Do the reports show a decrease in the affordable housing gap over time?
Not necessarily.
The 2017 LISC report and the 2021 NLIHC analysis use different variables and aren t directly comparable.
Both reports look at the lowest-income residents in the area, calculated as those who make 30% or less of the Area Median Income, but the reports use different definitions of AMI.
LISC uses Median Household Income for Hamilton County alone, which in 2014 was $48,927. This is the median income for all households, so it includes people living alone, unrelated people living together, and families of all sizes. The estimated gap (40,000 units county-wide, 25,000 units in urban Hamilton County) includes all households with annual income of $14,678 or less.
April 30, 2021 Share
Michael Doss cleans up around his tent, the place he calls home in Washington, D.C. He’s not alone; dozens of people are living outdoors in makeshift shelters within view of landmarks and federal government buildings.
The nation’s capital, like many U.S. communities, is struggling to cope with a growing homelessness crisis aggravated by the historic economic downturn and the coronavirus pandemic.
“I was forced to live on the streets,” Doss told VOA. He’s among nearly 600,000 Americans living without adequate shelter. “I lost my bartending job, then my apartment, and things kind of spiral downhill from there,” said the 33-year-old African American D.C. native. Doss points to a section of the park where he’s seen this tent encampment grow in the last few months. “We have a lot of military veterans, immigrants and minorities living here. I’ve been out here for more than a year,” he said.
Defining Affordable Housing and How It s Improving Communities insideindianabusiness.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from insideindianabusiness.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
PHAR founder, Charlottesville housing advocate Joy Johnson wins national lifetime achievement award
PHAR founder, Charlottesville housing advocate Joy Johnson wins national lifetime achievement award By Max Marcilla | April 28, 2021 at 10:14 PM EDT - Updated April 28 at 10:52 PM
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) - A leader in the Charlottesville public housing community is taking home a national award.
Joy Johnson is the 2021 winner of the Cushing Niles Dolbeare Lifetime Service Award from the National Low Income Housing Coalition.
Johnson is the founder of Charlottesville’s Public Housing Association of Residents and has been an advocate for community members and housing policies and practices.
“Having my peers select me to be the person to get that award, it’s like a million dollars,” she said. “I’ve never had a million dollars, but I’m [going to] act like it’s a million dollars.”
Getty Images
Congress has appropriated more than $46 billion in emergency assistance to help cover back rent and utilities owed by struggling renters. But getting a share of that money isnât automatic or guaranteed.
Not everyone whoâs behind on their rent qualifies for help. In addition, some states and cities require more paperwork than others, which can make accessing the funds more difficult. Also, landlords and tenants typically must work together to apply for the aid, and some landlords are refusing to help.
For now, most renters are protected by various eviction bans â at national, state and sometimes local levels â but someday those will end. In the meantime, owing your landlord can lead to credit damage, collections calls and lawsuits. If youâre behind on your rent, youâd be smart to start exploring your options for dealing with this debt.