Housers Blog
A Little Louder Episode 45: Texas GLO and Discrimination
This week, HUD released its final determination that Texas GLO discriminated against Black and Hispanic Texans in its distribution of CDBG-MIT funds meant to funds to protect their neighborhoods from future storms and disasters. In theContinue Reading
Read Texas Housers’ and Northeast Action Collective’s joint statement on HUD’s final determination of Texas GLO’s civil rights violation
JOINT STATEMENT OF NORTHEAST ACTION COLLECTIVE AND TEXAS HOUSERS ON HUD’S ISSUANCE ON MAY 16 OF A FORMAL LETTER OF NONCOMPLIANCE AGAINST THE STATE OF TEXAS GENERAL LAND OFFICE The Department of Housing and Urban DevelopmentContinue Reading
Last Month In Texas Evictions: Texas Housers’ May 2022 Special Newsletter
Last Month inTexas Evictions We present this newsletter to keep you informed of the most important Texas eviction updates each month. We encourage you to explore our findings in more detail on our website or through yourContinue Reading
A Little Louder Video Buzz Session #4: Justices of the Peace are ignoring tenant protections
The power balance between tenants and landlords is usually tilted in the latter’s favor, and this is true in no more consequential of an arena than eviction court. Thankfully, some protections and resources did become availableContinue Reading
Some Texas Justice of the Peace courts are ignoring protections designed to protect tenants, with eviction being the result
Texas Housers’ Eviction Prevention Specialist Tori Tavormina has chronicled her observations overseeing the Courtwatch program in Harris County. Below is what she has personally witnessed in some Justice of the Peace courts. In early 2022, IContinue Reading
The Gap 2022 report details changes we urgently need to help extremely low-income renters
Every year, The Gap report from the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) details the lack of affordable housing for Extremely Low-Income renters. The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed many challenges in our everyday lives, but perhapsContinue Reading
A Little Louder Episode 44: Issues with Texas Rent Relief
The Emergency Rental Assistance program (ERA) has distributed at least $2.5 billion in the state of Texas with $1.9 billion going through the State’s own Texas Rent Relief program. The speed at which TRR has beenContinue Reading
A Little Louder Episode 43: What could a Tenant Bill of Rights do for San Antonio?
Texas Housers, alongside community members and Texas Organizing Project, have all strongly declared that San Antonio needs a Tenant Bill of Rights. You can watch and share the clip we recently released about it here. WeContinue Reading
Texas Housers calls on HUD to address the dire conditions and racial disparities at Millennia Properties
Texas Housers’ years of work in Project Based Rental Assistance (PBRA) housing has informed us on how management operates when the housing is decent, safe, and sanitary and how it operates when it is not. InContinue Reading
San Antonio needs a Tenant Bill of Rights. Here is where we start.
Tenants in Texas need a change. In our state, the most basic rights for millions of renter households are not a guarantee. This power imbalance has endangered the safety, finances, and shelter of far too manyContinue Reading
Texas Housers calls on State of Texas to dismantle racial residential exclusion through the housing tax credit program
Texas Housers believes the locational decisions the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) adopts for selecting sites for Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) should be the same ones that tenants make when theyContinue Reading
A Little Louder Video Buzz Session #3: Treasury must clarify plan for recapturing Emergency Rent Assistance funds
The US Treasury Department oversees state and local government expenditures of federal Emergency Rent Assistance funds. Texas Housers has discovered inconsistencies in the Treasury Department’s administration of these funds that is causing confusion on when unexpendedContinue Reading
A Little Louder Video Buzz Session 2: Lessons to learn from COVID
In our latest Buzz Session from A Little Louder, host John Henneberger sits with Texas Housers’ Southeast Texas regional director Julia Orduña, communications manager Michael Depland, and research analyst Erin Hahn to talk about what areContinue Reading
Update on ERA in Texas (VIDEO)
This Buzz Session from A Little Louder is an exclusive video from Housers’ research analyst Erin Hahn. In the clip, she briefly walks us through the latest updates on ERA and what we see in theContinue Reading
