Document 4QJ2vpmkznNXENzJZjQBeVQVp

FW: <External Messa e> HUD Daily Briefing (2-3-25) From: To: Date: Attachments: "Lee, Jessica K. EOP/OMB" (b) (6) "Askew, Emil E. EOP/OMB" (ID) (6) "Belford, Sarah H. EOP/OMB" (b) (6) Chase, Anthony N. EOP/OMB" (b) (6) "King, Kelly C. EOP/OMB" (b) (6) 'Kruse, Megan K. EOP/OMB" (b) (6) 'Radzinschi, Lucas R. EOP/OMB" (b) (6) "Reynado, Kharl M. EOP/OMB" (b) (6) (b) (6) "Stoffers, Ryan E. EOP/OMB" Mon, 03 Feb 2025 09:04:12 -0500 HUD Daily Briefing (2-3-25).docx (502.26 kB) From: Ballard, Daniel L (b) (6) Sent: Monday, February 3, 2025 7:58 AM To: Lee, Jessica K. E0P/OMB Lb) (6) Subject: FW: <External Message> HUD Daily Briefing (2-3-25) From: HUD Daily (b) (6) Sent: Monday, February 3, 2025 7:51:39 AM (UTC-05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada) To: (b) (6) Subject: <External Message> HUD Daily Briefing (2-3-25) CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. If you have concerns about the content of the email, please send it to phishing@hud.gov or click the Report Phishing Button on the Outlook ribbon or Phishing option within OWA. 4, Oecec, * II * SO hill AA'IN OE,/E`" HUD DAILY BRIEFING Prepared for the Office of Public Affairs, U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development By TechMIS HUD.TechMIS.com Mobile User Copy 1 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022117 TO: DATE: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development & Staff Monday, February 3, 2025 7:00 AM ET HUD News and Opinion How cities could tackle homelessness in 2025 (Smart Cities Dive) - full text Inside a bold new experiment to do away with homelessness (Business Insider) - full text Michele Steeb: Obama, Biden Pledged To Tackle Homelessness And Failed. Now, Trump Has A Chance To Turn Things Around (Daily Caller) - full text [NY] From rotting floors to a hot bubble bath: Shinnecock woman can't wait for new house (Newsday, NY) - full text [NY] Lacking access to mortgages. Shinnecock Nation struggles to fund home repairs (Newsday. NY) - full text [NY] Blueprint 15 pauses signature $31M project for new East Adams neighborhood in Syracuse (Syracuse Post-Standard. NY) - full text [NY] East Adams Neighborhood project to move ahead with environmental review and design plans (WAER 88.3 Syracuse University, NY) - full text [NY] NYC housing bribes earn West Babylon man 4 years in jail (Newsday. NY) - full text fPA] Prospect residents return home, call for action from city (WTAJ, Altoona. PA) - full text [PA] PHOTO GALLERY' 'A blessing'. Tour gives residents fresh look at Prospect Homes; move-ins to begin (Tribune-Democrat. PA) - full text [NC] 5 reasons listed in dismissal of Hickory housing CEO. Officials: No severance paid (Hickory Daily Record. NC) - full text [FL] HUD's key homelessness snapshot may be impacted by Florida law (Housing Wire) - full text [FL] Florida's camping ban may affect HUD's homeless Point-In-Time count for 2025 (Central Florida Public Media. FL) - full text [WI] Milwaukee Housing Authority short on cash after misuse of $2.8 million (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. WI) - full text [WI] HACM Illegally Misappropriated Federally-Restricted Funds (Urban Milwaukee, WI) - full text [WI] Milwaukee housing authority, HUD agree on `recovery plan' (FOX6Now.corn, WI) - full text [WI] The Milwaukee Housing Authority misused $2.8 million in federal funds, now it's cutting costs to avoid bankruptcy (WISN Milwaukee, WI) - full text [WI] Milwaukee's public housing organization lays off 20 workers, citing budget constraints (Madison - Spectrum News, WI) - full text 2 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022118 [WI1 HACM leaders apologize to residents after the misuse of $2.8 million in Section 8 funds (CBS 58, WI) - full text Mil] Internal letter details money misuse at HACM (Madison - Spectrum News. WI) - full text JOH1 Cincinnati receives S2M federal grant to increase middle-housing options (Dayton - Spectrum News, OH) - full text {IL) Businessman from Riverwoods sentenced to 3 years in prison on federal charges of stealing millions (Lake & McHenry County Scanner, IL) - full text fTX] Nearly $7 million awarded to City of Austin for more affordable housing (KXAN, Austin, TX) full text fTX1Tracy Andrus Foundation moves forward in HUD grant application (Marshall News Messenger, TX) - full text fOKI There's a shortage of Oklahoma landlords willing to lease to people with rental assistance (The Oklahoman, OK) - full text National Housing News Chopra out at the CFPB (National Mortgage News) - full text President Trump Fires CFPB Director (The Mortgage Point) - full text Trump fires CFPB Director Rohit Chopra (HousingWire.com) - full text GOP lawmakers file bill to defund the CFPB (National Mortgage News) - full text Financing the future of senior living (McKnight's Senior Living) - full text Alanna McCargo leaves FHLBank leadership to assume policy role (HousingWire.com) - full text FHLBank of San Francisco's Alanna McCargo stepping down (National Mortgage News) - full text Trump places tariffs on Canada, China and Mexico (HousingWire.com) - full text Federal workers question legality of OPM 'buyout' FAQ memo (National Mortgage News) - full text Purchase Mortgage App Payments Leveled in December (The Mortgage Point) - full text U.S. Homes Selling at Slowest Pace Since 2019 (The Mortgage Point) - full text Agency MBS Investors Expect Reduced Volatility in 2025 (Inside Mortgage Finance) How federal agencies have already changed their websites under Trump (Washington Post) - full text PA1 What is Philadelphia's exposure to potential cost-cutting efforts in federal real estate? (Philadelphia Business Journal, PA) - full text [DC1 How Trump could transform D.C. real estate, from downtown to design (Washington Post, DC) - full text 3 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022119 Broadcast (TV and Radio) ['NY] State funding awarded for Pro-Housing Communities projects in Rochester (WHAM-AM Rochester. NY) IPA) Residents move home as construction finishes on Prospect Homes in Johnstown (WJAC-TV NBC Johnstown, PA) [MD] Maryland receives nearly S79 million from HUD to improve homeless services (WYPR-FM NPR Baltimore, MD) JVA1 Bristol Redevelopment and Housing Authority receives grant to revitalize a portion of the city (WCYB-TV NBC Tri-Cities, VA) ILA) New homeless shelter approved for New Orleans (WDSU-TV NBC New Orleans, LA) ILA) Himbola Manor apartments in Lafayette reaches deadline to complete repairs (KADN-TV Fox Lafayette, LA) 1OH1 Family gets help from news station after bullets tear through window (WOIO-TV CBS Cleveland, OH) [IL] Springfield will hold meeting to discuss HUD funding (WICS-TV ABC Champaign, IL) [IL] Seniors from Patrick Sullivan apartments move back home after pipe is repaired (WGN-AM Chicago. IL) [WI) Milwaukee's housing authority faces risk of bankruptcy (WITI-TV Fox Milwaukee, WI) JAZ] Veterans speak about new community in Glendale (KNXV-TV ABC Phoenix. AZ) [OR] PIT count conducted in Portland area counties; volunteers see fewer encampments (KPTV-TV Fox Portland. OR) Housinq Supply Homebuilders ask Trump for tariff exemptions on building materials (HousingWire.com) - full text Trump says America has 'all the trees' it needs. But fixing the housing crisis may mean depending on Canadian wood (CNN) - full text [CT) CT needs 110K housing units. Here's where they are needed most (New Haven Register. CT) - full text [VT] Vermont is desperate for new homes. Is it time to build them in factories? (Vermont Public, VT) - full text [NY] 'City Of Yes': Promising But Won't Solve New York Housing Crisis (Forbes) - full text [TX) Build, baby, build: Texas needs houses. I Opinion (Houston Chronicle, TX) - full text [NM) Housing New Mexico launches zero-interest homebuilder program (Roswell Daily Record, NM) - full text 4 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022120 J.CAI L.A.'s wildfires have intensified city's decades-long housing crisis I The Excerpt (USA Today) full text Homeownership American Homeowners Have Regrets About Buying Their House (Newsweek) - full text More first-time buyers rely on mortgage rate buydowns to afford homes (HousinaWire.com) - full text Nearly Half Of American Homeowners Were 'Equity Rich' in Q4 As Home Prices Soared (Investopedia) - full text With home prices and mortgage rates high, many families find the American dream out of reach (APNews.com) - full text We are all footing the insurance bill for climate-fueled disasters: Susan Atkinson (Cleveland.com, OH) - full text The 10 most popular U.S. ZIP codes for homebuyers--No. 1 is a fast-growing Houston, Texas suburb (CNBC) - full text Aging-in-place tech platform secures $35M funding round (HousingWire.com) - full text Q4 Home Equity Holds Steady Nationwide (The Mortgage Point) - full text TAZ] Valley program provides no-cost home modifications for people with disabilities (12News.com, Phoenix, AZ) - full text JCA1 How do insurance companies determine the value of homes destroyed by wildfires? (NPR) full text Climate Resilience and Sustainability Climate Change to Wipe Away $1.5 Trillion in U.S. Home Values, Study Says (Wall Street Journal) - full text How Climate Change Could Upend the American Dream (ProPublica) - full text Rethinking place-based economic security in the age of climate migration (Brookings Institution) full text [CAI More Americans Than Ever Are Living in Wildfire Areas. L.A. Is No Exception. (New York Times) - full text ICA] California should expedite rules to mitigate wildfires, lawmakers say (Los Angeles Times, CA) - full text ICA' Is La Jolla ready for a wildfire? A look at evacuation routes and safety measures just in case (San Diego Union Tribune, CA) - full text Disaster Recovery Trump's talking about shutting down FEMA. Republicans hate that idea. (Politico) - full text 5 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022121 Wildfire zones contain $11B worth of mortgaged properties (National Mortgage News) - full text INC) How newly elected officials are trying to improve Hurricane Helene recovery efforts (WRAL, Raleigh, NC) - full text JTX1 Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham Once Again Calls on Media to Dismiss Democrats' Publicity Stunts Over Mitigation Funding (ThePostNewspaper.net, TX) - full text [CAI The disaster aid California needs shouldn't come with conditions (Los Angeles Times) - full text JCA] To Rebuild Los Angeles, Fix Zoning (The Atlantic) - full text ICA] FAIR Plan gets 4,400 insurance claims from LA County wildfire victims (Los Angeles Daily News, CA) - full text JCA1Can We Rebuild Los Angeles? (City Journal) - full text ICA) Wildfire victims file 4,400 claims with California's FAIR Plan (Los Angeles Times, CA) - full text ICA] Waiting up to 26 hours, Eaton Fire survivors form bonds in overnight line outside relief center (CBS Los Angeles, CA) - full text ICA] As crews clean up from LA wildfires, some residents are furious over hazardous waste (APNews.com) - full text ICA1 L.A. wildfire victims face financial anxiety amid recovery: 'The uncertainty is very unsettling' (CNBC) - full text [HI] Maui's Post-Wildfire Housing Crisis Offers a Warning for Los Angeles (Capital & Main) - full text [HI] Hawaii Supreme Court considers fate of $4B wildfire settlement (Honolulu Star-Advertiser, HI) full text Will State official says community needs time to decide future of Lahaina's Historic District (Maui News, HI) - full text Homelessness JVTI After hundreds of motel evictions, some Vermont lawmakers are hoping to set a different path (Vermont Public, VT) - full text [RI] Housing first as a catalyst for mental health recovery I Opinion (Providence Journal, RI) - full text [CT] Rent spikes and chronic illness biggest cause of homelessness, advocates say (Norwalk Hour, CT)- full text [NY] New York saw homelessness 'surge' in 2024. What it means in mid-Hudson Valley (Record Online, Middletown, NY) - full text