Free Republic

When Merete Muenter tells people that she pays $623 a month for her studio in an affordable housing complex in New York City, many assume the worst: a run-down dump in a crime-ridden neighborhood. The reality is that her subsidized rental is far nicer than any of the market-rate places she’s lived in previously. “People … don’t realize that my affordable housing apartment is in a luxury building that has all the amenities that I never dreamed of having, living in midtown Manhattan,” says Muenter. “I have a doorman, elevators, gym, roof terrace, courtyard, even a washer and dryer in...

Wayne County is rolling out a new round of funding to assist landlords with small-scale properties in meeting federal housing standards. The initiative, explained by County Economic Development Director Brian Pincelli, is a collaboration between the county, The Housing Council at PathStone, and both the Newark and Geneva Housing Authorities. This effort aims to support landlords who manage fewer than 15 units in upgrading their properties to comply with Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program inspections and health and safety regulations. The program was designed in response to a 2021 affordable housing study that highlighted the necessity for maintaining affordable...

The state is awarding just over $15 million in bonds and subsidies for a project that will create 78 affordable homes in Ontario County. Sunlight Lane Apartments in Geneva will be for low-and-moderate low-income households. The net-zero development will be fully electric and feature rooftop solar panels. The financing is allocated through the New York State Homes and Community Renewal program.

(NEXSTAR) — Any time you’re looking for a home or new place to live, several factors play a role in your decision. How are the schools? What’s the downtown life like? Is there a Walmart nearby? But we can probably agree that two of the biggest factors in your decision are likely safety and cost. Thanks to some research from personal finance site MoneyGeek, we may have some guidance for you. To find out which cities are both “safe” and “affordable,” MoneyGeek analyzed the safest small and mid-to-large cities in the U.S. Then they factored in the following stats: recent...

In a public notice released late yesterday, the FCC officially said that April will be the last full month for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) due to insufficient funding. The commission also said it will let providers know later this month about the amount to expect per customer in May, leaving the providers with a choice to make. Should they end their participation in the program after April? Should they pass on a partial benefit to customers for May and require the customers to pay the extra portion? Or should they offer a full ACP benefit in May by contributing...

More than half of U.S. adults have a favorable view of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), as the health care measure used by millions of Americans continues to gain popularity, according to a poll released Wednesday. The survey, released by health policy research group KFF, found that 59 percent of U.S. adults had a favorable view of the ACA, though respondents differed along party lines on what they would like to see done with the law. More than three-quarters of Democratic voters — 77 percent — want the next presidential administration and Congress to expand the law, while 39 percent...

For inhabitants of the country's most sought-after ZIP code, the unwelcome news came in December: In a move to pressure the city to zone for more affordable housing, a restrictive ruling by a Superior Court judge put a moratorium on Beverly Hills' right to approve any new home additions or project proposals by residents pending the approval of new homes for lower-income locals. In this ultra-exclusive community, where home remodeling is practically a sport, the notion that all renovations - from simple kitchen remodels to multimillion-dollar grotto installations - would require the ushering in of outsiders, or be delayed indefinitely,...

Mayor Eric Adams is set to use his State of the City address Wednesday to unveil a new push to use a slew of city-owned properties for affordable housing projects, The Post has learned. The new plan will make use of public sites across the Big Apple in a bid to advance a total of 24 housing projects by the end of the year, according to an early snippet of Hizzoner’s speech obtained by The Post. The ambitious project — dubbed “24 in 24” — will create or preserve more than 12,000 affordable homes scattered across the five boroughs, according...

The White House is reporting strong enrollment numbers through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) one week after enrollment began, with 300,000 new customers signing up for plans already. President Biden on Thursday wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, “In the first week of Open Enrollment, 1.6 million people have signed up for a plan at HealthCare.gov, including 301,000 new consumers — that’s a 50% increase from last year.”

New York State Attorney General Letitia James is suing an Ithaca landlord for allegedly denying housing to low-income tenants. Landlord Jason Fane, his company Ithaca Renting Company, and his related entities are all subject to the suit. An investigation by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) found that Mr. Fane and his real estate agents refused to accept Section 8 vouchers at his properties, in violation of New York’s housing laws against source of income discrimination. The lawsuit alleges that agents at Ithaca Renting repeatedly told renters they do not accept government assistance vouchers. Through her lawsuit, Attorney General...

