School segregation and school funding: Our colleague Derek Black from the University of South Carolina Law School is the guest editor of this special issue of Poverty & Race covering a variety of perspectives on the racially discriminatory relationship between segregation and school funding. Contributions by Osamundia James, Ann Owens, Bruce Baker, Saba Bireda, David Sciarra, David Hinojosa and others! Also included in the issue is a memorial tribute to our first Executive Director, Chester Hartman, by our founding Board Chair, Jack Boger.
New data on Small Area FMRs: The 2016 Small Area Fair Market Rent rule was one of the most important fair housing innovations of the Obama Administration, increasing the allowable rent caps for Housing Choice Vouchers in more expensive areas, giving families with vouchers access to lower poverty neighborhoods and communities, often for the first time. Recently, HUD posted the list of public housing agencies that are using Small Area Fair Market Rents (or Exception Payment Standards based on those SAFMRs), which show that 263 PHAs are utilizing SAFMRs (including 71 that have voluntarily adopted the higher caps, but not including many MTW agencies that have flexibility to adopt higher rent caps without using the SAFMR system). Many more families need to be offered this opportunity, as voucher concentration is still rampant in many areas not covered by SAFMR, and we hope HUD will significantly expand this opportunity when the new mandatory Small Area FMR areas are announced later this year.
Housing mobility in Massachusetts: The Massachusetts housing mobility program, “SNOMass,” has released a final report on the program “Supporting Neighborhood Opportunity in Massachusetts: A study of housing mobility program outcomes.” SNOMass is a statewide housing mobility program funded by the Mass Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, largely with Section 8 administrative funds (similar to the NY State housing mobility program). This new report shares important findings about the experiences and early outcomes of participating families. It includes their impressions of neighborhoods and neighbors, changes in residential location and social connections, access and engagement with community resources, and improvements in health and education. The study concludes with recommendations to inform housing mobility policy and programming. See the executive summary here and the full report here. PRRAC and Mobility Works assisted the state housing agency with the design and implementation of the SNOMass program.
Other resources
Environmental justice: A group of environmental justice lawyers and advocates has put together a great legal database, “Environmental Justice State by State,” including environmental justice laws and policies across the 50 states and territories, as well as state and territory snapshots and overviews of cross-cutting and emerging issues.
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