"We've long lived w/ the shame of homelessness & serial evictions & I hope we can see the devastating impacts of continued disinvestment in housing. As vaccination rates rise & the country begins to return to normal, we have an opportunity to redefine normal. - Mary Cunningham

This is the conversation about poverty that America doesn’t want to have: We discuss the poor as a pity or a blight, but we rarely admit that America’s high rate of poverty is a policy choice, and there are reasons we choose it over and over again. nytimes.com/2021/06/13/opi…

Note that Congress would have basically no ability to interfere directly in a single school district in any other part of the country, but because D.C. is not a state and Congress can basically govern it, this is possible.

With just a month left of the eviction moratorium, many mom-&-pop landlords & tenants are still unaware of federal rental assistance, find Jung Hyun Choi, @pangdaniel_, & Laurie Goodman: urbn.is/3hnhpAw

Are you a tenant who is behind on rent & suffered COVID hardship? Or his/her landlord? Then the STAY DC rent payment program is for you! Get paid! Back rent owed since 4/1/20 & 3 months of *future* rent are covered! Don’t delay! Apply now! Stay.dc.gov 833-478-2932

Emergency rental assistance needs to get to people faster. Much faster. According to Treasury data, from May 1 to 31, states and localities served an average 5,153 households per day (159,754 total).

The federal moratorium expires in 16 days, but it could take state ERA programs 627 days to get rental assistance to those in need. From Mary Cunningham Kate Reynolds Christopher Davis: urbn.is/3rc3Rw1

The tax increase passes. On a vote of 8-5, the DC Council votes to raise the marginal tax rate on single earners making more than $250,000. The revenue -- about $100 million in 2022 -- will fund 1200+ new housing vouchers & the most generous Earned Income Credit in the country.

Liza Minnelli has outlived the federal moratorium on evictions which allowed tenants who suffered economic losses from the pandemic to stay in their homes. The moratorium’s expiration has left renters facing an uncertain future as they search for housing options.

My building manager just told me he heard me on the radio…. Does this mean he won’t raise my rent 🙏🏻

Only 47 percent of renter households live in states and localities that offer some form of eviction moratorium, leaving most rental households in the country at risk of eviction. urbn.is/3BpCa6Z

.Jessica Perez & Abby Boshart w/ Urban Institute join today’s call to discuss how we can leverage behavioral science to get ERA disbursed to vulnerable households faster More at: urbn.is/3yQM67Y

.Jorge Morales-Burnett: "It cannot be overemphasized how the political movements of last year changed perspectives within transit agencies & helped them prioritize equity in their pandemic response." (via Jake Blumgart) urbn.is/3xQ9PWX

This study featured on Housing Matters found that renters who face barriers to traditional homeownership may build greater wealth through shared-equity homeownership than through renting. Very cool to see the tangible benefits of alternative housing models and community care!

Jessica Perez of Urban Institute: "Housing is central to opportunities and outcomes in life. Housing stability influences a range of factors for individuals and communities, including health, economic mobility, neighborhood safety, and educational opportunities." #RethinkJails

Funding alert: RWJF will award up to 35 grants to local nonprofits for using data to improve community conditions shaped by structural racism. Spread the word and register to apply by April 20. rwjf.ws/3Ds3CmH

From Emily Peiffer, @AlyseOneto, & Sarah Gillespie: What does it take to weave together funding for a successful supportive housing program? urbn.is/3kUPUR5

me in a walkable neighborhood going to the grocery store to pick up two missing ingredients for dinner and not a single thing more