NY] Report: Dutchess County leads state in addressing homelessness (Mid-Hudson News, NY) full text 6 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022122 [NY) New York State homeless population doubles in one year, influx focused in NYC (WGRZ TV, Buffalo, NY) - full text [NY) Joseph's House and Shelter leading PIT census (Saratogian. NY) - full text [NJ) Atlantic City officials say they want to reduce homeless population by 20% this year (Press of Atlantic City, NJ) - full text [NJ) There's a way out': Morristown holds homeless outreach event (Morris County Daily Record. NJ) - full text [PA) NEPA organizations struggle with rising rates of homelessness (WVIA. Jenkins Township, PA) - full text [PA) CSO, Northumberland County teams conduct annual Point-In-Time Count of homeless (Standard-Journal, PA) - full text [DE) Meyer, Henry join volunteers to tally population of people experiencing homelessness (Delaware Online, DE) - full text [MD) Organizations on the Shore hosts count of people experiencing homelessness (Easton StarDemocrat, MD) - full text [NC) Crisis in our community: ' Volunteers, local leaders take part in annual homeless count (NewsRecord, Greensboro. NC) - full text [GA] Atlanta rethinks clearing homeless camps after a man is crushed inside his tent (Associated Press) - full text [GA) Metro Atlanta veteran living in car helped after US Sens. secure $500K for homeless veterans (WSB-TV ABC 2 Atlanta, GA) - full text [GA) Will Augusta's homeless count show increase in population? (WRDW, SC) - full text [FL] Measuring Needs: Annual survey aims to assess homeless count in Collier County (Fox 4 Now, FL) - full text [KY) Advocates worry Louisville's annual homeless count may be low (Louisville Courier-Journal, KY) - full text [LA] City of New Orleans approves new homeless shelter in Mid City (WDSU New Orleans, LA) full text [OH] Housing development makes way for second chances (Cincinnati - Spectrum News 1, OH) full text [IN) New program helps homeless people with incomes lease apartments (Journal-Gazette, IN) full text [MN) Brooks: For this homeless Hennepin County family, a home of their own (Minneapolis Star Tribune. MN) - full text [MN) Housing program dogged with complaints of wait times, potential fraud (Minneapolis Star Tribune. MN) - full text 7 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022123 ITX] 'Not just a number': How annual Point-in-Time Count snapshots homelessness in North Texas (Dallas Morning News, TX) - full text [TX] One challenge in Austin's fight against homelessness? The cost of land (KXAN-TV NBC 36 Austin, TX) - full text [TX] Local nonprofit is tallying data from San Antonio and Bexar County's homeless count (San Antonio Express-News, TX) - full text [TX] City of Amarillo conducts annual Point-in-Time count to measure homelessness and provide services (MyHighPlains.com, TX) - full text [ND] Fargo Mayor speaks on $211 million dollar bill to fund homelessness solutions (KVLY-TV 11 Fargo, ND) - full text [IA] Cedar Rapids metro counts its homeless population (KCRG-TV ABC 9 Cedar Rapids, IA) - full text [NE] Omaha's unsheltered homelessness rising at fastest rate of any US city (Flatwater Free Press. NE) - full text [OK] OU Motel closure may raise homeless count (Enid News and Eagle, OK) - full text ['MT] Billings community gathers data on homelessness for Point in Time Count (KULR-TV NBC 8 Billings, MT) - full text [UT] Record number of volunteers search for homeless individuals in 2025 local Point-in-Time Count (Herald Journal, UT) - full text [UT] Voices: Voters are concerned about the failures of our current approach to homelessness. Utah could lead the way. (Salt Lake Tribune, UT) - full text [AZ] Glendale, nonprofit to break ground on tiny homes project for homeless veterans (AZCentral.corn, AZ) - full text [AZ] Catholic Charities and Flagstaff Shelter Services lead annual Point-in-Time Count to assess homelessness in Coconino County (Arizona Daily Sun, AZ) - full text [AZ] Leslie hopes to help homeless and veterans (Final Central, AZ) - full text [AZ] Veteran's housing project breaks ground in Glendale (ABC15.com, Phoenix, AZ) - full text [WA] Crosswalk homeless youth shelter to move out of downtown core and into residential area in Spokane (KXLY. WA) - full text fWAl 'People are so quick to judge us' I Annual homeless survey examines homeless population in Chelan, Douglas counties (Tacoma News Tribune, WA) - full text [WA] Annual effort underway to count those who are homeless (GoSkagit.com, WA) - full text [WA] In focus: Homeless Connect provides services during annual count of Lewis County homeless population (Tacoma News Tribune. WA) - full text [WA] Keeping our kids safe - Addressing dangerous homeless encampments in Washington state [ Opinion (Tacoma News Tribune, WA) - full text 8 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022124 JWA1 Point-in-Time Count workers collect data, offer resources to Clark County's homeless (Columbian.com, WA) - full text [OR] City That's the Face of the US Homeless Crisis Is Sued (Newser) - full text fOR] Portland Mayor Keith Wilson on ending unsheltered homelessness and protecting residents from federal overreach (Oregon Public Broadcasting, OR) fOR1 Counting the unseen: Lane County homelessness count focuses on youth (Eugene RegisterGuard, OR) - full text (CAI Hundreds of volunteers went looking for thousands of homeless people. Here's what they found. (San Diego Union Tribune, CA) - full text ICA1 Congressman Ken Calvert reintroduces bill to improve treatments for homeless (KESQ, Thousand Palms, CA) ICA[County of San Luis Obispo launches quarterly homelessness database dashboard (KEYT3, CA) - full text [CA] San Bernardino offers federal grants for housing, addressing homelessness (Hey SoCal, CA) full text ICA] Volunteers hit the streets for annual homeless count (Turlock Journal, CA) - full text [CA] Annual point-in-time count sees Pajaro River levee homeless encampments shift from Watsonville to Monterey County (Lookout Santa Cruz, CA) - full text fHliKokua Line: Did crews clear homeless camps along streams? (Honolulu Star-Advertiser, HI) full text NI] Hawaii kauhale 'villages' for homeless qo far beyond tiny homes (Kauai Garden Island News, HI) - full text fGuarni Volunteers up before dawn to assess homeless population (Guam Pacific Daily News, Guam) - full text Fair Housing On his first day, President Trump reversed these fair housing protections (HousingWire.com) - full text How the Fair Housing Act Gave Us Emotional Support Parrots (Reason) - full text JNY1 To combat Trump, NY Dems want federal housing protections in state law (Gothamist, NY) full text EPA] This proposed training program would be mandatory for all Easton landlords (Lehigh Valley Live, PA) - full text IDC1 DC sues management group for discriminating against non-voucher renters (WUSA 9, DC) full text fIN1 A new look at the details of redlining in South Bend I Opinion (South Bend Tribune, IN) - full text 9 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022125 JMI1 Facial recognition in policing is getting state-by-state guardrails (Michigan Advance.com, MI) full text [IA] Report: Efforts to make Dubuque's housing more equitable ongoing (TH Online, IA) - full text ICA) She lives in the U.S.' trans 'sanctuary.' This S.F. woman left it to escape Trump (San Francisco Chronicle, CA) - full text Federal Housing Administration and Multifamily Housing [HI] Hawaii bill would establish state-run reverse mortgage program (HousingWire.com) - full text Public and Indian Housing JMA] Public records show complaints of racial and disability discrimination at Chicopee Housing Authority (New England Public Media, MA) - full text INA' In Vienna, most residents qualify for public housing. Can Boston combat soaring rents with the same model? (Boston Globe, MA) - full text [NY] Can New York City Build Affordable Housing Again? (Jacobin) - full text jNY1 Teen, 16, Shot At NYCHA Housing Complex In Brooklyn: Police (New York Patch, NY) - full text JNJ1Van Drew Obtains Funding That Will Save Lives in Atlantic City, NJ (WPUR Cat Country 107.3, NJ) - full text JPA1 PHOTO GALLERY I JHA employment, training program celebrates new graduates (TribuneDemocrat, PA) - full text ELA1 Owners of Himbola Manor Apartments had until Friday evening to make repairs (KADN.com, Lafayette, LA) - full text JONI Medina officials, Medina Metropolitan Housing Authority discuss lease for current municipal court building (Medina Gazette, OH) - full text [IL] Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) Update on Patrick Sullivan Apartments (Chicago Crusader, [IL] O'Fallon teen faces murder charge in fatal shooting of woman, Illinois State Police say (Belleville News Democrat, IL) FM What the Demolition of an Oak Cliff Tower Says About Dallas' Homelessness Fight (Dallas Observer, TX) - full text JUTI Summit County Council workshops housing authority setup (Park Record, UT) - full text Community Planning and Development NY' Rochester lead rental registry protected scores of kids. Can same be done elsewhere in NY? (Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, NY) - full text JOH] Editorial: Set lead plan and follow (Toledoblade.com, OH) - full text 10 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022126 WTI How would a redo of Trump's federal funding freeze impact Billings residents? (Billings Gazette, MT) - full text (CA] Altadena's Black population was shrinking even before the L.A. fires (Los Angeles Times) Affordable Housing [NY) Rent Stabilization At A Breaking Point: Can NYC Find Balance Before It's Too Late? (Forbes) full text [NY] Westbeth Gets a Much-Needed, and Very Pricey, Overhaul (New York Times) - full text [NY) Grocery store, gym, urgent care: State grant funds extras in Cornhill housing project (Observer-Dispatch. NY) - full text (NY] New York City Landlord Wants You Out? There Had Better Be 'Good Cause.' (New York Times) - full text (NJ] General Assembly advances bill limiting lot rent increases for mobile and other manufactured homes (WRNJ Radio, NJ) - full text (NJ) Paramus agrees to build 1,000 affordable housing units over next decade (North Jersey.com, NJ) - full text [NJ] Hopewell Township Sets 348-Unit Affordable Housing Plan (MercerMe. NJ) - full text [PA] Easton proposing mandatory landlord training program (WFMZ-TV Online. Allentown, PA) [PA] Easton landlord training program aims to improve property renter knowledge and renters' experience (LehighValleyNews.com. PA) - full text (MD] Tenants speak on poor living conditions at three apartment complexes under receivership near Druid Hill Park (ABC2 News. Baltimore, MD) - full text [VA] Is it time for Virginia to implement rent control laws? A look at the legislation. (Daily Progress. VA) - full text (MO] Council puts moratorium on manufactured homes in city (Maryville Daily Forum, MO) - full text [MN] Affordable housing co-op on U's fraternity row tries to start fresh after chaos and crime nearly shut it down (Minneapolis Star Tribune. MN) - full text (WA] Two Spokane County housing projects receive grants (Spokane Journal of Business, WA) full text Headlines The Washington Post The New York Times The Wall Street Journal ABC News 11 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022127 CBS News CNN Fox News NBC News Washington Schedule President Vice President Senate House of Representatives Editorial Note: This Brief represents summarized content - click on the hyperlink to access full-text articles for these news summaries. Disclaimer: The information and views expressed in this News Briefing do not necessarily represent the views of HUD or the United States and do not constitute an endorsement by the Department. HUD News and Opinion How cities could tackle homelessness in 2025 (Smart Cities Dive) - full text Smart Cities Dive [1/31/2025 10:52 AM, Kalena Thomhave, 76K] What's the No. 1 challenge facing cities in 2025? The lack of affordable housing, says Adam Ruege, director of strategy and evaluation at Community Solutions. The New York-based nonprofit works with local governments to design and implement strategies that solve homelessness in their areas. "Communities need to be able to build housing, [including] temporary housing, much quicker," Ruege said. The U.S. housing and homelessness problem continues to grow: In December, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development released data showing that U.S. homelessness surged between January 2023 and January 2024. According to HUD's 2024 point-in-time count report, homelessness rose 18% over the course of the year, with more than 770,000 people experiencing homelessness on the night in January 2024 when the count was conducted. Other reports emphasize the severity of the U.S. affordable housing crisis: Just34 affordable rentals are available for every 100 renters with extremely low income, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition. Cities are tackling the affordable housing and homelessness crisis in a variety of ways, from building more affordable housing to piloting guaranteed minimum income programs that ensure households can cover rent. Even amid funding challenges and the uncertainty of what policy changes may come from the second Trump administration, cities are developing and sharing evidence-based strategies to end homelessness. 