United Ways of California’s Post

The government reduced veteran homelessness by 55 percent between 2010 and 2022 by identifying those at risk of housing loss and providing them with safe homes and services. It should expand this approach to cover everyone sleeping on the street. On the prevention side, we should invest in eviction diversion by providing tenants with attorneys and rental assistance and mandating that landlords participate in mediation. https://lnkd.in/gY7aE8g9

Veteran Housing Corp agrees with Mike Mathias NCPS, CRS in many respects. What America needs to "kill two birds with one shot", or otherwise, solve the affordable housing crisis and problem of homelessness is not to make more affordable housing but to make housing more affordable. My only caveat is that no local, state, or federal government should provide any incentive or funding to any housing project unless the affordability period is permanent and in perpetuity! Don’t Make More Affordable Housing – Make Housing More Affordable by Mike Mathias NCPS, CRS https://lnkd.in/e3E2VgB3

Clearly what we're doing now isn't working. The report stated that there appear to be three options moving forward: "Drastically ramp up existing programs and convince elected leaders and voters to fund that $21.7 billion, change course to less expensive programs or continue muddling through in the hopes that larger economic, political and real estate forces improve the housing situation." I'd like to propose a 4th option, the federal government steps in and once again funds #SocialHousing across the country. The #FreeMarket clearly isn't going to fix this, and requiring 20% affordable or allowing projects going through the ED1 entitlement process to provide moderate income housing isn't going to cut it either when we're dealing with people who make far less than 30-80% of the median income. And how about a 5th option: all that money we're spending on Project Room Key and other very expensive programs could be given to the unhoused so they can find a market rate rental. I like this solution much less than providing free public housing, but we're in a crisis and something needs to be done today. One thing that is certain, is that while our city leadership is throwing up their hands in frustration, the problem is only getting worse as our #Unhoused population continues to grow.

Did you know that only 1/4 of Columbus families in need of affordable housing can actually secure it? The recent report by the National Low Income Housing Coalition highlights a staggering shortage of 267,382 rental units in Ohio alone. This crisis hits our city especially hard, leaving countless families like in desperate search of a home.   Passing legislation like the Eviction Crisis Act and expanding programs like the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher are crucial steps towards ensuring everyone has a place to call home. #AffordableHousing #ColumbusStrong https://bit.ly/3J1UXuW

Attending the NH Housing Finance Authority’s Housing & Economy 2024 conference has been both inspiring and thought-provoking. I’m particularly encouraged by the strides other states have made in zoning reform, which have helped reduce homelessness and slow the rise of rent prices, making housing more affordable for many households. ANGELA BROOKS, FAICP, highlighted an important point in her presentation on affordable housing advocacy: “Overcoming NIMBYism is really about making things accessible.” She explained how visuals that challenge outdated perceptions of affordable housing, as well as thoughtful language adjustments, can make a big difference. For example, replacing phrases like "increasing density" or "eliminating single-family zoning" with "increasing housing opportunities" or "adding more options to single-family zoned areas" can help foster more productive conversations. While we can and should be mindful of how we communicate, the reality is that in New Hampshire, pushing for zoning reform will still be a challenge. We've avoided these difficult conversations for too long, contributing to the current housing crisis. If we want to safeguard the future of our communities, we must engage in these discussions and advocate for meaningful change. Without this, we risk losing our workforce and allowing homelessness to grow among our most vulnerable populations. Join me and over 90 fellow community members and service providers as part of The Home For All Coalition of The Greater Seacoast! By becoming part of this collective effort, we can take action to expand affordable housing and prevent homelessness in Seacoast NH and Southern ME. Together, we are mobilizing resources and challenging systemic barriers to make housing accessible for all. Let’s #ShiftTheSeacoast and drive the changes our community needs! 🌊🏡✨🙏🏻❤️

We need more affordable housing. The housing shortage is one of the main contributors to the homelessness crisis. According to experts, ending single-family zoning and creating more multi-family housing options like accessory dwelling units, duplexes, triplexes is key to solving this. Incentivizing affordable housing construction is also important. Tax credits, preferential financing and programs like the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit give builders advantages for constructing affordable units - helping create jobs while adding much-needed inventory. Read our recent blog to learn more: https://hubs.la/Q02t0J2B0

The Governor’s May Revise, released on May 10, projected a larger budget shortfall than in January and proposed severe cuts to key housing and homelessness programs that went further than the Governor’s January proposal. Our article delves into funding details, reductions, and affected programs - read on to learn how they affect California housing and more. #affordablehousing #MayRevise #CAUpdate

Unlike other social safety net programs that continue to expand, federal housing assistance has shrunk to its lowest level in nearly 25 years, even as homelessness and rental prices have hit historic highs. Today, only one in four households that are eligible for federal housing assistance actually receive it.

New Housing (Scotland) Bill published by The Scottish Government, with provisions around homelessness and residential tenancies (including long-term rent controls for private tenancies, new rights to keep pets and/or decorate rented homes, and new eviction rules). If passed, councils will be expected to carry out assessments of the private rented sector in their local area. They could then make recommendations to government, including a call for rent controlled areas. https://lnkd.in/gDwnN-S2

Missing workforce housing options and liberal policies are killing the suburbs with homeless camps. Will this California disaster come to your hood? Lets fix it with tiny home concepts and ADUs in lower costs cities. California has the second highest home prices of any state, behind only Hawaii. Housing costs have increased by 10.1% in the past year, while the number of homes sold has decreased by 6.9%. As of March 2024, the average price of a house in LA is a staggering $974,000. In San Francisco, that figure is 1.29 million. These soaring rates have heavily affected the citizenry. California has the 4th highest homelessness per capita rate among U.S. states. Over 180,000 Californians are homeless, which is almost a third of the nation’s entire homeless population. In 2021, a bill was signed which was intended to end single-family zoning in California. But politics is rarely that simple. The decision was met with widespread protests and an LA County Court recently declared the law unconstitutional, preventing its passing in 5 Southern California cities. While many celebrated the ruling, the decision has perpetuated California’s housing crisis. The liberal news item on the subject can be found here: https://lnkd.in/gFHSBRyT