PODCAST · news
Shelterforce
by Shelterforce
Shelterforce is nonprofit news publication that covers affordable housing in the U.S., as well as community planning, racial equity, community development, and more. Here you can listen to authors read their latest Shelterforce articles, as well as our interviews with folks on the ground. For more, go to shelterforce.org.To support our nonprofit newsroom, make a tax-deductible donation at https://shelterforce.org/donate.
Episodes
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Property Insurance Is Getting Less Expensive. Affordable Housing Providers Still Have Few Options.
Property insurance rates are falling nationally, but affordable housing providers remain largely shut out of the recovery. When conventional insurers decline them, the alternatives can cost more, cover less, and leave owners and the public carrying more risk. Shelterforce's Shelby King reports....
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They Take Healthcare to the Streets. In Phoenix, That's Getting Harder
Street medicine offers healthcare for unsheltered homeless people. When cities remove encampments or restrict aid, providers must scramble to keep that care coming. Hope Davis reports for Shelterforce. Music by ℗ ComaStudio
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Homelessness Experts Want Housing Without Strings Attached
Housing First has been the U.S.'s main homelessness policy since the Bush administration. Experts says it works—and that the Trump administration's alternative doesn't measure up. Franklin Schneider reports for Shelterforce. Read the story at...
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Homelessness in an Age of Criminalization
These are challenging times for fighting homelessness. Who's doing the work, and what's holding back their progress? Shelterforce's Lara Heard explains what you can expect in our new Under the Lens series, Shifting Ground. Read Lara's editor's note here:...
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Public Housing Tenants Sue Over Use of Invasive Monitoring Devices
Public housing authorities and other affordable housing landlords are turning to tech meant for short-term rentals to enforce smoke bans and noise rules—but a new lawsuit has evidence they are also constantly tracking tenants' movements. Sean Keenan reports for Shelterforce. Read the story at...
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How City-Funded Organizing Helped Evanston Tenants Take on Private-Equity Landlord
In Evanston, Illinois, and Minneapolis, tenants organized against the same private-equity-backed landlord. In Evanston, the city provided financial support for tenant organizing while Minneapolis did not. Might this explain the difference in tenant outcomes? Re'Dreyona Walker reports for...
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Enterprise Is Selling Its Stake in the Lender It Said It Couldn’t Control
The affordable housing nonprofit acknowledged its power over the for-profit commercial mortgage lender subsidiary after Shelterforce pressed it about questionable loans the lender was making to corporate buyers of manufactured home parks. Now Enterprise says the sale will seed an endowment....
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How Will the New Housing Bill Impact Federal Disaster Response?
In the ROAD to Housing bill, passed in July, Congress included a section ensuring long-term disaster recovery support for the first time, a vital response to growing climate-related disasters. Now comes the challenge of implementation. Noah Patton, director of disaster recovery at the National…
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What’s at Risk Under the CRA Proposal and How Communities Can Respond
A proposal from two federal banking regulators would reduce both the scale and scope of federal Community Reinvestment Act oversight. Jesse Van Tol, the president and CEO of NCRC, explains what could change and how communities can respond. Comments are due Oct. 13. Read the story at...
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Will the ROAD to Housing Act Deliver on Its Promise?
The law was designed to boost the nation's supply of housing. But delivering on its promises will depend on at least three things: Congress funding it, a hollowed-out HUD implementing it, and private developers building. Reporting by Roshan Abraham, a freelance reporter; read by John Ludas, a...
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Building Homes and Communities for When We Age, a Shelterforce Webinar
Longer lifespans, evolving household structures, and growing care demands are changing people’s housing needs. In this webinar, moderated by Shelterforce's Steve Dubb, panelists highlight policies and practices that can support housing and community in an aging society. Watch the video and read…
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Control Isn’t Care: Why Recovery and Housing Systems Fail Without Autonomy
HUD’s recent efforts to gut Housing First have sought to apply the logic from the addiction recovery industry to homelessness funding. Applying Housing First’s autonomy-centered logic to addiction recovery could be far more effective. Daniel Bahman Shad, the founder and executive director of A...