12 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022128 "Communities with strong responses to homelessness [connect people] to permanent housing as quickly as possible -- and have mechanisms to prevent people from entering in homelessness in the first place," said Mari Castaldi, director of state housing policy at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. To address homelessness, "some of the key levers that cities are uniquely positioned to work with include [increasing] the supply of affordable housing," said Castaldi. She highlighted city legislation to remove zoning restrictions on building multi-unit housing and to strengthen tenant protection laws that rein in rent increases, as well as laws that make it easier for residents with federally funded Housing Choice Vouchers (often called Section 8 vouchers) to find homes. About 150 cities have outlawed income discrimination in the housing market, preventing landlords from rejecting tenants because they receive vouchers. These "source of income" laws have proliferated in recent years, withKansas City, Missouri, andPhiladelphia both passing such ordinances in 2024. Alongside plans for the construction of permanent housing, cities are also building interim housing: safe, temporary housing for people experiencing homelessness. "It's a stepping stone to stability that is faster and more affordable than permanent housing," said Elizabeth Funk, founder and CEO of DignityMoves, a nonprofit that works with communities to develop vacant land into short-term supportive housing. DignityMoves focuses on solving unsheltered homelessness. It launched in California, which has a serious housing shortage and few congregate shelters. The nonprofit builds temporary, private, tiny-home-type cabins for people experiencing homelessness so they can first be sheltered before accessing other services, like health or job supports. Building DignityMoves' interim housing communities, which are in California communities including Santa Barbara, San Francisco and San Bernardino, can cost as little as $30,000 per home, Funk said, a fraction of the cost of building permanent housing. Reducing costs is important considering one of the biggest challenges facing cities is funding -- or the lack thereof. But cities are also developing strategies to increase their revenue to tackle homelessness. Federal housing programs are severely underfunded, Castaldi said, and as a result, there is "a lot of pressure on local governments to fill in the gap." She has seen a trend of cities levying transfer taxes on high-value home purchases to raise revenue for affordable housing and homelessness prevention. At least16 localities have passed or expanded so-called "mansion taxes" since 2018, with many of the measures - such as those passed inLos Angeles andSanta Fe, New Mexico -- earmarking the funds for affordable housing projects. The conditions that created the U.S. affordable housing and homelessness crisis have existed for decades, but other factors cities face in 2025 when addressing this problem are newer. The 2024 Supreme Court decision Grants Pass v. Johnson ruled that cities can fine or arrest homeless people for camping or sleeping outside in public spaces, even when they have no other place to go. In the seven months since the Grants Pass decision was handed down, more than 100 cities have passed ordinances banning 13 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022129 sleeping in public. The City Council in Aurora, Colorado, for example, passed an ordinance in 2024 to strengthen the city's camping ban by eliminating the requirement for law enforcement to give a 72-hour notice before clearing some encampments. Some experts say such practices will backfire, however. Other communities are taking a "more client-focused, coordinated approach," Community Solutions' Ruege said. Denver, for example, has connected more than 2,000 people sleeping outdoors to city-operated housing since 2023. Castaldi is concerned about how the Trump administration's policy and funding approaches at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will treat homelessness -- and how it may change housing programs. "One challenge that is facing cities in 2025 is the prospect of already inadequate resources being at risk of pretty severe cuts under the new federal administration and Republican-controlled Congress," she said. The House Republican Study Committee'sFY 2025 budget proposal calls for eliminating at least three HUD programs that fund affordable housing: The Community Development Block Grant program, which provides states and localities with funding for economic development projects such as housing development and rehabilitation. The HOME Investment Partnerships Program, a federal grant for states and localities to build, buy or renovate housing for low-income people or provide direct rental assistance. Choice Neighborhoods, a grant program that leverages public and private funds to address "struggling neighborhoods with distressed public or HUDassisted housing through a comprehensive approach to neighborhood transformation." The first Trump administration proposed eliminating those same programs in its FY 2018 budget. Even in the face of challenges, cities can strengthen their strategies to address homelessness, especially in regard to identifying the extent of the problem, these experts say. HUD's point-in-time count data "doesn't actually help us solve homelessness because the data's a year old" by the time it's released, said Ruege. If cities could gather better data, they could "have visibility into how many people are experiencing homelessness at any given time, the reasons why they're experiencing homelessness and the reasons why they're leaving homelessness," Ruege said. Accurate data can help a city understand what's working and what's not working, he added. For example, a city could identify what populations in their communities are disproportionately experiencing homelessness. In Chattanooga, Tennessee, for example, Mackenzie Kelly, the executive director of the Chattanooga Regional Homeless Coalition, last year touted the success of targeting support to specific sub-populations of people experiencing homelessness instead of using the same approach for everyone. That approach helped the city virtually end veteran homelessness in 2020. In 2024, more veterans exited homelessness than became homeless in Chattanooga, Kelly said in a local news report in December. "We're never going to solve the problem until we have systems that can actually tell us on a more real-time basis what the challenges are," Ruege said. 14 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022130 Inside a bold new experiment to do away with homelessness (Business Insider) full text Business Insider [2/3/2025 4:08 AM, Michael Venutolo-Mantovani, 52415K] In Raleigh, North Carolina's Brentwood neighborhood, standing out among the pawn shops, auto repair garages, and warehouses that dot the city's arterial Capital Boulevard, is a telltale new site: the Broadstone Oak City Apartments, a chic complex of muted earth tones, modern fonts, and a manicured lawn. The sprawl of one of America's fastest-growing cities hasn't quite reached Brentwood yet. But if the Broadstone and its cabana-draped pool and resident business center filled with podcasting gear is any indicator, gentrification is coming. Anticipating the influx, the city of Raleigh did something unusual: It bought a hotel. In 2021, the city used $8 million in funds from the COVID-era American Rescue Plan Act to purchase Hospitality Studios, a 117-room extended-stay hotel across the street from the Broadstone. As the city revamps the building, the goal, says Emila Sutton, Raleigh's director of housing and neighborhoods, is twofold: "to preserve tenancy for the folks already living there" as local rents are surely soon to rise, and to provide permanent housing for Raleigh's homeless population, which from 2021 to 2024 grew by 200%. Homelessness is surging nationwide: Some 770,000 people lived without housing in America in January 2024, 120,000 more than in 2023, and nearly 200,000 more than in 2022. "Due to prior evictions and credit history, many people are turned away from housing," Sutton says. The hotel, which the city has renamed the Studios at 2800 Brentwood and dramatically reduced room rates, "provides a lower-barrier-for-entry option for those people." While people at risk of homelessness have long found refuge in nightly or weekly rentals at hotels and motels, that number swelled during the COVID-19 pandemic, often with the help of state and federal funding. In New York City, 9,000 people were relocated from shelters into hotels. California's Project Roomkey moved some 62,000 people experiencing homelessness into hotels across the state. For many, this was lifechanging. In a study published in the Journal of Social Distress and Homelessness, Deborah Padgett, a professor at New York University's Silver School of Social Work, and two colleagues interviewed more than a dozen formerly homeless people who stayed in hotels during stretches of the pandemic. "Benefits of hotel housing," the authors wrote, "included improvement in physical health, sleep, personal hygiene, privacy, safety, nutrition, and overall well-being." They concluded that "an unprecedented opportunity has arisen from the pandemic to end homelessness for many." Raleigh joins several cities across the country attempting to make hotels a more permanent housing solution. In October, the city of Chicago purchased the historic Diplomat Motel, rechristening it Haven on Lincoln, which provides people experiencing homelessness with access to their own rooms. In Brooklyn's ultraexpensive Dumbo neighborhood, the recently renovated 90 Sands will provide housing -- along with a gym, computer lab, and bicycle storage - to hundreds of people who had been living on the streets. In early 2024, Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, a Democrat from Oregon, introduced the "Project Turnkey Act," which if passed would provide $1 billion annually, via the Department of Housing and Urban Development, to purchase and convert unused 15 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022131 hotels, schools, hospitals, and office buildings across the country into housing or to add to shelter capacity. Housing people without homes is not purely altruistic, Sutton adds. She notes that a 2017 study by the National Alliance to End Homelessness found the taxpayer cost of supporting homelessness (for public