Friday news roundup 2/28/14

The most important post we read this week was on CBPP's Off the Charts blog, where Douglas Rice shared a dismaying projection: 70,000 fewer low-income families have housing vouchers as a result of the across-the-board sequestration cuts that started last March. In other news:

Bipartisan Policy Center (via NCSHA): The percentage of low-income families facing “moderate” and “severe” rental housing cost burdens has reached crisis levels

Brookings: Cities and metro areas are tackling the economic gap through affordable housing initiatives

NCSHA: Small improvements, state differences in housing affordability

NLIHC: A quarter of public housing authorities prioritize serving people who are homeless

Rooflines: The myths about poverty are keeping people poor

Finally, late last week HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan advised executive directors of the current status of the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) first component. The letter details HUD’s plans for processing RAD applications under 2014 appropriations. The letter was posted to the RAD home page and was attached to a “RADBlast!” e-mail. Click here to join the “RADBlast!” mailing list.