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New Models Emerge to Facilitate Community Land Ownership
New community ownership tools, although still nascent, are gaining in prominence. Whether structured as diversified funds or direct ownership of retail space, they share a common thread of using local ownership to build wealth and shape local development. Listen as Steve Dubb reads his article,...
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From Emergency Response to Building Power: The Story of LA’s Rent Brigade
In Los Angeles, as people organized in response to wildfires and ICE raids, a new group of tenant supporters—The Rent Brigade—emerged. But can its energy, born in crisis, be sustained for the long haul? Listen as Emily Phillips reads her article, “From Emergency Response to Building Power: The...
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What Cleveland’s Fight Reveals About Challenging Extractive Ownership
Tenants in Cleveland's Shaker Square neighborhood, along with many other allies, fought their neglectful corporate landlord, and won. However, it took so long, half the residents were displaced. Listen as Nick Downer reads "What Cleveland’s Fight Reveals About Challenging Extractive Ownership,"...
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Pets Are Family—Shelters Should Not Ask People to Leave Them Behind
People experiencing homelessness are often forced to choose between shelter and their pet. But it doesn't have to be that way. Jesse Casement explains how their organization runs a pet-friendly shelter. Music by ℗ ComaStudio
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How Aging and Homeless Services Can Meet in the Middle
As more older adults face housing instability, aging and homelessness service providers are building partnerships to fill the gaps between two systems that have long operated separately. Frances Nguyen, Shelterforce's housing fellow, reports. Read the story at...
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To Speed Up Rural Housing Delivery, Stop Making Partnerships About You
An aging rural U.S. must do more to keep people healthy in their homes. Rural housing advocates need to ask hard questions and design better systems to make healthier housing possible. Jim King, CEO of Fahe, a regional membership and financial intermediary in Appalachia, explains. Read Jim's…
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Can Social Housing Deliver? Los Angeles and Seattle Pursue Two Distinct Paths
In recent years, Los Angeles and Seattle voters have approved major taxes to boost affordable housing using a “social housing” approach. But they offer two very different visions of what that means. Shelterforce's Steve Dubb reports. Read the full story at...
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Will New York’s Source of Income Protections Survive Legal Challenges?
An Ithaca landlord argued that source-of-income discrimination laws force them to consent to government searches, and courts agreed twice. The reasoning has since surfaced in a dozen cases across the country. Reporting by Roshan Abraham; read by John Ludas. Read the full story at...
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Can Atlanta Make Tax-Increment Financing Work in an Equitable Way?
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens's $5 billion-plus Neighborhood Reinvestment Initiative aims to reduce inequity between the city's neighborhoods, and even has a proactive anti-displacement plan. But its financing method might not get the needed buy-in. Sean Keenan reports for Shelterforce. Music by ℗...
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Housing Bill Could Boost Community Land Trusts, But Implementation Is Critical
The federal housing bill passed in July marks a major step forward in federal recognition of and support for community land trusts and other forms of shared-equity housing. But implementing these provisions is critical if the promised benefits are to be realized. Tiana Patterson reads the piece,...
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The Clock Is Ticking on Affordable Housing
More than 440,000 federally assisted homes will lose subsidies or rent restrictions before 2030. Those expirations don’t automatically mean the homes will be lost, but many deadlines are arriving as aging buildings and rising costs make keeping them affordable increasingly difficult.…
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Federal Rule Change Denies Immigrant Businesses Access to Guaranteed Loans
Businesses owned by immigrants, including green card holders, have been deemed ineligible for federal Small Business Administration loan support. Commercial corridors across the country are already feeling the effects of this ill-conceived policy change. Anju Chopra, director of policy at…
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HUD Funding Notice Upends Housing Counseling Assistance
For decades, a national network of more than 4,000 HUD-certified housing counselors has helped families, renters, and homebuyers make ends meet. A change in the rules announced in the latest department funding notice puts this system at risk. Cristy Villalobos-Hauser, a housing policy advisor at...
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What Happens When a Community Is Designed to Bring Generations Together?