services from shelters to hospitals) can range anywhere from $35,000 to $96,000 a year, per person. If those people are housed, that cost drops to between $18,000 and $34,000. "It's more affordable to house people, overall," says Sutton. "And most of these people just need light-touch support, such as housing." But Raleigh's and the country's other hotels-to-housing projects remain nascent, and face many hurdles to success. Not everyone has been on board with the hotel-to-housing concept. Because they take away cities' hotel inventory, nightly rates at hotels around them can increase. Last May, The New York Times reported that one in five of New York City's hotels had entered a migrant shelter program, leading rates to jump sharply. (Some of that increase is also due to the city's crackdown on Airbnb properties along with general global inflation.) In contentious town meetings where hotel conversions have been proposed, residents have also shared fears that they'd make their neighborhoods more susceptible to crime. In some cities, especially New York, hotel housing projects have faced significant opposition from hotel unions, as well as prohibitive remodeling expenses necessary to meet local zoning regulations and building codes, which are often stricter for affordable housing than they are for hotels. Some hotel elevators and doorways, for example, are smaller and shorter than what residential buildings require, and additional requirements that each unit have a full-size fridge, stovetop, and sink can be particularly pricey. In a 2022 Politico article, one New York architect called the city's stringent conversion legislation a "classic case of the perfect being the enemy of the possible." In Raleigh, however, there hasn't yet been any noticeable pushback to the hotel project, says Sutton. For one, the Brentwood neighborhood is still a ways off from feeling the effects of Raleigh's sprawl. The city also decided to circumvent regulatory rigmarole by keeping the building zoned as a hotel. That said, getting the building ready has been a yearslong project. The Studios at 2800 looks every bit the typical extended-stay hotel, with banks of rooms running along an exterior sidewalk on the first floor and an elevated walkway on the second, a cluster of oak trees out back, and a filled-in pool sitting among tangled weeds and cracked concrete. Shortly after purchasing the property, the city received a $15 million quote from a local architect for a complete renovation. Given the steep cost, Raleigh took something of a triage approach in order to be able to move people in more expediently. After reviewing four bids for a property manager, Raleigh chose CASA, a 30-year-old nonprofit that specializes in providing stable and affordable housing for the homeless across North Carolina's Research Triangle region. Together, the city and CASA decided to first update the fire alarms and sprinklers, add a new WiFi system, and rebuild some of the hotel's 16 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022132 crumbling exterior staircases. Since then, CASA has been rehabbing rooms as they become available, moving existing residents into recently finished rooms in order to tackle the outdated ones. Currently, 70 units are operational, all of which were occupied when I recently spoke with CASA's CEO Everett McElveen. "It's important that we don't displace anyone while we renovate, which is why we have to do it in phases," he says. A few days before I spoke with McElveen, employees from Sutton's office filled six rooms with people who were previously living in encampments scattered in and around Raleigh. Erika Brandt, Raleigh's assistant director of housing and neighborhoods department, said those rooms were filled with a mix of participants in Bringing Neighbors Home - a $5 million two-year pilot program aimed at mitigating homelessness that the city launched in the fall - and "a few folks who are not part of the pilot but who were referred to the Studios due to extreme medical vulnerability making it high priority to move them indoors." Those rooms were given what McElveen calls "light facelifts" -- a fresh paint job and new furniture -- "so it feels more like an apartment than a hotel room." Once a new bank of rooms is ready, McElveen says, the residents in the facelifted rooms will be moved and those areas will be gutted for more thorough renovations. The city and CASA plan to convert a small number of the building's suites into conference rooms within the next few years to provide on-site support services and office spaces for CASA's behavioral health intervention team to work with residents. CASA also plans to turn the hotel's filled-in pool into a common area, with grills, green grass, chairs, and benches for residents to relax and socialize, and to convert the entire building to solar power to lower utility costs. All these updates require additional funding, and Sutton's office has been submitting a capital improvement plan request to the city to continue to support the estimated $11 million in remaining improvements over the next five years. Because the building remains a hotel, to book a room, prospective tenants can simply call or visit the front desk. A room at Hospitality Studios could cost as much as $379 a week. For now, most rooms go for $200 a week. Though there's no work requirement to get a room, tenants who are employed can get a lower rate if they provide income documentation to the city, which ensures that no one pays more than 30% of their income for rent. If there's no vacancy, the city will work with people to help them find housing elsewhere. Lynnette Moore is the hotel's longest-tenured resident. In her 17 years there, she's seen hundreds, if not thousands, of people come and go. "People mostly stay to themselves. It's quiet. People are just trying to live," she says, adding that the recent changes have begun to foster more of a sense of community. "Now people seem to talk a bit more. Maybe when that area is done," she says, referring to the planned common space, "we'll all get to know each other." CASA hopes to have the Studios at 2800 fully renovated by 2030. By then, Raleigh's 17 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022133 sprawl will have likely swallowed up the Brentwood neighborhood, transforming it into something wholly unrecognizable. Michele Steeb: Obama, Biden Pledged To Tackle Homelessness And Failed. Now, Trump Has A Chance To Turn Things Around (Daily Caller) - full text Daily Caller [2/1/2025 9:07 AM, Michele Steeb, 1214K] The U.S. homeless population is now at its highest point ever-- a staggering 18.1% increase overall and an even more shocking 39% increase in families -- according to the recent count of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). However, corporate media's coverage of our nation's homeless crisis has been sparse, much like its attention to President Joe Biden's unfulfilled midterm promise to reduce homelessness by 25% or President Barack Obama's 2013 pledge to "end homelessness in 10 years." What's even more frustrating is that when the media has covered this human tragedy, it overwhelmingly reduces it to a matter of affordable housing supply. The shortage of affordable housing predates the steady rise in homelessness that followed a U.S. policy shift in the 2010s. While expanding this housing supply is important, it will do little to reverse the homelessness trajectory. More importantly, this excuse conveniently distracts from the deeply flawed, 2013 experiment launched by the Obama-Biden administration. In 2008, the federal government -- by far the largest funder of homelessness -- adopted the Housing First approach to address chronic homelessness, a population that comprises 10-20% of the nation's overall homeless, depending on the region. The strategy was to quickly funnel this population into private, permanent dwellings, without regard for accountability or long-term costs. They stripped away all prerequisites: no sobriety, no engagement in treatment services, and shockingly, no requirement to ever seek work while living in the taxpayer-funded, "subsidized for life" housing. HUD officials claimed that once the homeless were stably housed in private units, they were more likely to "self-determine" their need for sobriety, treatment services, and work... though a long-term study subsequently and unsurprisingly discredited their hypothesis. In 2013, the Obama-Biden administration mandated Housing First as the country's universal approach to homelessness. They promised eradication within a decade, though it was at this point that homelessness began to climb. The so-called "evidence-based" shift in policy-- relying only on short-term data from outcomes with the chronically homeless population-- disallowed requirements such as sobriety and eliminated funding for mental health and addiction treatment in favor of expanding the number of "in perpetuity" housing vouchers. Eleven years later, the failure of their experiment is undeniable. Despite a significant surge in federal funding, homelessness has soared to unprecedented levels, with its mortality rate skyrocketing by 238%. The growth has been steady, apart from a temporary dip during the 2021 pandemic year. 18 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022134 The Trump administration must pivot from Housing First to Human First to restore hope, purpose. and connection for the homeless while rebuilding ravaged communities. Hope is a crucial force for transformation. It encourages the overcoming of obstacles, the pursuit of goals, and growth. Human beings must participate in their lives and take a level of responsibility. Under Housing First, the provision of life-long, "no requirements" housing leads to complacency, inhibiting meaningful steps toward improvement and progress. Human beings need purpose. Housing First, perhaps inadvertently, keeps the homeless stuck in their struggles-- largely mental illness and addiction-- as it prioritizes housing over treatment. Many experiencing these diseases also face anosognosia, a lack of self-awareness about their condition. Requiring treatment is vital to spark healing, restore clarity, and gain employment to sustain themselves. Human beings need connection. The provision of life-long subsidized housing is not only financially unsustainable, but it also undermines connection with support networks that are central to healing and growth. It's akin to claiming the best way to care for the sick is to confine them to individual hospital rooms forever. Alicia's journey illustrates the fruit and the cascade effects of the Human First approach. At 47 years old, Alicia, a mother of nine who had lost custody of seven children and never held a job, reached a point of despair. Like hundreds of others who entered the program I ran for 13 years, Alicia had little hope of a brighter future for her and her family. Once she entered our Human First program, she found a new beginning. Alicia was temporarily housed alongside other women facing similar struggles. Over two years, she gained the structure and support needed to learn parenting, overcome a 30-year addiction, heal from trauma, find work, and form meaningful relationships. Today, Alicia is 1over 1O years sober. She treasures her connection with her nine children, 22 grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. She has worked for the same company for the past decade. She pays her rent, invests in her 4O1(k) and takes pride in her self-reliance. The Trump administration must lead with a Human First approach to homelessness -- restoring human beings like Alicia while strengthening communities and drastically reducing the taxpayer burden. By prioritizing treatment, accountability, and true rehabilitation, they will break the cycle of homelessness and unleash every individual's God-given potential. Michele Steeb is the founder of Free Up Foundation and author of "Answers Behind the RED DOOR: Battling the Homeless Epidemic," based on her 13 years as CEO of northern California's largest program for homeless women and children. She proudly served eight years as a board member of the California Prison Industry Authority and has served as a visiting fellow for the Independent Women's Forum, a consultant for the 19 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022135 Texas Public Policy Foundation, and a vice president of the California Chamber of Commerce. [NY] From rotting floors to a hot bubble bath: Shinnecock woman can't wait for new house (Newsday, NY) - full text Newsday [1/31/2025 5:00 AM, Jonathan LaMantia, 1244K, NY] For more than a decade, Janelle Moore has lived in a trailer partially covered by an orange tarp, on land that has been passed down through her family for generations in the Shinnecock Indian Nation. For most of that time, she had no running water, no electricity and relied on propanepowered heaters to keep herself warm. She said it's been a constant fight to keep moisture out of the home, which has led to mold and mildew that irritate her sinuses. "The floor was basically rotting out," she said. "I was not living in an environmentally safe place at all." But in just a few weeks, she will have a gleaming white single-level house, just steps from her trailer. Moore, 42, will move in for free thanks to a partnership between the nonprofit Hamptons Community Outreach and Sag Harbor homebuilder Alex Forden. During an interview outside her home in January, Moore spoke of her dreams for the first days in her house amid the sounds of saws buzzing and nail guns firing, as workers added doors, trim and base molding inside. "I'm so excited to sit in my bathtub and soak in the bubbles. To cook in my own kitchen --just to have my own something," Moore said through tears. Moore is the latest recipient of support from the nonprofit, which helps people with low incomes and health concerns as well as the elderly pay for home repairs. In the past 312/ years, Hamptons Community Outreach has helped fund renovations of 65 houses on the East End, about three-quarters of which were on Shinnecock territory, said Marit Molin, founder and executive director of the Bridgehampton-based charity. The Shinnecock Nation lacks the funding to cover major housing repairs for residents in need and prioritizes spending its limited resources on helping elders, people with disabilities and veterans, leaving younger tribal members with less aid, said Phillip Brown, the tribal nation's housing director. The support from Hamptons Community Outreach helps fill a critical gap to help low-income residents repair homes, he said. With about 1,600 enrolled tribal members, the Shinnecock Nation struggles to attract federal housing aid because of its small size relative to other tribal nations in the U.S., Brown said. Some of the largest tribal nations have hundreds of thousands of members. Out of $1.1 billion in U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development block grants distributed to tribal nations last year, the Shinnecock received $73,000, according to an annual report from the housing department. "What can that really do?" Brown said. "There's still a tremendous need." For Moore and many Shinnecock people. securing a mortgage to buy or renovate a home isn't an option. Because their land is held collectively by the nation and cannot be 20 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022136 mortgaged or sold to non-tribal members, Shinnecock homeowners can't leverage their property's wealth like other Long Islanders. Instead, houses often change hands within the community for as little as $30,000 to $60,000, Brown said. Most of the homes on Shinnecock territory, including Moore's, are located on a 900-acre peninsula known as Shinnecock Neck. It's south of Montauk Highway and just east of Stony Brook University's Southampton campus. Of the 1,600 enrolled members, about half live on the neck, which stretches into Shinnecock Bay and Heady Creek, nearly touching Southampton's Meadow Lane -- home to some of the most expensive mansions in the country. The poverty rate in the territory, at 20.6%, is nearly triple that of Suffolk County, according to U.S. Census data. Moore is not alone among Shinnecock people who need funding for home repairs to address living conditions that threaten their health, said Linee Matthews, the housing department's assistant director. "Mold is one of our biggest issues here on the Neck," she said. The median income among Shinnecock families is about $66,000, roughly half of the $124,000 median household income for Suffolk County families, according to Census data. $66,000 - Shinnecock families' median income $124,000 - Median Suffolk County family income The department's 2024 housing report shows there are 260 homes on the territory, and about 20 are either vacant, abandoned, unfinished or in need of serious repair, Matthews said. A survey of 113 tribal members conducted by the housing department last year found about 60% were living in multigenerational households with elders. More than half of respondents said they have no homeowners insurance, according to Matthews. The need for housing rehabilitation funds goes beyond what the housing department can cover, with many older homes needing mold remediation and upgrades to their electrical and heating systems, Matthews said. "A lot of our houses are third-generation houses --just passed down and patched up," Matthews said. "Our floors are sinking. Our roofs are leaking." 60%: The percentage of tribal members in multigenerational households with elders living with them, according to a survey of 113 people Moore, who grew up in South Plainfield, New Jersey, said she moved to the Shinnecock Nation about 15 years ago to help her grandmother care for her grandfather. A few years later, Moore received a portion of her grandmother's one-acre allotment in the nation and later began the process of clearing the land for a home. Her cousin helped build a foundation and basement walls, but Moore ran out of savings to complete the project. Moore applied for assistance from Hamptons Community Outreach more than a year ago after the nonprofit completed a project on a nearby property. Molin said the way living in the trailer affected Moore's health made her a strong candidate for aid. The nonprofit director said she raises money from wealthy donors for specific projects as well 21 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022137 as a general fund to support the organization's charitable work. Hamptons Community Outreach has raised more than $7 million in direct donations and $3.5 million in in-kind donations since its founding in 2018, according to Molin. Its programs include home repairs, food donations, youth programs and medical and dental care that serve people with low incomes on the East End. To raise money for Moore's home, Molin said she brought a donor to tour the site where Moore's trailer sits and asked, "Would you like to help us change her life?" In late 2023, the nonprofit arranged to connect Moore's home to electricity, and last spring Forden & Co. began working on her house. Moore said she thought the crew would enclose the unfinished basement and then turn the project back over to her. "Then, they came with the plans, and I was like, 'That's a whole house. Wow, that's a whole house!'" she said, her voice shaking. Builders returned in November to construct the house during a lull in Forden's other residential projects, which include custom homes that sell for more than $10 million. Moore recalled leaving to pick up coffee for the workers and returning shocked to see the house had been framed in the time she was gone. "I didn't even recognize my own property," Moore said. "I drove past my own driveway." The project is Forden's fourth in the Shinnecock territory after completing several renovations. Forden said he enlisted suppliers and subcontractors he knows from his homebuilding business to donate framing lumber as well as roofing, plumbing, electrical and insulation materials. He covered the costs of windows and siding. Contractors also covered the cost of laborers to frame the house and install the siding. He estimated the home cost about $225,OOO to build, with most covered through donations of materials and labor and $70,000 paid for through fundraising by Hamptons Community Outreach. "As soon as I went to the first house on Shinnecock, it resonated with me," he said. Moore will move into her new home in a few weeks. When Newsday visited in January, Moore had painted the walls - summer peach for the living room, lovely lavender for the kitchen -- and crews had installed nearly floor-to-ceiling Andersen windows. During a tour of the unfinished house, Moore paused in front of those windows, where she will be able to watch deer, rabbits and a possum she's named Sharptooth roam the property from her bedroom. "The first time I get to lay in my own bed and wake up and look out the window like, 'This is mine,' " she said, imagining what life will be like in her new house. "It's a fabulous feeling, and words just can't even express it." For years, her mother hasn't been able to spend time with her in the trailer because the mold was too hard on her lungs. Now, Moore looks forward to welcoming her into her new home. "Everybody should get to feel like this," she said. 22 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022138 [NY] Lacking access to mortgages, Shinnecock Nation struggles to fund home repairs (Newsday, NY) - full text Newsday [2/3/2025 5:00 AM, Jonathan LaMantia, 1244K, NY] In the Shinnecock Indian Nation, accessing a loan to pay for a new home or to fund a major renovation is a lengthier, more complicated process than on the rest of Long Island. That's because Shinnecock territory is restricted fee land, meaning it is held by the tribal nation and allotted to its members but cannot be sold without federal approval. It cannot be mortgaged, foreclosed or sold to non-tribal members and there are restrictions around how it may be transferred, said Linee Matthews the tribal nation's assistant housing director. "There's no option for mortgage loans," she said. There are about 1,600 enrolled tribal members, about half of whom live on Shinnecock territory, which borders the Town of Southampton. Access to financing is critical for Shinnecock tribal members to fund home repairs and home purchases. The nation's residents have not been able to tap into housing wealth in the same ways as other Long Islanders because the eligible buyer pool is extremely limited, said Phillip Brown, Shinnecock housing director. He said houses often change hands among tribal members for $30,000 to 560,000. That lack of housing wealth among Shinnecock people, who have lived on Long Island for thousands of years, contributes to a poverty rate, at 20.6%, that is nearly three times as high as the rate of Suffolk County as a whole, at 6.8%, according to U.S. Census data. Recently, the nation has clashed with New York State and Southampton Town over economic development efforts including digital billboards along Sunrise Highway and a proposed gas station on the nation's Westwoods property in Hampton Bays. Matthews and Brown hope to improve access to home loans this year. The Shinnecock Housing Department is working to qualify tribal members for several federal loan programs offered by the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, Housing and Urban Development and Veterans Affairs. For tribal members to qualify, the nation must get a land determination from the U.S. Department of the Interior on the Shinnecock Nation's ownership of the 900-acre Shinnecock Neck, which will allow a private surveyor to complete a land survey. In January, it received such a determination for the 80-acre Westwoods area. The housing department plans to apply for federal approval by September, Matthews said. Then the tribal nation must create and approve policies that will satisfy lenders on how it will handle situations in which a member can't pay their government-backed mortgage. Federal research has documented how administrative barriers, such as restrictions on land and difficulty accessing title records, pose major barriers to mortgage lending on tribal territories. One area of progress has been the creation of Native Community Development Financial Institutions, or CDFIs, said Nancy Pindus, a senior fellow at the Washington D.C.