Justices of the Peace in Texas should make these best practices permanent to establish equality in eviction court
With most Covid-era tenant protections coming to an end, Texas Housers is calling on Justices of the Peace in our state to maintain and improve on the eviction prevention and diversion policies implemented during the pandemic. Continue Reading
Houston PATCHwork and these district profiles show the stark difference in affordable housing availability across the largest city in Texas
Texas Housers is a proud member of the Houston Organizing Movement for Equity (HOME) Coalition, a diverse coalition of community-based organizations in Texas. Our shared mission is to make Houston stronger, more resilient, and more equitableContinue Reading
A Little Louder Episode 42: Expanding The Rights of Tenants In Austin with BASTA
On this episode, John is joined by Shoshana Krieger of BASTA Austin who stops by to talk about the fights for tenants’ rights happening in both Austin City Council and alongside fellow organizers on the ground. Krieger spokeContinue Reading
HUD finds that Texas GLO discriminated against communities of color in $4 billion CDBG-MIT program
In a historic victory for communities of color in Houston and the Gulf Coast, the Department of Housing and Urban Development has officially published findings that state the Texas General Land Office was unlawfully discriminatory regardingContinue Reading
Texas cities and counties may lose up to $103M in emergency rent relief if they fail to act before March 31
Texas Housers issues an urgent plea to government officials in certain Texas cities and counties to act immediately before they lose $103 million in emergency rent relief they have not spent. Watch this five minute videoContinue Reading
WATCH: Texas Housers joins Houston organizers for ‘Preventing Eviction: Beyond The Crisis’ livestream
Housing insecurity has been one of the biggest issues to face Americans during the pandemic. Renters across the nation who fell behind on rent and did not have access to protections or relief were served with evictionContinue Reading
A Little Louder Video Buzz Session 1: Texas eviction crisis update
Texas Housers’ co-director John Henneberger is joined by senior researcher Ben Martin in a new vlog to talk about the state of evictions in Texas. Join us for this first video update! Our latest update toContinue Reading
Texas Housers new Eviction Case Dashboard expands the picture of what tenants in danger of displacement face
Texas Housers has officially launched our Texas Eviction Case dashboard as a part of our Texas Eviction Diversion Tracker. Alongside the Emergency Rental Assistance dashboard, these two data sets expands the picture of what tenants inContinue Reading
Watch ‘Texas Housers 2021 Video Rewind’ as we spotlight the unique voices who fought for housing justice
We are starting off 2022 in a big way with a few videos highlighting what the last year looked like for Texas Housers, including building our Courtwatch program, the fight for housing vouchers in Houston, and the preservationContinue Reading
HUD stopping State of Texas’s misuse of federal disaster mitigation funds is not about paperwork or politics, it’s about saying no to discrimination
There’s something important missing from the recent news reports on HUD’s decision to withhold $1.95 billion of federal disaster mitigation funds (MIT) that were awarded by the Texas General Land Office (GLO) to local governments. Much ofContinue Reading
Track the progress of state and local ERA distribution in Texas with Texas Housers’ ERA dashboard
The COVID-19 pandemic and the financial crisis that it gave rise to have taken a devastating toll on Americans. In order to keep Americans housed through the crisis, the federal government created the Emergency Rental AssistanceContinue Reading
A Little Louder Episode 41: Houston’s Dangerous Apartment Problem Part 1
A Little Louder is launching a new miniseries within our show on substandard housing in Texas. Our latest episode kicks off this special project with Professor Heather K. Way talking about her in-depth report regarding housingContinue Reading
A Little Louder Podcast Episode 40: Demolition Deluge in San Antonio
A Little Louder is back with our latest episode and we are talking demolitions in San Antonio. On this week’s show, John is joined by Heather Way, co-director of the Entrepreneurship and Community Development Clinic atContinue Reading
Join us for a livestream play along of ‘Dot’s Home’ with Evan Narcisse, Councilmember Greg Casar and more!