The coronavirus pandemic solidified the idea people don’t have to show up at an office to get work done. That fresh reality has led to a growing number of people relocating to more affordable cities across the country. But while the development is beneficial to remote — or so-called Zoom — workers, it is leading to rent increases in areas where newcomers are settling in. And in some cases forcing low-income residents to leave the neighborhood.

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Governor Steve Sisolak launched the “Home Means Nevada” initiative Thursday morning by announcing a $500 million program for affordable housing in Nevada. It will be the single largest investment in affordable housing in the state’s history and will complement the $300.7 million earmarked by the Nevada Housing Division earmarked for affordable housing projects through its tax-exempt bonding authority.

Dr. Andrew Hill, tasked with studying the cheap, widely available drug, undermined his own findings.. LIVERPOOL, England — Providence will occasionally place a man at a key juncture of history, a position of great moment where the fate of millions lies in his hands. Andrew Hill, M.D., was just such a man, in just such a position. In October 2020 he was asked by the WHO to review the rapidly accumulating evidence that Ivermectin was a safe and effective treatment for COVID. To say there was a lot riding on Hill’s findings was an understatement. If it turned out that...

Sun-soaked San Diego is home to the least affordable metro housing market in America. The city surpassed its northern California neighbor, the notoriously pricey San Francisco, earlier this year, according to a report by real-estate analytics company OJO Labs.

Mortgage Orb has the tantalizing headline: “Fannie Mae’s Financing for Multifamily Affordable Housing Grew Over 23%.” At first, this sounds amazing … until you realize how simply unaffordable housing is much of urban/suburban America. If you look at the following chart, you can see multifamily (5+ unit) starts remain elevated (pink box) which is not surprising given that home prices at growing at 19.1% YoY nationally (orange circle) and REAL hourly earnings have declined (yellow triangle) thanks to reemergence of inflation after 40 years. Then we have the humming dragon, rising mortgage rates, that will reduce housing affordability even further....

Homeless and people with low incomes will soon be housed next to the iconic and expensive Venice Beach neighborhood after the Los Angeles City Council approved last week a 136-unit apartment building. The project, which will be built on city property that is now a parking lot, will cover 2.7 acres and the Venice Dell Community project will cost $75 million.

President Biden climate and social services bill is expected to include $150 billion for affordable housing creation and financial assistance, elating supporters who feared it would be cut from the package. The White House on Thursday released a framework for Biden’s “Build Back Better Act,” the roughly $1.75 trillion budget reconciliation package, that included billions of dollars meant to put 1 million affordable homes on the market and help thousands of Americans find stable housing. The housing component was cut down significantly from the $327 billion Democrats initially sought. Even so, the bill would still spend more than three times...

A bill aimed at converting commercial properties into residential ones was quietly signed into law late last week by Gov. Andrew Cuomo. The measures is meant to increase housing options through a targeted effort. Distressed hotels, shopping centers, and other commercial buildings could all be converted into much needed housing. Throughout the state there is a lack of affordable, and even median income housing. It’s part of the Housing Our Neighbors with Dignity Act.

Following the recent announcement that Kamala Harris has been selected as Joe Biden’s running mate, Senator Harris was eager to share plans of her own if elected. Harris has now unveiled a bold, new strategy to provide affordable housing to the Americans she believes need it the most. Harris's free housing plan will provide poor families with a clean, safe, secure concrete room, armed guards, and three full meals a day. “Truly, I can think of no better place for these people to be contained - er I mean to live!” said Kamala Harris, smiling and taking pictures outside the...

California State Sen. Scott Wiener introduced legislation to increase affordable housing by easing zoning restrictions. Under Senate Bill 899, nonprofit hospitals and faith institutions like churches, synagogues and mosques, would be able to build up to 150 affordable housing units on their excess property, regardless of local zoning prohibits that type of housing. "Churches and other religious and charitable institutions often have land to spare, and they should be able to use that land to build affordable housing and thus further their mission. SB899 ensures that affordable housing can be built and removes local zoning and approval obstacles in order...