Community development and housing news for June 13, 2019
President Trump signs package to deliver disaster relief funds, the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act of 2019 bill is proposed, Cities of Service Awards $150,000 to six cities for New Experience Matters Program, and other stories we're following this week.
Breaking news
President Donald Trump signed a package on June 6 that would deliver $19.1 billion in disaster relief.
The bill includes $600 million in nutrition assistance for Puerto Rico, $3 billion for farmers to help cover crop losses, $1.6 billion to help repair damaged highways, $720 million for the U.S. Forest Service to help cover wildfire suppression efforts, and $120 million to help the National Park Service repair damaged public lands. Read more
A bipartisan group of Senate and House legislators have proposed a sweeping bill to help solve the affordable housing issue.
Called the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act of 2019, this bill seeks to close the gap in affordable rental units across the nation by expanding and strengthening the Affordable Housing Tax Credit. If passed, the bill expects to create 1.9 million additional affordable units over the next decade. Read more
Cities of Service announced that six U.S. cities will participate in its new Cities of Service Experience Matters program.
With support from AARP, Cities of Service will work with the cities to develop volunteering initiatives that address public problems related to the drivers of poverty. The winning cities will receive $25,000, technical assistance, and two full-time AmeriCorps VISTA members based in city hall who will build capacity and raise awareness for the initiatives. Read more
What we're reading
A new cooperative initiative is working with homeowners in the Bay Area to design and construct accessory dwelling, or in-law, units in their backyard.
The cooperative, called Roots and Returns, is aimed at developing and maintaining affordable housing for Bay Area residents who were pushed out of town due to high housing costs. The coop will give priority to people in the service industry, whether they work in food service, as school teachers, firefighters, EMTs, or other types of service work. Read more
Articles to bookmark
Renters who have disabilities are often unable to meet the kinds of admission criteria that landlords establish for their properties.
Renters with disabilities may fail to meet the minimum income policies or may have past financial pressures that led to bankruptcies, a blemished credit history, or evictions for example. Read more