The housing justice video game Dot’s Home is now available for free on PC/Mac and mobile devices, and we are hosting a livestream play along of the game with a few very special guests to commemorateContinue Reading
A Little Louder Podcast Episode 39: Five things that need fixing in the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program
John is back in the booth for a new episode of A Little Louder! On this episode of A Little Louder, John sits down with Texas Housers staff attorney Elizabeth Roehm to discuss updates to theContinue Reading
University of Texas Law researchers report excessive “orders to vacate” and demolitions in low-income San Antonio neighborhoods
Texas Housers is pleased to announce the publication of “Ousted: The City of San Antonio’s Displacement of Residents through Code Enforcement Actions,” a report from researchers with the UT Entrepreneurship and Community Development Clinic out ofContinue Reading
Section 8 tenants score victory in court ruling, HUD must relocate renters in substandard housing
Texas Housers has worked with tenants in the Coppertree Village apartment complex for many years. A property that hosts numerous safety and sanitary issues, and has had little to no help from management in mitigating thoseContinue Reading
A Little Louder Podcast Episode 38: The American Rescue Plan Act and Tenants’ Rights
John is back in the booth for a new episode of A Little Louder! On the show the time, we are joined by Texas Housers Advocacy Director David Wheaton to give us an update on TexasContinue Reading
Texas Housers new South Texas Regional Director Mia Loseff knows community leads the march to real change
Texas Housers is proud to introduce Mia Loseff as our new South Texas Regional Director. Joining our team in 2019, Loseff has focused on increasing tenant power and amplifying the voices and needs of low-income communitiesContinue Reading
Texas GLO’s Mitigation Plan Amendment fails to rectify discrimination in mitigation funding. Here are our official comments.
Texas Housers, alongside several community organizations, has continued to pressure the Texas General Land Office to ensure that CDBG Mitigation (CDBG-MIT) funds are distributed in an equitable manner. Their initial CDBG-MIT Action Plan resulted in noContinue Reading
Watch community members, Texas Housers and Northeast Action Collective’s press conference on Texas GLO’s neglect of neighborhoods of color
On August 22, the Texas General Land Office (GLO) asked HUD to approve a modification of GLO’s controversial decision to exclude Houston from receiving any federal funds for flood relief. GLO’s modification would give some fundsContinue Reading
Beyond the Moratorium: Eviction courts must use Community Navigation to get rent relief to tenants quickly
Following the Supreme Court ruling to end the CDC moratorium in August 2021, Texas Housers wrote a 5-Point Plan that detailed what state and local officials should do to ensure that critical rent relief is deliveredContinue Reading
What Congress gets right in its Draft Housing Tax Credit Provisions
The COVID-19 pandemic has made space for many of us to reconsider the “old ways of doing things.” From how densely we schedule our time to how robustly our government supports its citizens, our goals andContinue Reading
Podcast Episode 37: ERA and the Eviction Crisis in Texas
On our latest episode of A Little Louder, John is joined by several Housers to talk about rent relief and evictions in Texas. With the CDC moratorium on evictions ending in late August, courtesy of aContinue Reading
Texas Housers evaluates how cities and counties have progressed in Volume 2.0 of ERAP effectiveness report
On August 26th, 2021, the Supreme Court of the United States ended the CDC moratorium on evictions in a ruling that endangered millions throughout the country. With no safety net from eviction, tenants solely rely onContinue Reading
State of Texas, counties and cities need to get rent assistance to tenants ASAP!
