Shelterforce

Building Community Power in Newark, NJ — Shelterforce Jennifer Made started organizing at 13 and began feeding her community at 19, an effort that grew into the Newark Community Action Network.

Jennifer Made started organizing at 13 and feeding her community at 19—efforts that grew into the Newark Community Action Network.

This #WomensHistoryMonth, explore her story:

What Is the Solidarity Economy?  — Shelterforce A growing movement is reshaping how people work and live together. Our new column highlights these practices—and explains why they matter.

The bottom 90% of U.S. workers earn ~$28,000 less per year than they would have in the 1970s income system.

What if we organized the economy differently?

New column: What Is the Solidarity Economy?

Can Condo Conversions Deliver Long-Term Affordability? — Shelterforce A Portland, Oregon, project aims to turn aging rentals into affordable condos. But that affordability currently rests on temporary subsidies.

Do condo conversions deliver long-term affordability—or just temporary relief? A Portland case study shows what’s missing when affordability isn’t locked in.

Read here: bit.ly/4snmE5U

#AffordableHousing #Homeownership #HousingJustice

What Does It Mean When Anchor CDCs Start Selling Affordable Housing? — Shelterforce Rising costs, rent arrears, and aging properties are forcing nonprofit affordable housing developers to rethink what they can afford to own.

When anchor CDCs start selling affordable housing, it’s not mission drift—it’s math. In Portland, Oregon, REACH CDC offloaded legacy properties under financial strain. What does that signal for preservation nationwide?

Read: bit.ly/40dTaLU

#AffordableHousing #CDC

This #WomensHistoryMonth, we’re honoring Annette Miller—an Oakland organizer who turned personal tragedy into powerful community advocacy.
Watch her story: bit.ly/40EPaEj

Heating. Cooling. Mold prevention. Structural safety. Protection from pests. Climate resilience.

In our latest webinar, organizers and policy leaders discuss how habitability laws move from paper ordinances to real-world outcomes—and where they fall short.

🎥 Watch Fit to Live in:

This week at Shelterforce:

• Safe and Sheltered — Tenant organizers push for eviction moratoriums as ICE fears grow
• What Is the Solidarity Economy?
• Nonprofits Own These Offices—And Put Housing on Top of Them

Read more:
conta.cc/4l5RttK

#HousingJustice #TenantOrganizing #SolidarityEconomy

"One of the things that I really wanted to work towards was getting away from that negative point of view that Black communities are slums, and really trying to focus on the care that Black people put into their homes."

Read more: bit.ly/3MYvfgt

#BlackSpaces #HousingJustice #Oakland

Housing justice starts with naming the problem you’re trying to solve. This piece explains why definitions matter.

📖 bit.ly/4cxrbOt

#HousingJustice #PublicPolicy

For Black Americans, home has often been more than shelter—it’s been resistance.

OMCA’s "Black Spaces: Reclaim & Remain" highlights how communities created safety, care, and collective power even when cities displaced them. bit.ly/3MYvfgt

#Displacement #Art

What does “home” mean when it’s taken by eminent domain?

OMCA’s "Black Spaces: Reclaim & Remain" examines displacement—and the power of community care.

Read: bit.ly/3MYvfgt

#BlackHistory

Exhibition Explores Black Displacement, Creating Home in Oakland Learn the stories of two communities where Black homes were destroyed, and see the vision community members have of a future Oakland.

Alongside historic materials and artwork, "Black Spaces: Reclaim & Remain" includes visions for Oakland’s future, shaped by community voices and local architects.

It's on display through March 1. bit.ly/3MYvfgt

#HousingJustice #Oakland

As housing becomes more unaffordable and climate risks grow, advancing racial equity can feel overwhelming. The writers of this piece argue that clarity—about history, harms, and goals—is critical.

Read more here: bit.ly/4cxrbOt

#HousingJustice #EquitableDevelopment #PublicPolicy

Organizers are successfully pushing cities to adopt stronger versions of the state's Good Cause Eviction Law. Here’s how local action is reshaping tenant rights beyond NYC.

Read the story 📖 bit.ly/4algbkE

#RentStabilization #HousingEquity #TenantPower

"This is something that can happen locally without having to wait for people to solve the housing crisis. The FMR is universal, it is regional, and it’s tailored to every city’s individual needs.”

