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 andContinue Reading
Category: State issues
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,Continue 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 withContinue 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 andContinue 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 PeaceContinue 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 callsContinue 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 forContinue 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 moratoriumContinue 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 scaleContinue 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 theContinue 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 housingContinue 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, itContinue 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,Continue 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 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 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 clearerContinue 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 fromContinue 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 federalContinue 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 lastContinue 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,Continue 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,Continue 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 directContinue 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 creditContinue 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)Continue 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 fundamentalContinue Reading
With Texas in crisis, local governments are suspending the Public Information Act indefinitely and refusing service
Contributed by Eli Barrish, Elizabeth Roehm, and Adam Pirtle Since the CARES Act passed in March 2020, billions of taxpayerContinue Reading
Here is how Texas GLO must address systemic racial inequity through CDBG-MIT planning and disaster mitigation
Racial prejudice is not simply expressed through interpersonal bigotry, but it is a systemic issue that has been intentionally builtContinue Reading
Texas rent relief programs are failing to target low-income residents under COVID-19
COVID-19 was first documented reaching Texas in March 2020, and residents have suffered disease, job and income loss, and fearContinue Reading
Harris County proceeds with evictions hearings behind closed doors as COVID-19 cases rise
On May 19, the State of Texas allowed its eviction protections for renters to expire, leaving only tenants who liveContinue Reading
LGBTQ Texans now have workplace protections thanks to SCOTUS. They deserve Fair Housing protections too.
This week, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled in a landmark case that an individual could not beContinue Reading