This infographic from Texas Housers’ senior researcher Ben Martin shows the genuine danger thousands, if not millions, of Texans are in without rent relief. We need local and State officials to deliver this money to tenantsContinue Reading
Texas Housers calls for immediate State and local action to prevent mass displacement following abrupt lift of CDC moratorium on evictions
The Supreme Court of the United States ruled in a decision on August 26 to end the CDC moratorium on evictions. This ruling has endangered hundreds of thousands of Texans who have relied upon the moratoriumContinue Reading
Texas Housers new Southeast Texas Regional Director Julia Orduña supports a resident-empowered future
Texas Housers is proud to announce that Julia Orduña has been named our new Southeast Texas Regional Director. Julia joined our team in 2019 and has primarily worked alongside resident leaders in several African-American and HispanicContinue Reading
CDC announces eviction moratorium extension for majority of renters until October 3rd
The Biden Administration has announced that effective August 4th, 2021, the CDC moratorium on evictions will be extended through October 3, 2021. While the guidelines for tenant qualifications remain the same, the moratorium is extended onlyContinue Reading
Read Texas Housers’ comments to FEMA on the efficiency and equity of their aid distribution
Comments by Julia Orduña When the Biden Administration took office in January 2021, among the first executive orders issued from the new White House were Executive Order 13985, Executive Order 13990, and Executive Order 14008. TheseContinue Reading
Podcast Episode 36: Who Can Afford The Rent In Texas?
The National Low Income Housing Coalition has released its Out of Reach report for 2021 and John and Christina are back in the studio to discuss how Texas fits into the analysis. Turns out, low-wage workers have aContinue Reading
Watch our Tenants’ rights 2021 Texas Legislature wrap-up
The 87th Texas Legislature was conducted under the most unique and difficult time for tenants in recent memory. With this in mind, advocates and public officials took to the Capitol to testify and work on policyContinue Reading
Texas Housers evaluates how cities and counties disburse COVID rent relief in latest report
Update 7/13: At time of publishing, Texas Housers did not have complete figures from Houston and Harris County that fit into our grading categories. Subsequent to a follow up, we were provided the unique data toContinue Reading
Nearing the Eviction Cliff: What We’re Observing in Harris County Courtrooms
Contributed by Erin Hahn and Ally Harris The CDC’s federal eviction moratorium, which was set to expire June 30, 2021, has been officially extended through July 31 for what officials are stating will be the finalContinue Reading
Houser Academy Guest Blog: Reviving the American Family
As a member of the inaugural class of our Houser Academy, RJ Griffin focused on advocating for housing for those who are leaving the carceral system. After completing the Academy in May 2021, he will continueContinue Reading
Podcast Episode 35: Eviction Courtwatch During COVID-19
The CDC Eviction Moratorium should protect many individuals who appear before a Justice of the Peace due to non-payment of rent. However, far too many defendants and even some judges are not aware of the extentContinue Reading
Bedbugs, security deposits, and the vision to ensure Texas tenant protections
The unfortunate reality for tenants in Texas is that they are afforded very few protections. In fact, more bills have passed in recent legislative sessions that take away rights than bills that advance the rights ofContinue Reading
The Hillcrest neighborhood fought racist highway development to preserve its history. Now its residents are telling their story.
In Corpus Christi, the Hillcrest neighborhood has hosted generations of families who have built community and created history for more than a century, dating back to the 1800s. However, similar to far too many communities ofContinue Reading
The Texas Rent Relief Program will not reach its target before eviction without these changes
The Texas Rent Relief program, which began rolling out in March has had nearly 72,000 applicants according to recent reporting. However, in one month’s time, it has only successfully given relief to 250 people. This isContinue Reading
Texas Supreme Court’s inaction could put thousands of renters at risk of eviction
Thousands of Texas tenants who can’t pay rent amid the COVID-19 crisis are at risk of eviction as the Texas Supreme Court has failed to extend its 34th emergency order. This emergency order required judges toContinue Reading
Read Texas Housers’ report on Sandpiper Cove’s failed storm evacuation in Galveston
In August 2020, the threat of Hurricane Laura was approaching a HUD-contracted Galveston property known as Sandpiper Cove. Having experienced many storms before, and living in a major city by the Texas coastline, it would makeContinue Reading
Housers advocacy agenda focuses on basic protections for renters
Texas renters need rights. With a dwindling supply of affordable housing, add a global pandemic that has sparked a financial crisis for many families, and a winter storm that wreaked havoc on apartments and incomes, theContinue Reading
Texas ranks at the bottom for affordable and available housing for Extremely Low Income renters. This is what Congress must do to help.