Full story: bit.ly/4bSG5yH

#HousingCrisis #LivingWage #PolicyInnovation

When Rent Rises, So Does Minimum Wage: A New Model in Santa Fe Podcast Episode · Shelterforce · 02/06/2026 · 13m

Raising wages isn’t just about inflation—it’s about rent. Shelterforce's Frances Nguyen takes a closer look at how Santa Fe connected minimum wage increases to housing costs, and what it could mean for other cities.

🎧 Listen to the story: apple.co/3ZB2MAc

#HousingEquity #LaborPolicy #Shelterforce

Permanent housing saves lives. A court just protected it—at least for now.
👉 bit.ly/45Tubke

#HousingFirst #NextCity #Shelterforce

For years, wages and housing costs have moved in opposite directions. Santa Fe is trying something new: tying its minimum wage formula to Fair Market Rent. Organizers say it’s a major step toward keeping people housed.

Read the story: bit.ly/4bSG5yH

#RentIsTooHigh #EconomicJustice #TenantRights

Scattered Homes, Shared Landlords: The Changing Landscape of Tenant Organizing Podcast Episode · Shelterforce · 01/29/2026 · 17m

Organizers working to mobilize renters who live in single-family homes must first create the opportunity—and provide the space—for tenants of the same landlord to connect with one another.

Listen here for more about that and other tips: 🎧 apple.co/4k52Ilq

#TenantOrganizing

When federal housing policy shifts overnight, people feel it immediately. A judge just pressed pause.
👉 bit.ly/45Tubke

#Homelessness #Shelterforce #NextCity

Tenant protections don’t enforce themselves. As more Upstate NY towns adopt eviction protections, organizers are helping renters assert rights many don’t know they have.

Read the story 📖 bit.ly/4algbkE

#HousingJustice #TenantOrganizing #EvictionPrevention

What Does It Mean to Increase Racial Equity in Housing? Some strategies to increase racial equity aim to increase access to the existing system, while others try to make the system better.

What does it actually mean to increase racial equity in housing? Being clear about the problem you’re trying to solve is essential, especially in today’s legal and political climate.

Read more: bit.ly/4cxrbOt

#RacialEquity #HousingJustice #HousingPolicy #UrbanPlanning

When Rent Rises, So Does Minimum Wage: A New Model in Santa Fe Wages are out of step with housing costs. Santa Fe hopes to change that by tying minimum wage increases to HUD’s Fair Market Rent estimates.

Santa Fe tied minimum wage increases to Fair Market Rent—linking wages to housing costs.

Read: bit.ly/4bSG5yH

#LivingWage #HousingPolicy

Emergency shelters can save lives—but they aren’t a long-term solution.

Portland’s experience shows what happens when cities prioritize visibility over stability—and ignore decades of evidence on what works.

🎧 Listen here: bit.ly/4aaJDJW

#HomelessnessCrisis #SocialHousing #HousingPolicy

HUD Scolds Boston and Minneapolis for Doing What It Says It Wants Done Podcast Episode · Shelterforce · 02/04/2026 · 7m

🎧 Now available in audio

Why HUD’s criticism of Boston and Minneapolis gets fair housing law wrong—and why equity-focused, race-neutral policies are not just legal, but required under the Fair Housing Act.

Listen here:
apple.co/4r14wi9

#FairHousing #HousingJustice #CivilRights #Shelterforce

New this week from Shelterforce:

🎨 Art amplifies voices from NYC shelters
🏢 Why a longtime CDC is selling affordable homes
📜 What happened to “Renter’s Choice” laws?

Read more: conta.cc/4rK3fvN

#HousingJustice #AffordableHousing #TenantRights #Homelessness #NonprofitHousing #Shelterforce

"The problem with rent protections is, if you don’t know you have them, they might as well not exist for you.”
📖 bit.ly/4algbkE

#TenantRights #LocalHousingPolicy #HousingAdvocacy

"In the single-family homes, I found that people were [also] dealing with absent landlords and repairs not being made, but the residents had the ability to just fix the thing that they’re dealing with.”

👉 bit.ly/4bHazUj

#TenantOrganizing #CommunityPower

What actually ends homelessness?

Local providers say it’s not overnight shelters—it’s housing with support.
This article breaks down how Portland sidelined proven solutions in favor of short-term measures.

Read the full analysis: bit.ly/3M6Sk08

#HousingFirstWorks #TenantStability #UrbanPolicy

Courts have long said fair housing requires action—not neutrality.

HUD’s latest moves ignore that reality.
Shelterforce explains what’s at stake: bit.ly/3NTD4Ek

#FairHousingAct #AFFH