Lillian M. Ortiz

Millions Could Lose Housing Aid Under Trump Plan Drafts of unpublished rules obtained by ProPublica detail plans that would open the door to full-time work requirements, two-year limits on living in federally supported housing and stripping aid from...

Millions of people could lose their housing assistance if these plans go through. “It’s going to cause people to become homeless, kids to be pulled out of their schools, people to lose their jobs.” www.propublica.org/article/trum...

🚨 New Series: Innovations in Community Ownership | Over the next 6 weeks, we’ll explore bold new ways communities are taking control of land + housing to ensure affordability, stability, and a real say in their futures.

Learn more: bit.ly/3JYmYqS

#CommunityOwnership #HousingJustice #UnderTheLens

Rent setting legislation A Flourish data visualization by Lillian

This summer, Santa Monica became the 10th U.S. city to ban the use of algorithmic software to set rents. I updated our ongoing list here: public.flourish.studio/visualisatio...

Few released under NJ law meant to allow gravely ill inmates to die at home • New Jersey Monitor Only four people have been freed under a 2020 compassionate release law meant to allow more gravely ill inmates to die at home.

Few released under NJ law meant to allow gravely ill inmates to die at home newjerseymonitor.com/2025/07/31/f...

Shelterforce reporter Shelby R. King joins a July 31 virtual forum at 10 pm EST on the future of affordable housing under Trump.
Topics:
✅ LIHTC funding
✅ Section 8 vouchers
✅ HUD budget cuts
Register here: bit.ly/4mgBpEB
#AffordableHousing #HUD #Shelterforce #LIHTC (edited)

When rent hikes came, Betty Lewis stayed.

She helped lead a 6-year fight that ended in victory: capped rents + permanent affordability.
This is what community organizing looks like.

🔗 bit.ly/40iQayp

#TenantOrganizing #BlackHousingJustice #Mattapan

Legislators Push Back Against ‘Rent-Setting’ Software Lawmakers in two dozen cities and states have made strides to stop landlords from using algorithmic software to determine rent prices.

Let me know if there's a city/state missing from the list. Email me at lillian@shelterforce.org. Also check out my latest story on the topic: shelterforce.org/2025/07/11/l...

Rent setting legislation A Flourish data visualization by Lillian

I've been tracking state and local legislative efforts to ban landlords from using rent-setting algorithms. Hoboken, New Jersey, is the latest city to ban the practice.

Here's an updated list of the proposed and passed legislation so far: public.flourish.studio/visualisatio...

The Trump admin keeps detaining and prosecuting elected officials who get in his way A timeline of authoritarianism.

Judge Hannah Dugan, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, Rep. LaMonica McIver, Sen. Alex Padilla, and now Brad Lander.

The Trump administration keeps detaining and prosecuting elected officials who get in its way.

This is the timeline of authoritarianism.

Super pumped to lead this new Shelterforce series! Over the next several weeks, we'll examine the growing use of tech in the housing world, and what's needed to ensure that “innovative" tools don’t make the housing crisis worse.

Sign up for our newsletter for more: shelterforce.org/shelterforce...

These HUD Cuts Have Gotten Less Attention, But the Effects Will Still Be Harmful Technical assistance may seem dull, but it’s vital for addressing the homelessness and housing crisis. For federal grantees, it's about to be harder to get.

The Trump administration has slashed or delayed a lot of different HUD grants. But there’s one type of grant in particular that has had massive cuts that's not getting much attention—and it should. @shelterforce.bsky.social gets into it: shelterforce.org/2025/04/07/t...

N.J. mayor bashes Bon Jovi’s makeshift restaurant the needy in town Jon Bon Jovi opened his first JBJ Soul Kitchen in 2011. Since then, it's added four other locations to its roster, including the pop-up restaurant that opened this winter in Toms River.

“If they’re going to turn this into a homeless shelter, hell, cut everybody a check and give them a Barnes and Noble gift card," said the MAYOR of Toms River. 😞 🤯 www.nj.com/ocean/2025/0...

New Jersey officials reviewing federal threat to pull school funding over DEI • New Jersey Monitor The federal Department of Education sends more than $1 billion annually to New Jersey K-12 schools.

The Trump administration is threatening to pull $1 billion in federal funding from NJ public schools if they have diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. These funds primarily help low-income communities and students who have disabilities. newjerseymonitor.com/briefs/new-j...

Section 8 Under Trump: How Policy Uncertainty Is Affecting Affordable Housing As Trump reshapes the federal landscape, housing voucher recipients, landlords, and administrators brace for funding cuts and fiscal chaos.

"Even a two-day pause is going to frighten landlords away.”