The National Low Income Housing Coalition publishes the Gap Report every March to assess the shortage of affordable and available for low-income households. The 2021 edition of the report has assembled its findings using 2019 ACSContinue Reading
Fear of Foreclosure: How homeowners of color are struggling with the financial fallout of COVID-19 in Houston
People of color have historically faced systemic obstacles in access to homeownership, yet so many have still persevered to secure a place to build their lives and futures. However, when a disaster strikes, it can oftenContinue Reading
Houston’s grace period eviction ordinance was too late for too many. Here is how to fix that.
Since the start of the COVID-19 crisis in March 2020, Texas Housers has advocated for a grace period ordinance in Houston and other cities across the state. Despite the suffering of its majority-renter population, the advocacyContinue Reading
Texas renters have few eviction protections under COVID-19. Justices of the Peace are rarely enforcing them.
Written by Julia Orduña and Ally Harris There have been over 23,000 eviction cases opened against tenants in Harris County since mid-March 2020, and the harsh reality is the result of those cases overwhelmingly depends onContinue Reading
Here’s how you can apply for help from the Texas Rent Relief Program
The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs has announced that they intend to make available $1.3 billion to eligible residents as a part of a federal stimulus package. Starting on Feb. 15, the State ofContinue Reading
February 21 Update: Governor Abbott and the Texas Legislature continue to fail to act to help Texas freeze survivors
Less than 48 hours after Texas Housers posted a blog entry challenging Texas government officials to take 5 critical actions to address the weather disaster, President Biden issued a major disaster declaration covering 77 of TexasContinue Reading
Governor Abbott and Texas Legislators: you got us in this mess, here is what you must do to fix it
A monumental failure of Texas state government is responsible for a statewide power outage causing devastation of our economy and many Texans’ homes. We have the opportunity and the resources to get everyone back on theirContinue Reading
Texas Housers has created a simple checklist of principles for equitable rent relief
After nine months of working with cities and counties in Texas and observing partners across the country do the same, Texas Housers is excited to release new guidelines for equitable rental assistance. We have distilled equityContinue Reading
Podcast Episode 34: President Biden’s Executive Orders On Housing
It’s a new year and a new administration has moved into the White House. On the first day of the Biden presidency, the 46th President of the United States signed several executive orders regarding issues suchContinue Reading
Texas Housers calls on TxDOT withhold its Record of Decision on I-45 Expansion
Texas Housers is committed to justice at the intersection of civil rights and housing. In Houston specifically, this means fighting the erosion and segregation of Greater Fifth Ward via highway construction and expansion. The Texas Department of TransportationContinue Reading
The CDC Eviction Moratorium Needs Amendments, Not Just Extensions
Contributed by Julia Orduña and Ally Harris As we enter the new year, many Texans are coming to terms with the fact that the pandemic was not left in 2020 and will extend well into 2021.Continue Reading
Texas Housers outlines goals to ensure 2021 is a year to advance housing justice
With the turn to a new year, people often look forward to the dawn of better days, great possibility and opportunity. Many have great expectations especially for 2021 — there are a lot of high hopesContinue Reading
Three things President-elect Biden needs to do Jan 20 to keep Americans housed
Everyone needs a home. Never more so than during this pandemic. Past government efforts to keep Americans who can’t pay the rent housed have helped, but too many have not been protected and have lost theirContinue Reading
Get Involved: Texas Housers uses CourtWatch to track improper COVID related evictions
Texas Housers staff and volunteers have been tracking the experiences of Texas tenants brought before Texas Justice of the Peace Courts to face eviction proceedings. This work has alerted us to problems with judges who areContinue Reading
