—and they are achieving results. Nonetheless, a lot of work is needed to achieve the policy changes these groups desire.

The front of a large concrete building with many exterior windows. Large capital letters on the top of the building read DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT.

HUD’s FY 2027 Spending Bill Funds Vouchers—But Would Make Them Harder to Get

Kim Johnson

While not adjusting for inflation, the White House’s FY 2027 budget request otherwise maintains HUD’s Housing Choice Voucher funding, but proposed policy changes would make it harder for families to access and maintain assistance.

Four Black adults—three women and one man—stand outside in front of a brick building. On the building is a sign that reads "Tom Lee's Centennial Celebration and the Unsung Heroes of Klondike."

A Historic Black Memphis Neighborhood Turns to a CLT to Avoid Displacement

Laurie Mazur

A former hub of Black-owned businesses in North Memphis that suffered urban renewal seeks to rebuild without a new wave of displacement. Can a community land trust strike that balance?

Opinion

Massachusetts Advocates Push for Medicaid-Funded Assisted Living

James A. Lomastro

By funding nursing homes but not assisted living, Medicaid often steers older adults into costlier and more restrictive care than they need. Lawmakers can fix that.

A graphic design in shades of blue and white showing an arrow—increasing from left to right—over four houses.

States Can Put the Brakes on Landlord Collusion and Junk Fees

Caroline Nagy

States can pursue legal remedies under anti-trust laws when landlords collude to raise rents or use deceptive practices to institute extra fees, even if the federal government backs away from these cases.

The interior of Dupont Circle train station in Washington, D.C., showing a train track, train platform, and Brutalist-style architecture, including large staircases and walking paths. A white man wearing dark clothing and a large backpack crosses the train platform in the right-hand corner.

How States Can Build Housing Together: A Proposal to Create Joint Authorities

Peter Sabonis

Housing markets don't stay within state boundaries. Why should housing finance agencies?

Featured Under the Lens Series

Shelter in a Federal Storm: State and Local Housing Solutions for a Time of Federal Hostility

While chaos reigns at the federal level, it’s up to states and local governments to creatively hold the line, fill the gaps, and figure out new ways forward. Drawing on examples from around the country, this series explores some of the many things they could do—and are already doing. Not sure where to start? Check out our series guide.

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A painting, mostly in shades of blue, showing a group of people of all ages, genders, and races, building a shelter together in a wooded area. The sky is stormy and dark, and it is raining out, but light shines down on the shelter being built, illuminating the people around and inside of it. A figure covering their head with a blue denim jacket approaches in the foreground. A figure stepping out of the shelter waves to them in greeting.

Acting Locally: States, Counties, and Cities on the Front Lines

April 6, 2026 | Miriam Axel-Lute

Even in challenging times, there are many actions that state and local governments can take to improve housing access and look out for their residents.

A rendering of a large apartment building with a Costco retail store on the ground floor. The building is surrounded by trees, and people can be seen walking on a sidewalk in front of the building. The building overlooks a a busy street with multiple lanes of traffic moving in both directions.

Free Land, Retail Rents, and Other Ways Cities Are Cutting Reliance on Federal Housing Funds

April 7, 2026 | Franklin Schneider

Though the federal role will always be necessary, local governments, and developers themselves, are looking for ways to develop affordable housing with less federal subsidy. Here are some of the approaches they are trying.

A busy urban center in Richmond, Virginia, showing a large parking lot surrounded by urban buildings and parked cars.

Property Taxes Aren’t the Cause of Our Housing Crisis, They’re a Solution to It

April 8, 2026 | Josie Faass

Taxing land and buildings at different rates can discourage land speculation and encourage housing development.

A rendering of an apartment complex featuring at least three large, four-floor gray buildings with stone exteriors at the ground levels. The buildings are set next to a parking lot on one side and a lawn with trees on the other side. Sidewalks connect the buildings. Renderings of people and cars are shown in the foreground.

How We Rewrote a Tax Incentive to Encourage More Affordable Housing

April 14, 2026 | Hanneke van Deursen

Chattanooga, Tennessee, aligned its housing tax incentive with the actual cost of charging more affordable rents. Developers are participating.

A large glass building set back from a parking lot. In front of the building is a concrete sign coming out of the ground that reads "Bank of North Dakota."

How Public Banks Can Meet Public Needs

April 15, 2026 | Steve Dubb

As federal funding streams face cuts, the idea of public banks is gaining ground as a tool for states and localities to finance community development.

Art

A bicyclist crosses in front of a mural in an underpass. The mural is made up of orange, green, and purple colorblocking.

Houston Artists and Homeless Residents Collaborate to Create Public Art

Lara Heard

In Houston, where a Housing First strategy has dramatically decreased the number of people without a place to stay, artists and unhoused residents teamed up to create public art works.

A group of building blocks on a table with buildings printed on them. Above them is a projected image of two boys on bikes wearing futuristic gear.

Exhibition Explores Black Displacement, Creating Home in Oakland

Lara Heard

Learn the stories of two communities where Black homes were destroyed, and see the vision community members have of a future Oakland.

“I Hate How Quick People Are to Judge”: Art Spotlights Voices From Homeless Shelters

Lara Heard

Alex Strada worked with 300 shelter staff members and residents to create "Public Address." The project will travel across New York City's five boroughs.