As the Trump administration reshapes the federal landscape, #Section8 voucher holders, landlords, and admins brace for potential funding cuts and fiscal chaos. Read or listen to the story here: bit.ly/3FIgn1J

Shelterforce's 50th Anniversary Conference - April 28-29, 2025 in Newark, NJ. Image shows conference logo with tagline 'A Legacy of Impact, A Future of Possibilities. A Two-day celebration of community, connection and vision.

1/ We’re celebrating 50 years of #Shelterforce — and we want you to be there! Join us in Newark, NJ, on April 28–29 for two days of connection, learning & reflection on the past, present, and future of housing justice! #Shelterforce50

Mission-Driven or Profit-Driven? Enterprise’s Hidden Role in Mobile Home Park Purchases Enterprise has a majority voting stake in Bellwether Enterprise, yet long insisted it couldn’t change the subsidiary’s lending habits.

Enterprise is a major player in the affordable housing world. It has created or preserved 1M homes in the U.S. But it has also earned $ from a for-profit subsidiary that lends to companies whose business practices contradict Enterprise’s mission of preserving #affordablehousing. bit.ly/43KBla2

What's Going On With the HUD Budget? As a federal government shutdown looms, advocates warn of cuts to affordable housing programs in the remaining months of FY 2025—and deeper threats in 2026.

We're heading toward a partial government shutdown if the Senate fails to pass a continuing resolution. But if the current continuing resolution passes, critical housing assistance programs will face significant cuts. Shelterforce's @shelby-r-king.bsky.social reports: bit.ly/3DSYlsW

NEW: My staff has confirmed reports that Medicaid portals are down in all 50 states following last night's federal funding freeze. This is a blatant attempt to rip away health care from millions of Americans overnight and will get people killed.

Trump’s Pick to Lead Federal Housing Agency Has Opposed Efforts to Aid the Poor As HUD secretary, Scott Turner would oversee billions in housing aid, but as a Texas state legislator he voted against protections for poor tenants and has called government assistance “one of the mos...

Scott Turner voted to ensure landlords could refuse to rent to people on government assistance. He agreed with an interviewer that welfare is worse than slavery. He may soon lead the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

w/ @andykroll.bsky.social

www.propublica.org/article/scot...

Shelterforce's Top 10 Stories of 2024 Our reporting on dangerous proposals, property insurance woes, and other threats to affordable housing were the top read stories of the year.

You can read the articles here: shelterforce.org/2024/12/13/s...

YouTube video by Shelterforce Shelterforce's Top 10 Stories of 2024

@shelterforce.bsky.social published more than 120 articles in 2024—a mix of reported pieces, explainers, and voices from the community development and affordable housing fields. Here are the top stories of the year.
youtu.be/IjrQBYrR1qM

What Trump's New Cabinet and Administration Picks Have in Common See the links between more than 60 figures the president-elect wants for cabinet and other senior positions: billionaires, lobbyists, Fox personalities and more.

I love a good, simple graphic: www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

Is Housing the Key to Attracting Teachers? These Folks Think So. Teacher shortages and high housing prices are leading to efforts across the U.S. to provide educators with affordable housing options.

In the face of teacher shortages and out-of-reach housing prices, efforts to provide educators with affordable housing options are taking shape across the U.S. We look at some of the emerging models and how they’re working so far. bit.ly/4fQ6BYw

Is Housing the Key to Attracting Teachers? These Folks Think So. Teacher shortages and high housing prices are leading to efforts across the U.S. to provide educators with affordable housing options.

We all know that school districts are struggling with significant teacher shortages and high turnover rates. But did you know there's been an increase in efforts to provide more affordable housing options for educators? Shelterforce reports on this growing trend: shelterforce.org/2024/11/25/i...

Lawmakers advance bill to ban landlords' use of rent-setting software • New Jersey Monitor If the bill passes, New Jersey would be the first U.S. state to bar landlords from using algorithims to fix rents and reduce competition.

Could NJ become the first state to ban landlords from using rent-setting tech?

newjerseymonitor.com/2024/10/24/l...

Who Could Lead HUD Under a Second Trump Administration? The president-elect’s cabinet picks so far have been controversial, often alarming. What might that mean for housing?

The president-elect has been fairly quiet about who he wants to lead the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, but several names have been floating around: shelterforce.org/2024/11/22/w...

Good-bye to the Broker Fee The City Council voted today to stop your landlord from passing his expenses on to you.

👏 Good news for NYC tenants: www.curbed.com/article/brok...

Hi, folks!

We’ve joined the wave and are now on Bluesky!

Help us reach more housing and community development advocates by sharing our posts with your network. We’re excited to connect with you here and remain deeply committed to our mission of advancing housing justice and equitable communities.

Looking for some nonprofit news orgs to follow? @alexip718.bsky.social made this handy little starter pack of INN members on Bluesky!

go.bsky.app/AgZbvTK