Texas COVID relief and eviction diversion programs could fall short if these major issues aren’t fixed
Texas’s first statewide COVID-19 rental assistance program will kick off this January after months of government planning and public calls for action. Gov. Greg Abbott first announced in September 2020 that the Texas Department of HousingContinue Reading
Podcast #33: A temporary eviction moratorium and $1.9B for rent relief is coming to Texas
Congress passed and President Trump signed a pandemic relief bill granting a month-long extension of the current federal eviction moratorium and $25 billion for rent relief nationwide. In this week’s podcast Texas Housers explores what thisContinue Reading
Texas struggles to streamline CARES funds as local governments scrape for resources
In May 2020, Gov. Greg Abbott and state leaders penned a letter to city and county officials about plans for the Coronavirus Relief Fund, the $11.2 billion that Texas received through the CARES Act. Although theContinue Reading
Texas Housers asks CFPB to strike unjust rule shielding banks from public scrutiny
In July of 2020, Texas Housers posted on our blog about the lawsuit we filed alongside cities and fair housing organizations, under the leadership of the National Reinvestment Coalition and represented by Public Citizens Litigation Group,Continue Reading
Watch Texas Housers’ December COVID Response Call on link between Housing & Health
As our nation looks to turn over the calendar to 2021, we also approach a dangerous deadline. The CDC’s moratorium on evictions expires on Jan. 1 2021, with many wondering what is next, not just forContinue Reading
Texas Housers and interfaith community groups call on state leaders for eviction moratorium
As our nation marches toward a new year, we also edge toward a cliff with mass evictions on a scale we have not seen in generations. On January 1, 2021, there will no longer be aContinue Reading
Introducing the Residents’ and Advocates’ Equitable Relocation Checklist
Contributed by Caleb Roberts, Sophie Dulberg, and Ericka Bowman When we talk about displacement, we often speak generally about the loss of affordable housing or talk about changes in neighborhood character and demographics. In focusing onContinue Reading
Podcast Episode 32: Searching For A Landlord To Take My Voucher
Housing vouchers should be the empowering ticket to housing peace of mind of low-income families and individuals. However, for far too many, source of income discrimination defers that dream and either shoves those seeking housing intoContinue Reading
In vote to weaken incentives, TDHCA hurts chances for affordable housing in desirable areas
Earlier this month, the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs voted to change the rules for where low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) housing is built in a manner that could push families in need evenContinue Reading
Texas Housers November COVID Response Call focused on delivering rent relief to the public
As we grow closer to the end of the year, with a possibly expiring eviction moratorium from the CDC, it is critical that Texans have access to funds promised to them by local, state, and nationalContinue Reading
Texas Housers and Coalition for Tenant Justice demand tenants have say in new SAHA CEO
When news broke that former San Antonio Housing Authority CEO David Nisivoccia’s was departing his position earlier this month, many residents in San Antonio saw the opening as an opportunity for change in public housing. However,Continue Reading
Watch our digital broadcast of the 2020 Houser Awards (Video)
For many, 2020 has been the most challenging year in recent history. But despite the unique challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been so much fantastic work toward housing justice worth celebrating. For this reason,Continue Reading
Podcast Episode 31: Housing Segregation, George Floyd, and Honoring True Housers
For Texas Housers’ latest podcast episode, John and I are experimenting with a new format. We’re discussing what we’re reading, lifting up the work of some great Housers, calling out stuff that ain’t right, and providingContinue Reading
Podcast Episode 30: Who is this housing for and where does it go?