-based Urban Institute, who coauthored a landmark 2017 report on mortgage lending in native territories. Those financial institutions, created to make loans in native 23 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022139 communities, don't have the same aversion to lending in tribal territories as some other lenders, Pindus said. "It's a growing industry, and I think it's got a lot of promise," Pindus said. There are more than 65 native CDFIs across the U.S. but few on the East Coast, according to the Nebraska-based trade group Native CDFI Network. The closest to Long Island, and only New York native CDFI, is the Seneca Nation of Indians Economic Development Co. in upstate Salamanca. Borrowing is mostly restricted to Seneca tribal members. If the Shinnecock Nation gets federal approval that would enable mortgage lending, tribal members who qualify for loans may still have trouble finding a lender. HUD's Section 184 Indian Home Loan Guarantee program offers options to moderate income borrowers but closing a loan can take up to two years, said Jamie Bay, director of the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe's home improvement program in Akwesasne, New York, near the Canadian border. He worries tribal members won't be able to find loans to buy houses the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe plans to build. Bay has been speaking with tribal nations across the Northeast, including the Shinnecock, about strengthening relationships with lenders. "We don't want people going through two years of a process [with] a home just sitting there," Bay said. "That doesn't make sense." For the Shinnecock, getting federal approval for USDA, HUD and veterans loans is an important step in improving the housing stock in the nation, Matthews said. "That would open up so much," Matthews said. "It would open up the doors for new construction and [home] rehabilitation." [NY] Blueprint 15 pauses signature $31M project for new East Adams neighborhood in Syracuse (Syracuse Post-Standard, NY) - full text Syracuse Post-Standard [1/31/2025 4:39 PM, Michelle Breidenbach, 3705K, NY] Blueprint 15 has notified the Syracuse Housing Authority that it will pause plans to build a $31.5 million children's center and YMCA in the neighborhood to be developed after Interstate 81 is torn down. The proposed Children Rising Center is the signature project in the new East Adams neighborhood redevelopment. It is the first step in an ambitious $1 billion plan to turn the state's oldest public housing into a mixed-income neighborhood. The center already has $20 million in grant commitments from every level of government. In July, SHA was awarded a $3.7 million federal grant to demolish 25 units of public housing on Latimer Terrace in the McKinney Manor housing development and another $3 million toward building the center. But the Syracuse Housing Authority does not yet have permission from the federal government to tear down the public housing, according to Calvin Corriders, president of the Syracuse Housing Authority's board of directors. Corriders said the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has not yet 24 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022140 approved SHA's request to relocate residents who live in Latimer Terrace. He said the delay complicates financing deadlines for federal tax credits. It means the housing authority would not have enough time to notify residents who would need to be relocated. Corriders said SHA submitted an application, then made some changes to it. He did not have the application dates available. He said the delay is a shared responsibility. "There's so many moving parts, having those things sync up, it's just complex," he said. Blueprint 15 officials have not commented. The non-profit group is funded by the Allyn Foundation. The president of the board is Syracuse Deputy Mayor Sharon Owens. A spokeswoman for HUD did not respond Friday. Corriders said he is cautiously optimistic the project will move forward in the future. "It's something that would be a tremendous benefit to this community," he said. "It's been fully embraced by every corner of the community." The website for the Children Rising Center says "coming soon" in fall 2026. It is a parent-child play center and YMCA health and wellness center intended to be built in a two-story building at South State and East Taylor streets. Syracuse city councilors are expected to discuss the project at a committee meeting at 10:30 a.m. Monday in council chambers, 233 E. Washington St. [NY] East Adams Neighborhood project to move ahead with environmental review and design plans (WAER 88.3 Syracuse University, NY) - full text WAER 88.3 Syracuse University [1/31/2025 5:32 PM, Scott Willis, 16K, NY] The City of Syracuse is lining up funding for environmental and design plans in ongoing preparation for a massive neighborhood redevelopment project. The 27-square block East Adams project aims to build 1,400 new public housing units and improve neighborhood amenities. There are many layers and moving parts to the $1 billion project that require common council action. Monday, they're being asked to approve an agreement with an engineering firm to complete what's called a National Environmental Protection Assessment, or NEPA. Director of the East Adams project Sarah Walton told councilors it's routine. "Because the scope of the project is so large and it obviously involves a tremendous amount of housing work that needs to get done, the NEPA is being done in tandem with the housing project," Walton said. "Being able to complete some of those environmental analysis are pretty typical pre-development parts of projects.". Walton said the assessment is critical to moving the project forward. "Part of the urgency on this is to unlock the $30 million that the city is the recipient for of the public infrastructure." Walton said. "In order to do that, we need to be able to have the environmental done by May. That's because Federal Highway Administration, which is the agency that's administering those funds, has really tight design deadlines.". The FHA is involved because the project aims to restore a neighborhood bulldozed 60 years ago to build 1-81. Councilor Pat Hogan asked Walton if the various streams of federal funding are at risk after President Trump's threat to temporarily freeze certain 25 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022141 federal spending. "We're still in touch with our partners at HUD," Walton said. "They're still working? They haven't been eliminated?" Hogan said, referring to the numerous firings of federal employees by the Trump administration. "We're still in touch because both the Reconnecting Communities and the Choice Neighborhoods grant agreements have been fully executed," Walton said. "I mean, obviously this is one of the most important projects in my history with the city, especially with the housing crisis," Hogan said. Councilors are expected to take up the East Adams items Monday at 1:00. [NY] NYC housing bribes earn West Babylon man 4 years in jail (Newsday, NY) full text Newsday [1/31/2025 7:19 PM, John Asbury, 1244K, NY] A West Babylon man, who served as a former superintendent for the New York City Housing Authority, was sentenced Friday to 4 years in prison for taking nearly $330,000 in bribes. Juan Mercado, 50, was among 70 defendants charged in the investigation by the New York City Department of Investigation into bribes for awarding contracts in the housing authority, the Department of Investigation said in a news release. Mercado pleaded guilty in May in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York to one count of solicitation and receipt of a bribe by an agent of an organization receiving federal funds. He also agreed to repay the bribes of $329,300 and is expected to surrender on March 27 to serve his sentence, according to the release. His attorney could not be reached for comment Friday. Investigators said Mercado supervised three housing authority properties in Queens in Ravenswood, South Jamaica, and Hammel-Carleton Manor, between 2014 and 2023. He was hired by the housing authority in 1994 and was suspended following his arrest in February 2024, according to the Department of Investigation. At the time of his arrest, his housing authority salary was $103,650, investigators said. While superintendent and property manager, he demanded payments and cash, investigators said, in exchange for housing authority contracts. Authorities said he usually demanded bribes between 10% to 20% of the contracts awarded. The bribes led to more than $1.8 million in housing contracts and Mercado collected a total of about 16% of all bribes paid to other defendants in the housing authority scheme. Investigators said 60 of the 70 defendants pleaded guilty, including six from Long Island. Three other defendants were convicted by a jury. Seven cases are pending. Gwendolyn Bell, 39, of Baldwin, served as a Brooklyn superintendent and received $32,000 in bribes for awarding no bid contracts between 2019 and 2023. She pleaded guilty in June and was sentenced to time served. Charles Starks, 58, and Nymiah Branch, 45, both of Elmont, also pleaded guilty. Branch was sentenced to probation and Starks is scheduled to be sentenced in March. James Baez, 59, of Valley Stream, pleaded guilty in April and was sentenced to probation in October and ordered to pay $2,600 in restitution. Evelyn Ortiz, 56, of Freeport, pleaded guilty in July and is scheduled to be sentenced in March. 26 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022142 [PA] Prospect residents return home, call for action from city (WTAJ, Altoona, PA) - full text WTAJ [1/31/2025 6:28 PM, Olivia Bosar, 150K, PA] VIDEO. Nearly two years after the residents of Prospect Homes in Johnstown were forced out of their apartments for safety concerns, they were invited back to see their newly renovated spaces. The Prospect community is celebrating their imminent return to their homes, but are also calling on city leaders to step up so those living in other public housing communities don't find themselves displaced in the near future. Community leader, Jeff Matula, Jr., is looking forward to welcoming home his community after the residents were given only 30 days notice to get out after a ceiling fell in one of the 110 units that make up Prospect Homes, a public housing community in Johnstown. "Yes, home, it's always been here," Matula said. "Like I said, a lot of my friends, you know, we miss having cookouts.". Residents got their first look at their homes' upgrades at an open house Friday. "The Housing Authority is taking care of everything for the residents under the Uniform Relocation Act. So we're helping out with moving expenses if they need physically moved. We'll hire a mover for them and get them back here," said Mike Alberts, Executive Director of the Johnstown Housing Authority. But Matula said even with the help, the return home is bitter sweet, as some beloved faces in the community won't be there for the reunion. "Over the years, we lost a lot of elderly residents. You know, God bless their souls," Matula said. He added that some older residents will be unable to return home due to the homes in Prospect being two floors and difficult to manage for some. The apartments are freshly renovated with new appliances and fixtures. While residents appreciate