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Rent Law Offers Reprieve to Some of Los Angeles' Most Vulnerable Families

Jessica Goodheart

April 29, 2019 |

Capital & Main |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Los Angeles, California

The temporary passage of a new ordinance has capped rent increases to three percent and allowed some families in Los Angeles County to successfully push back on no-cause, or unjustified evictions. The ordinance provides just-cause protection which requires a landlord to prove a tenant either damaged the property or did not pay their rent on time. The just-cause protection allows families some reprieve from evictions, without which many would be homeless. Tenant advocates are pushing to make the legislation permanent.

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'Someone To Speak For You': Low-Income Tenants Get Lawyers For Housing Court

Jenifer McKim

April 03, 2019 |

NPR |

Radio |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: United States, New York

New York City has pioneered one of the nation's first programs to provide free legal services to low-income tenants under threat of eviction. Recent studies have indicated that evictions declined more in cities that had implemented right to counsel, and more cities are looking to follow New York's example as they work to prevent housing instability and homelessness.

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For Red Hook, Justice Center is Much More than a Court

Megan Conn

March 26, 2019 |

Bklynr |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

The Red Hook Community Justice Center is a community center that also functions as a court hearing family, housing, and criminal cases. Defendants get on-site social services, like support groups and counseling, with an approach called procedural justice: cultivating public respect for the system by giving people a voice in it and by showing respect and transparency. A 2016 survey found 80% of local residents held positive feelings about the court, which was founded in 2000. People in the neighborhood can use the center's services even if they are not in a court case.

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When Your Sexual Harasser Has Keys to Your Apartment

Christina Colón

March 18, 2019 |

Sojourners |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Syracuse, New York

Strategies for combatting sexual harassment in housing across the United States begin with increased awareness and reporting. With incidents of sexual harassment in housing chronically underreported since the passing of the Fair Housing Act in 1974, recent initiatives by nonprofits like CNY Fair Housing and programs by the Departments of Justice and Housing and Urban Development seek to address the issue. These initiatives focus on increasing awareness and education, informing both landlords and tenants of Fair Housing policy.

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Keeping Affordability in Focus As Columbus Revitalization Picks up Steam

Jared Brey

February 19, 2019 |

Next City |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Columbus, Ohio

Columbus, Ohio aims to make housing more affordable by enacting he Central Ohio Community Land Trust; the community land trust uses ideas from other national affordable financing models to ensure low-income Columbus residents can afford safe, clean housing. The land trust keeps housing affordable in neighborhoods where rents are steadily rising in an effort to create equitable mixed-income communities.

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Taxing empty apartments could ease the housing crisis

Adele Peters

February 12, 2019 |

FastCompany |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Canada, Vancouver, British Columbia

Cities with large numbers of empty apartments look to Vancouver's apartment tax, which taxes owners for unused apartment space. After the tax was put in place, the number of unoccupied apartments in Vancouver went down, and the city raised $38 million in tax revenue - most of which will go to affordable housing programs.

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Baltimore enacts new rules to root out squalid rental properties. But some tenants could lose their homes

Doug Donovan

February 07, 2019 |

The Baltimore Sun |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Baltimore, Maryland

Baltimore passed a law that cracks down on rental property owners that have been operating without required inspection, leaving renters living in squalor. While critics fear that owners and landlords may lose business, advocates note that living conditions have drastically improved for those renting homes in these buildings.

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In Nigeria, documentary films spark social change

Innocent Eteng

February 07, 2019 |

The Christian Science Monitor |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Nigeria, Port Harcourt

A local, grass-roots art project in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, spreads awareness about and encourages action against government-sponsored evictions in the city's low-income communities. Cinematic films, music, and journalistic storytelling help spread the humanity and character of the communities to appeal to government entities to let people stay.

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Adding density: Project tests if city changes have made backyard apartments more attainable

Abby Lynes

January 27, 2019 |

Bozeman Daily Chronicle |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Bozeman, Montana

Community members in Bozeman work with students at Montana State University and city officials to test the sustainability and practicality of backyard apartments, or ADUs. Though high costs and historic value could be obstacles for home-owners, these studio and one-bedroom apartments offer a space-saving solution to Bozeman's housing shortage.

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The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative has a $500 million plan to ease the Bay Area housing crisis

Eillie Anzilotti

January 24, 2019 |

FastCompany |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, San Francisco, California

Several large philanthropic organizations, like the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and the Ford Foundation, are pooling resources to address San Francisco's severe housing crisis. The funds will go to local non-profits who are buying up property to stabilize rent and to localities to establish rent-control and tenant protection policies. Known as Partnership for the Bay’s Future, the venture hopes to eventually ensure housing for 175,000 families over five years.

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