PRRAC — Connecting Research to Advocacy

Poverty & Race Research Action Council

Browse Fair Housing

PRRAC’s fair housing work encompasses implementation of the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing mandate, as well as research and advocacy to expand opportunity in federal housing programs at HUD, the Treasury Department, and state housing finance agencies. We also provide technical assistance to local housing agencies and advocates on AFFH, housing mobility, and local reform of the Housing Choice Voucher program.

 

For more, and to view our issue-specific pages, please visit the Fair Housing page.

“Looking to the Future and Learning from the Past: New Deal Housing Policy and COVID-19” by Hillary Botein (Sept/Oct 2020 P&R Issue)

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By Hilary Botein (Click here to view the entire PDF) This short essay focuses on the development of U.S. housing policies in the 1930s and 1940s, and how those discussions can inform a reimagining of housing policies in 2020. As Peter Marcuse and others have described, the “myth of the benevolent state” leads us to believe that the state acts to protect its citizens, when in … [Read more...] about “Looking to the Future and Learning from the Past: New Deal Housing Policy and COVID-19” by Hillary Botein (Sept/Oct 2020 P&R Issue)

“The Urgent Public Health Need to Extend Eviction Moratoria and Mortgage Forbearance Programs” by Gregory D. Squires and Ira Goldstein (Sept/Oct 2020 P&R Issue)

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By Gregory D. Squires and Ira Goldstein (Click here to view the entire PDF) The latest Census Household Pulse Survey (October 14–26, 2020) reveals that 1.1 million rental households (13.1%) and 395 thousand owners (4.6%) feel that it is very likely that they will lose their home in the next two months due to foreclosure or eviction. An estimated 3.6 million owner households … [Read more...] about “The Urgent Public Health Need to Extend Eviction Moratoria and Mortgage Forbearance Programs” by Gregory D. Squires and Ira Goldstein (Sept/Oct 2020 P&R Issue)

Disparate Impact (Discriminatory Effects Standard)

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The Discriminatory Effects Standard (commonly known as Disparate Impact) of the Fair Housing Act of 1968 upholds our societal obligation to fairness by respecting and protecting equal opportunity. The goal of the Disparate Impact standard is to root out unjustified practices that discriminate against groups protected by the Fair Housing Act, even where there is no specific … [Read more...] about Disparate Impact (Discriminatory Effects Standard)

Public or Community Control of Rental Housing Policy Brief No. 3: Community Land Trusts and Other Public Ownership Vehicles (PRRAC, October 2020)

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Another option for increasing public ownership of private properties is the use of community land trusts (CLTs). These organizations are typically nonprofit entities that acquire land and convey the land to building owners through a ground lease.[1] By owning the land, CLTs ensure that properties sited on the land are affordable in perpetuity. Historically, private groups … [Read more...] about Public or Community Control of Rental Housing Policy Brief No. 3: Community Land Trusts and Other Public Ownership Vehicles (PRRAC, October 2020)

Public or Community Control of Rental Housing Policy Brief No. 2: Using Eminent Domain to Acquire Private Rental Housing – Recent Examples (PRRAC, October 2020)

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The King County Housing Authority (KCHA) in Washington State has used eminent domain as part of its affordable housing strategy. Under Washington State law, public housing authorities are authorized to use eminent domain to acquire housing projects within their area of operation.[1] KCHA has used the threat of eminent domain to encourage owners to sell affordable multifamily … [Read more...] about Public or Community Control of Rental Housing Policy Brief No. 2: Using Eminent Domain to Acquire Private Rental Housing – Recent Examples (PRRAC, October 2020)