Every year, Texas receives millions of dollars in tax credits to help developers build affordable housing. It’s big money and a highly competitive process. The Low Income Housing Tax Credit program is the biggest driver ofContinue Reading
Texas Housers statement on City of Houston’s diversion of CARES Act funds to police, garbage bins
The CARES Act was designed to provide rent relief and other aid for complications caused by COVID-19. There have been many extended and unintended consequences that coronavirus has created beyond the spread of the virus andContinue Reading
Texas Housers COVID Response Call and Keep Texans Housed website track where housing and the pandemic meet
Since news of the COVID-19 pandemic first broke in spring 2020, Texas Housers has made tracking the disease’s effects on housing a main focus of our work. We have spent much of our efforts advocating bothContinue Reading
Podcast Episode 29: The Trouble With PFCs
After taking the summer off, A Little Louder is back on the air! Though there are only a few months left in 2020, there is still so much to address before the year is through. OnContinue Reading
Breaking news: TX Supreme Court issues emergency order on CDC eviction moratorium to protect Texas tenants
By a vote of 6-2 today the Texas Supreme Court has issued an emergency order setting out much needed clearer procedures for the way the US Center for Disease Control (CDC) declaration will be considered inContinue Reading
Texans are losing their homes because judges are not consistently enforcing CDC eviction moratorium order
A September 1 order by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) prohibits landlords from evicting tenants from their homes and apartments before December 31. This eviction protection is not automatic however. “To invokeContinue Reading
The CDC’s national eviction moratorium is long overdue, but won’t protect tenants without robust rental relief
On Sept 1, the Center for Disease Control and the Department of Health and Human Services announced that the federal government is issuing a national eviction moratorium for the remainder of 2020 to prevent the spreadContinue Reading
Texas GLO boasts about the PREPS Program while Harvey Survivors live in homes in dire need of repair
Co-written with Ben Hirsh of West Street Recovery and the Harvey Forgotten Survivors Caucus In a Houston Chronicle op-ed last month, Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush declared the implementation of the Partial Repairs and EssentialContinue Reading
Record-breaking 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season reminds us that preparedness is the first step in disaster recovery
This year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicted a busy hurricane season with 13-19 named storms, 6-10 hurricanes, and 3-6 major hurricanes. In the first three months of the season, we have already seenContinue Reading
In alarming move toward mass displacement, Texas AG Ken Paxton says local governments cannot impose eviction moratoriums
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton issued an opinion today that local governmental entities operating under local emergency declarations cannot delay, prohibit, or restrict eviction procedures. The opinion itself does not necessarily block the moratoriums and theContinue Reading
Texas Housers joins National Community Reinvestment Coalition lawsuit against CFPB to overturn rule allowing banks to hide their lending records
This morning, Texas Housers, under the leadership of the National Community Reinvestment Coalition and represented by Public Citizen Litigation Group, joined the NCRC, Montana Fair Housing, the City of Toledo, Empire Justice Center, and the AssociationContinue Reading
Texas Housers creates equitable rental relief guidelines after speaking with local governments across the state
In response to the coronavirus pandemic and widespread economic turmoil, several major cities and counties in Texas have implemented direct financial assistance programs for their residents. Many programs utilize federal relief funds from the CARES Act,Continue Reading
Calls on Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner to allow a city council vote on temporary eviction moratorium
The Houston Chronicle reports that Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner is refusing to put a moratorium on evictions before the Houston City Council for a vote. With federal prohibitions on evictions set to be lifted and withContinue Reading
AFFH is the housing equivalent of cell phone videos in the George Floyd murder — the essential tool to expose racism
I am a third generation Texan who has spent most of my life investigating the role of government in racial and economic justice at the home and neighborhood level. Over those years I’ve seen overwhelming, irrefutableContinue Reading
Fort Worth wants affordable housing and could have it, if the city strongly rejects NIMBY pitfalls
In late June 2020, Fort Worth City Council voted against a zoning change that would have likely secured tax credit funding for affordable housing in the neighborhood of Linwood. The City Council voted 6-2 in favorContinue Reading
HUD’s $50 million Housing Mobility grant is a challenge for Texas Public Housing Authorities to step up
The Department of Housing and Urban Development has announced it is making available $50 million to Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) to “develop programs to help low-income families with housing vouchers access low-poverty, high-opportunity areas.” These fundsContinue Reading
Out Of Reach 2020 highlights that there is too little affordable housing for low-income Texans
COVID-19 has forced our nation to reckon with many of its flawed systems. While our country is experiencing a fundamental shift toward social justice, there have been several topics needing change that many have long vocalizedContinue Reading
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