the city stepping up, they said this needs to serve as a call for them to get their boots on the ground in more communities. "This could have been prevented if, you know, our state and our city leaders would have took the time to actually walk into these communities and see this firsthand," Matula said. Representative Frank Burns, who stopped by the open house, said the residents advocating for themselves in such a way is exactly what has pushed the city to keep their promise that the housing would be returned to the original residents once the renovations made it safe for occupancy. "We were able to organize the tenants as a tenant association, which actually led to them standing up for themselves and and advocating for themselves. And this is a perfect example of the public advocating for something they want and government being able to accommodate them. I'm just happy for them to be able to start moving back in here," Burns said. Residents are expected to begin moving back as soon as next week and the city said everyone would have the opportunity to move back by April. Excited for that day, Matula is planning a cookout for the friends he's missed. "It's going to bring closure to a lot of us, you know, just to be able to celebrate together," Matula said. "That's the one thing that this community was based on was closeness.". [PA] PHOTO GALLERY' `A blessing'. Tour gives residents fresh look at Prospect Homes; move-ins to begin (Tribune-Democrat, PA) - full text Tribune-Democrat [1/31/2025 2:55 PM, David Hurst, 164K, PA] Jeff Matula Jr.'s eyes grew wide as he walked into a newly refinished Prospect Homes apartment Friday. It was a moment two years in the making -- and "worth fighting for," he 27 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022143 said. "It's beautiful," he said, calling the all-new renovations "a blessing." Matula, 39, and his brother Mason, 33, were among the first to arrive for a Johnstown Housing Authority open house, which showcased new kitchens, freshly painted bedrooms, tile floors and brand-new roofing. It was their family's first chance to return to the public housing community in Johnstown's Prospect section since early 2023. Structural deficiencies including issues with apartment ceilings compelled the housing authority to evacuate the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-owned community of 19 buildings at the time. Approximately 200 people were relocated to other areas. The Matula brothers formed a residents. group to push for a plan that would renovate the properties -- a move the housing authority studied and is now completing at a price tag of just under $5 million. "We're just thankful we were able to make this happen," said JHA Executive Director Mike Alberts. "It took a lot of work to get here ... and we're happy that we can share the end result today." Jeff Matula said he's been living on an upper floor of the Vine Street Towers in downtown Johnstown -- a vast difference from the more suburban lifestyle he was used to. Prospect residents share the neighborhood with deer, turkeys and other wildlife -- and Matula said he was used to grilling outdoors. Matula hand-delivered his application to relocate back to Prospect as soon as he heard 29 apartments were nearing completion, he said. That excitement only increased Friday once he saw the new renovations, he said. New ceilings and drywall replaced the previous issue-plagued interiors. Bathrooms received full renovations and bright white appliances were also added. "It looks fantastic," he said. "A long time coming," Mason Matula said. The Matulas cited support from state Rep. Frank Burns, D-East Taylor Township, for raising awareness about the issue at an uncertain time. And Jeff Matula also credited the JHA for investing in Prospect Homes and giving former residents the opportunity to return to their original apartments. Moments after entering, he greeted Alberts with a hug. "This is closure," Jeff Matula said. "The fight is over." Alberts said tenants will start moving in next week as applications are processed. Applications are still being accepted, he said. Work continues in other sections of the Prospect Homes community, which remains a construction zone, for now. As additional buildings are completed, they'll be opened up for additional residents, too, he said. [NC] 5 reasons listed in dismissal of Hickory housing CEO. Officials: No severance paid (Hickory Daily Record, NC) - full text Hickory Daily Record [1/31/2025 12:15 PM, Miya Banks, 58K, NC] Interim Hickory Public Housing Authority Executive Director Anthony Starr said no severance has been paid to former CEO Ala nda Richardson. Starr said the housing authority's attorney advised against further comment. 28 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022144 In October 2024, five housing authority commissioners who have since resigned approved of amending Richardson's contract. Under the amendment, if the housing authority were abolished or there was a change of power, Richardson would receive twice her base pay. That adds up to $290,000. Richardson was fired on Jan. 16 in a unanimous vote from the four housing commissioners present. It happened almost a week after the city of Hickory released housing authority credit card statements showing questionable charges. Richardson served as the housing authority's CEO for 26 years, according to a previous Hickory Daily Record article. The dismissal letter outlines five reasons for Richardson's termination, including Richardson using $25,000 from the authority's housing choice voucher account to cover legal fees. 1. Contract amendment In October 2024, Richardson's employment contract was amended during a closed session housing authority meeting. The amendment added a $290,000 severance package. If Richardson was paid that amount, it "would result in a payment that exceeds the permissible compensation from Section 8 funds, the only source for such payment, under HUD requirements," the letter said. "This action placed your personal financial concerns over the financial stability of the Authority that you were engaged to protect," the letter said. "Your execution of this contract modification shows your disregard for the financial viability of the Authority and its clients." 2. Housing vouchers The letter states that under Richardson's leadership, "the Authority's rate of utilization of Housing Choice Vouchers has significantly trailed the national average and surrounding counties. In fact, the Authority's utilization has continuously declined since 2018." The housing authority's current voucher utilization rate is 60.25%, the letter said, adding that the current utilization rates for the U.S. and Western Piedmont Council of Governments are 86.18% and 98.16%, respectively. Before the Jan. 16 housing authority meeting, Section 8 program manager Susan Little shared a letter from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) dated May 6, 2024, and an email to Little from Richardson dated Jan. 16. The letter from HUD's Greensboro Field Office said there was a potential shortfall. The letter said shortfalls occur when a housing authority "has insufficient funding to support the projected HAP (housing assistance payments) expenses in the calendar year." Richardson wrote in the email: "The Hickory Housing Authority received from HUD a letter stating that the agency could not lease up the 213 vouchers that had been issued because it would result in a $546,324 short fall. HUD asked if the HHA (Hickory Housing Authority) had stopped issuing vouchers, which we did, and retracted the vouchers we had issued." 3. Family medical leave 29 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022145 Richardson went on medical leave on Sept. 27. 2024, the letter said. The dismissal letter said Richardson was entitled to 12 weeks of unpaid leave within a 12-month period under the authority's Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) policy. "Your FMLA leave and paid/sick leave expired on December 27. 2024, and you did not promptly return to work as the CEO of the Authority," the letter said. 4. Legal fees The letter said: "You disbursed $25,000 from the Housing Choice Voucher account, rather than the administration account, to pay legal fees." 5. Credit card spending "Statements for the authority credit card entrusted to you show a number of inappropriate, unauthorized charges, late fees (and) over the credit limit usage fees," the letter said. On Jan. 10, the city of Hickory released credit card statements spanning about two years from a housing authority card held by Richardson. Richardson spent almost $45,000 on hotels between June 2022 and August 2024, according to credit card statements released by the city of Hickory. The credit card statements show about $10,000 spent on restaurants and about $7,000 spent at clothing stores, beauty salons and similar businesses. That list includes Dillard's department store, the Catawba Shoe Store, Divine's Beauty Boutique, and Jay-Jay's Trophies and Awards. Credit card payments included hotels at Myrtle Beach, New Orleans, Hickory, Cherokee and Savannah, Georgia. Richardson said in a previous Hickory Daily Record article that some of the money was spent on conferences. "The Dillard's charges were for employee recognition as well as employees who were leaving," Richardson said in the article. "Some of the divine (Divine's Beauty Boutique) charges were reimbursed by NCHADA (North Carolina Housing Authority Directors Association) but the other charges were for housing authority maintenance employee Tshirts and hoodies as she also does screenprinting." [FL] HUD's key homelessness snapshot may be impacted by Florida law (Housing Wire) - full text Housing Wire [1/31/2025 2:50 PM, Chris Clow, 243K] A key homelessness report issued every year by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) could be muddied by city ordinances and state law in Florida banning public sleeping and camping, according to a local official with a federally funded homelessness agency. "The Point-in-Time (PIT) count is a count of sheltered and unsheltered people experiencing homelessness on a single night in January," HUD says on its website detailing the program. It requires that Continuum of Care (CoC) programs conduct "an annual count of people experiencing homelessness who are sheltered in emergency 30 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022146 shelter, transitional housing, and safe havens on a single night." The 2024 report for data from last January showed a sharp 18.1% increase in the total number of people experiencing homelessness that month, rising to more than 770,000. The PIT report is used in part to determine assistance and funding levels for federal homelessness programs. Without an accurate count, the ability of local organizations charged with implementing some federal programs could be negatively impacted. And the new Florida law could make people more cautious about participating in the count. HB 1365, which outlaws unauthorized public camping and public sleeping, was signed into law last month by Republican Governor Ron DeSantis. "It could make people less willing to speak with us," Brian Postlewait, COO of the Homeless Services Network of Central Florida, told Central Florida Public Media. "This new law, we believe, is eroding trust between law enforcement and people experiencing homelessness; it is eroding trust between service providers and people experiencing homelessness. And this is the consequence of the draconian law that was enacted this year. "The enactment of HB 1365 really has given us pause as we come into this count, and we're not certain what we're going to expect," he told the outlet. "We have a hunch that people feel the anxiety about being arrested for being on public property sleeping or camping. So, we're interested to find out if that really makes a difference in our point time count." "This annual, three-day task requires hundreds of volunteers to fan across Orange, Seminole, and Osceola counties to count people they find either in the streets, in public property, or in shelters," the report said. "The count does not include people sleeping in cars or hotels, or staying with friends and family or in transitional housing." According to reporting at the Miami Herald, the new law "holds municipalities responsible for ensuring that people don't sleep overnight on their streets, in their parks or in any other public place," it said, describing a provision which went into effect in the fall of 2024. However, starting this month, "failure to do so can result in costly lawsuits for local governments, which could lead to jail time for those experiencing homelessness." The Florida Coalition to End Homelessness currently estimates the total of unhoused individuals in the state at more than 31,000. Florida also has some of the highest property values in the nation, and its popularity -- particularly as a retirement destination -- could see its economy strained by the so-called "silver tsunami" of older residents seeking to call its warmer climate home. [FL] Florida's camping ban may affect HUD's homeless Point-In-Time count for 2025 (Central Florida Public Media, FL) - full text Central Florida Public Media [1/31/2025 7:52 AM, Lillian Hernandez Caraballo, 27K, FL] AUDIO. On Thursday, nearly 400 volunteers wrapped up this year's homeless Point-InTime count. Led by the Homeless Services Network of Central Florida, Orlando Metro's main federally-funded agency to address homelessness, the annual count aims to gather a fairly accurate number for people experiencing unsheltered homelessness at a given point in time in the region. 