In intentional intergenerational communities, older adults mentor, babysit, and lend a hand, while younger neighbors provide companionship and household support. But the housing model remains rare. Jill Webb reports for Shelterforce. Read the full story at...
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Can a Private Sector Fund Preserve Affordable Housing in Charlotte?
In metro Charlotte, North Carolina, a $225 million fund backed by local business leaders aims to expand affordable housing by acquiring and improving existing properties. Amanda Abrams reports for Shelterforce. Read the story at...
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To Keep Childcare Affordable, This Center Offers Care Workers Free Housing
Early childhood education is a fast-growing but low-paying profession. In response, one New Haven, Connecticut, center has started offering rent-free housing to its educators. Stephanie Lam reports for Shelterforce. Read the full story at...
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Portland’s Struggle to Advance Social Housing Gets a Temporary Boost
In Portland, Oregon, social housing has followed a stop-and-go trajectory. A one-time windfall has let the city pilot a revolving loan fund to acquire property that can support permanently affordable housing. But can Portlanders develop a long-term social housing policy? Wesley Vaughan reports…
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Can Tenant Organizing Build Political Power? The DSA Experience
In recent years, the Democratic Socialists of America, both nationally and in many chapters, have committed to housing organizing, contributing to the rise of tenant unions while also altering their own organizations. Shelterforce's Steve Dubb reports. Read the full story at...
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Banks for the People: Why Federal Home Loan Banks Need a Reset
The Federal Home Loan Bank system was formed in 1932 to support mortgage lending that would make housing more affordable. But when the savings and loan system fell apart in 1989, the system veered away from this mission. It is time to reset it. Dawne Troupe, the advocacy director for the People &...
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When a Community Grows Old Together
Naturally occurring retirement communities, or NORCs, happen when residents live in the same place for decades. In some places, supportive service programs help older people get the health care they need. Shelterforce's Steve Dubb reports. Read the full story at...
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Courts to City Housing Departments: Pay for Accessibility Up Front—Or Pay More Later
Chicago funded affordable housing for years without verifying or tracking its accessibility. Disabled residents paid the price—and after a recent settlement, the city will have to as well. Shelterforce's Re'Dreyona Walker reports. Read the full story at...
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What Does A Good Housing Impact Investment Look Like? A Shelterforce webinar
How can impact investing be an effective affordable housing partner? CDFI leaders and affordable housing providers point to the importance of redefining risk so that returns to communities are at least as important as returns to investors. Speakers include: —Betty Francisco, CEO of Boston Impact...
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Older Adults Are Fighting for Housing Justice—And They Refuse to Be Pushed Aside
Elders are turning personal housing struggles into collective action, and challenging assumptions about who leads housing justice movements. Shelterforce's Sandra Larson reports. Read the full story at...
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For Older Black Homeowners, a Lifetime of Housing Discrimination Adds Up
The roots of housing insecurity can be traced back decades to discriminatory policies and practices that have deprived Black seniors of the wealth that often provides stability in old age. Reporting by Amanda Abrams, a freelance reporter for Shelterforce. Read by John Ludas, an audio producer for...
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World’s Largest Worker Cooperative Network Seeks New Allies
Mondragón Cooperative Corporation, based in Spain, is a 70,000-member worker cooperative network. In May, it sent three representatives to the U.S. as part of an effort to build an international alliance of like-minded “social economy” enterprises. Shelterforce's Steve Dubb reports. Read the full...
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The Accessibility Rules Were There. The Enforcement Wasn’t.
Federal accessibility requirements are only as effective as the local governments responsible for enforcing them. Michael Allen, a disability rights attorney, reflects on cases in Chicago and Los Angeles, and why they should serve as a warning to cities nationwide. Music by ℗ ComaStudio Read the...
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The Wobbly Infrastructure Behind Aging in Rural Communities
Aging safely in rural communities depends on a fragile interconnected network of housing, healthcare, transportation, and local support. Shelterforce's Franklin Schneider reports. Read the story at https://shelterforce.org/2026/08/04/the-wobbly-infrastructure-behind-aging-in-rural-communities/...
