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Tiny Houses Alone Can't Solve the Housing Crisis. But Here's What Can

Chris Winters

May 08, 2018 |

Yes! Magazine |

Multi-Media |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States

Buying a house with 8 other people, tiny houses, forming a homeowners association to buy land, and community land trust’s are all different options people are taking to find alternate forms of housing that are affordable. “They’ve defined a new American Dream. They hope others will follow their model, if not by making the same choice, then by being willing to look beyond traditional boundaries.”

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Spokane Hopes Tiny Homes and Cottages Will Spur Infill Density

Josh Cohen

February 15, 2018 |

Next City |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Spokane, Washington

The city of Spokane has made it easier for multiple smaller housing units to be built on a plot of land by changing their zoning requirements. The change makes it easier for affordable housing to be built, among other things. It also attracts development within the city limits, rather than sprawling into the suburbs.

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How a private company is bringing affordable houses to Indian Country

Mark Fogarty

February 05, 2018 |

High Country News |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Kansas City, Missouri

A private company called Travois acts as a bridge between tribes and private investors in order to help make affordable housing more accessible in tribal homelands across the West. The company brings investors to tribal land and, in turn, helps to attain tax credits for investments in this land.

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How Tenants Use Digital Mapping to Track Bad Landlords and Gentrification

Hannah Norman

January 12, 2018 |

Yes! Magazine |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Oakland, California

Social justice organizations use digital cartography to tell stories about and bring awareness to unfair gentrification and landlord loopholes. By making massive data sets available and easily digestible to the public, organizations create a way for the public to play watch-dog in the affordable housing market.

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How the Cuyahoga County Land Bank revitalizes homes

Ron Regan

December 27, 2017 |

WEWS-TV |

Broadcast TV News |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Cleveland, Ohio

At the worst point in the 2008 housing crisis, up to 30,000 houses in Cuyahoga County were vacant. The Cuyahoga County Land Bank aims to fix this problem by acquiring houses, eliminating blight, and transforming the houses into more useful spaces. Already, the Land Bank has turned old, empty properties into a Children’s Museum and an Amazon Fulfillment Center, and it has decreased the number of empty homes to about 7,000.

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What Vancouver, B.C., can teach us about housing

Gregory Scruggs

December 19, 2017 |

Crosscut |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Seattle, Washington

As Seattle's real estate prices continue to rise, the city looks to Vancouver, BC's attempted solutions as a way to tackle affordable housing. While many responses in Vancouver need adjustment and correction, the city's multi-tiered response to skyrocketing housing prices encourage using a comprehensive approach to the issues in the housing market.

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Strict landlord oversight in Minnesota offers Baltimore a model

Doug Donovan

December 17, 2017 |

The Baltimore Sun |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Minneapolis uses a stringent licensing system, which grades rental properties and leverages harsh punishments for landlords who rent out "subpar" properties, to improve living conditions for tenants. The approach has been recommended to Baltimore, which has historically been more lenient, but the strategy has also been accused of reducing affordable housing options and leaving tenants with few options if their landlord's license is revoked.

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How Tenants' Rights Are Flourishing—Right in Trump's New Backyard

Jimmy Tobias

October 09, 2017 |

The Nation (New York) |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Washington, District of Columbia

In Washington D.C., the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase act, gives tenants the right to be the first in line to buy the building they live in, if it goes up for sale. The city, also has a trust fund that finances affordable housing, and provides funds for people looking to purchase a building and create a co-op. Together, these things make it easier for tenants to access affordable housing, and fight gentrification. So, far the city has 137 co-ops. "Now we get to choose our neighbors, we get to set our own rules, and we’re in control of our living conditions.”

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New York City Guarantees a Lawyer to Every Resident Facing Eviction

Kriston Capps

August 14, 2017 |

Bloomberg CityLab |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

New York City passed the first law in the nation guaranteeing legal representation to any low-income resident facing eviction. Pilot programs in California show that the right to counsel levels the playing field between tenants and landlords in the courtroom and can reduce the number of cases that result in homelessness, a huge cost savings for both tenants and governments.

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New York Just Gave Low-Income Tenants a Big Weapon in Housing Court: A Lawyer

Henry Grabar

July 21, 2017 |

Slate |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

"Nationwide, 90 percent of landlords have attorneys, but 90 percent of tenants do not." New York City is combating this inequality with a new law guaranteeing lawyers to defend low-income tenants in housing court. The goal: prevent unjustified evictions and keep people housed.

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