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Everyone's Talking About Private Equity in Housing: Here's What You Need to Know
Private equity firms are major players in the rental housing market. Here's how private equity ownership works, how it harms tenants, and the organizing strategies and policy responses that could help. This piece is read by Caroline Nagy, the associate director of housing policy at Americans for...
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For Older Renters, the Housing Crisis Comes with Higher Stakes
Seniors have long been more likely to own than rent. But the number of older renters is growing, and they’re especially vulnerable to rising housing costs, inaccessible buildings, weak tenant protections, and homelessness. Here’s why the stakes are higher later in life. Shelterforce's Frances...
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When Home Equity Isn’t Enough: The Challenge Facing House-Rich, Income-Poor Older Adults
Older homeowners often fall into a Catch-22: too much home equity to qualify for aid, but too little income to comfortably live in their homes. Some housing models aim to bridge that gap. Franklin Schneider reports for Shelterforce. Music by ℗ ComaStudio
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See No Evil: Oregon Retreats on Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Initiative
In 2019 and 2023, Oregon passed two laws requiring city housing plans to affirmatively further fair housing. But rather than using maps to inform policy, many Oregon cities are refraining from mapping to avoid confronting patterns of segregated housing. Jennifer Bragar, president of Housing Land...
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Everyone Supports Aging in Place. But Can We Actually Deliver It?
Helping older adults remain in their homes has become a policy goal across the country. Making it happen is far more complicated. Reporting by Sandra Larson, a freelance reporter. This story is read by John Ludas, Shelterforce's audio producer. Read the story at...
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Housing for an Older America: From ‘Aging in Place’ to ‘Aging in Community’
The debate over aging in place is shifting from how to keep older adults in their homes to what kinds of communities allow people to age safely, affordably, and with dignity. Shelterforce's Frances Nguyen reports. Read the full story at...
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The Population Is Getting Older. Our Housing System Isn’t Ready.
Stability in older age depends on a host of overlapping conditions being met. Our new Under the Lens series explores those conditions, how to achieve them, and what it means when our housing system isn’t built for a population that’s growing older. Shelterforce's Lillian Ortiz explains what you…
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Proposed Federal Rule Would Undercut Fannie and Freddie’s Duty to Serve Underserved Markets
The Federal Housing Finance Agency is proposing to significantly change how it enforces Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s duty to serve underserved mortgage markets. Comments from the public are due July 24. Doug Ryan, vice president of housing policy at Grounded Solutions Network, explains. Read…
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Should Everyone Have a Decent Home? Obscure HUD Document Suggests No
A call for research proposals on reducing housing demand suggests a radical and troubling shift that may be coming in housing policy. This op-ed was written by Alan Mallach, a senior fellow at the Center for Community Progress. It is read by Miriam Axel-Lute, Shelterforce's editor-in-chief. Read...
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Laboratories of Democracy: Emerging State and Local Policy Visions, a Shelterforce Webinar
There is a lot that can be done to advance housing and community investment at the local and state level. This is the perfect moment to do it. This Shelterforce webinar explored some of the many ways that local and state governments can independently take create action to advance affordable…
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How HUD Is Seeking to Make Fighting Housing Discrimination Even Harder
Fair housing law has never been easy to enforce. But HUD's proposal to eliminate the use of disparate impact analysis will remove another crucial tool for doing so. Amber Banks, the president and CEO of the African American Alliance of CDFI CEOs, explains. Read the full piece at...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Shelterforce is nonprofit news publication that covers affordable housing in the U.S., as well as community planning, racial equity, community development, and more. Here you can listen to authors read their latest Shelterforce articles, as well as our interviews with folks on the ground. For more, go to shelterforce.org.To support our nonprofit newsroom, make a tax-deductible donation at https://shelterforce.org/donate.
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Shelterforce currently has 431 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Shelterforce about?
Shelterforce is nonprofit news publication that covers affordable housing in the U.S., as well as community planning, racial equity, community development, and more. Here you can listen to authors read their latest Shelterforce articles, as well as our interviews with folks on the ground. For more,...
How often does Shelterforce release new episodes?
Shelterforce publishes regularly with 431 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
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Shelterforce is created and hosted by Shelterforce.
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