31 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022147 However, the agency's COO, Brian Postlewait, said the current state law and Orange County ordinance banning public sleeping and camping could potentially impact his team's ability this year to get an accurate count. "The enactment of HB 1365 really has given us pause as we come into this count, and we're not certain what we're going to expect. We have a hunch that people feel the anxiety about being arrested for being on public property sleeping or camping. So, we're interested to find out if that really makes a difference in our point time count," he said. This annual, three-day task requires hundreds of volunteers to fan across Orange, Seminole, and Osceola counties to count people they find either in the streets, in public property, or in shelters. The count does not include people sleeping in cars or hotels, or staying with friends and family or in transitional housing. The agency is responsible for the count and for sending their findings to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, better known as HUD. This is how funding allotments and public awareness campaigns can be better planned to serve the needs of different regions across the country. It also helps HUD determine a national count. Last year's count more than doubled. This was in part due to a large volunteer force, as well as an increase in local cases. But Postlewait said the new laws targeting people experiencing homelessness have changed how many people approach the issue and how the community of unhoused people is reacting. He said that, for the first time, their team is not entirely sure what to expect. "It could make people less willing to speak with us. This new law, we believe, is eroding trust between law enforcement and people experiencing homelessness; it is eroding trust between service providers and people experiencing homelessness. And this is the consequence of the draconian law that was enacted this year," he said. Results for the count will be published later this year. [WI] Milwaukee Housing Authority short on cash after misuse of $2.8 million (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, WI) - full text Milwaukee Journal Sentinel [1/31/2025 10:46 PM, Genevieve Redsten, 3377K, WI] Milwaukee Housing Authority executives are scrambling to cut costs, after the agency's new chief financial officer discovered that more than $2.8 million in rental assistance funds were misused by his predecessors. Between 2019 and 2022, the Housing Authority's former director of finance improperly pulled restricted federal funds out of the Section 8 rent assistance program to cover cash needs in other divisions of the agency, according to the CFO's discovery. Those transfers were used to cover a number of expenses -- including administrative payroll and costs from construction projects that had gone over budget. As a consequence, the Housing Authority says it is running an average of 45 days behind on paying its expenditures. The agency also has fallen behind on its pension fund contributions, and costs from its development projects currently exceed the amount covered by construction loans. Now, executives are making major cuts to help "stop the bleeding." On Thursday, 20 Housing Authority employees were laid off to bring down expenses. 32 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022148 The dramatic discovery -- disclosed publicly during a special meeting of the Housing Authority Board of Commissioners on Friday afternoon -- solves a mystery that confounded agency leaders, the mayor's office and federal regulators for nearly two years. In April 2023, federal auditors reported finding more than $3 million in "unexplained variances" on the Housing Authority's bank balance. After nearly two years, the agency's finance team had failed to reconcile that cash balance. Brad Leak -- who joined the Housing Authority's finance team in November and was promoted to be its chief financial officer on Jan. 19 -- was able to trace that cash within a matter of months. The revelation also comes after a dramatic leadership shakeup inside the agency. All but one member of the Housing Authority Board of Commissioners are new appointees, and a slew of top executives have either retired or resigned in recent months -- including Willie Hines, the agency's controversial top executive and Fernando Aniban, the Housing Authority's second-in-command and former chief financial officer. Other recent departures include Finance Director Rick Koffarnus, Housing Choice Voucher Program Director Jackie Martinez and Warren Jones, vice president of construction for the Housing Authority's development arm. The use of restricted federal funds for unauthorized purposes is "improper and illegal under federal regulation," Leak said in his address to the board Friday. But Leak and Acting Secretary-Executive Director Ken Barbeau say they have not found evidence that the funds were pocketed for personal expenses -- only that they were improperly transferred within the agency. A recent forensic audit, which reviewed every financial record within the Section 8 rent assistance program, also did not find any evidence that employees had pocketed agency money. That forensic audit, however, did not review financial records in other divisions of the Housing Authority -- including within its real estate development arm Travaux, Inc. Now, as these findings come to light, board is discussing the possibility of another forensic audit to examine other parts of the agency, Barbeau said. Chairperson Charlotte Hayslett, who grew up in public housing and joined the board in November, became emotional as she apologized to residents on behalf of the organization. "This is an embarrassment," Hayslett said, adding: "It's a new day here. I can't impress upon you enough: It's a new day here." As Hayslett thanked him for immediately coming forward with his findings, Leak wiped away tears. Hayslett also spoke directly to local nonprofit Common Ground, which has spent the past two years organizing public housing residents and lobbying for reform of the Housing Authority. "Thank you for that bullhorn," she said. "Had it not been for you giving voice to the voiceless, people still would've been in place doing what they were doing." 33 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022149 In a statement Friday, Common Ground leaders called for since-departed executives to be held accountable. "We smelled smoke," Common Ground tenants and organizers said. "Here's the fire." [WI] HACM Illegally Misappropriated Federally-Restricted Funds (Urban Milwaukee, WI) - full text Urban Milwaukee [1/31/2025 7:53 PM, Jeramey Jannene, 149K, WI] The new executives at the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee (HACM) didn't take long to find the source of a major, multi-million dollar issue that has plagued the beleaguered agency for years. From 2019 to 2022. the agency illegally transferred $2.8 million in federal funding from its Section 8 voucher program, which pays for residents to live in private housing, to cover administrative and overhead costs with its traditional public housing operation. Now it needs to reverse it and finds itself with a $2.8 million hole. "We have serious cash and liquidity issues," said new CFO Brad Leak to the board during a special meeting Friday afternoon. As a result, the agency has laid off 20 employees, frozen hiring, paid bills 45 days late, cut "nice to have" spending, restructured an overdue $1.6 million pension payment, identified $600,000 in uncovered development costs and is pursuing a payment plan for an overdue $1.1 million payment-in-lieu-of-taxes it owes to the city. It's also expected to be slapped with a compliance action from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), which has already labeled the agency as "troubled." In an internal email, he said the agency would need to consider bankruptcy if no action was taken. Leak, an outsider who came to the city after working for housing authorities and other government agencies on the East Side, was given the CFO title on Jan. 19. He joined the agency in mid-November. Since his hiring he's watched those above head for the exits. Embattled secretary-executive director Willie Hines, Jr. retired, deputy director and former CEO Fernando Aniban announced his resignation for Feb. 21, then pushed it forward to Jan. 8, and finance director Rick Koffarnus retired. "Cash not being reconciled is a major indication of financial mismanagement, misstatement and indicates a serious lack of internal controls," said Leak. The funds transfers, said Leak, explain the reason a 2022 audit could not be completed: a $2.5 million variance could not reconciled. The audit resulted in HUD labeling the agency as "troubled" and requiring a recovery agreement, which board the approved earlier in Friday's meeting. The audit's failure was also one of several drivers in the federal requirement to outsource management of the voucher program. Leak said he does not expect criminal charges to be forthcoming, since the improperly used funding stayed within the agency. It was transferred to a central operation centers when financial shortfalls arose, attributed to overruns with development projects, like Westlawn, through the agency's Travaux instrumentality and the COVID-19 pandemic. "No one took anything home, that we can promise you. But we will have to answer to 34 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022150 HUD when the time comes," said Leak in a media scrum after the meeting. Leak says he himself discovered the issue. "Cash reconciliations are pretty straight forward," said Leak. "You have cash in the bank, you have outstanding checks and you deposits in transit. Anything else has to go somewhere else and cash is somewhere else." Leak declined to identify the person responsible other than to call them "the former director of finance." A job title only held by Koffarnaus in the time window described. "Using federally-restricted funds for a different purpose other than related to the restriction is improper and illegal under federal regulations," said Leak. How much Aniban and Hines knew is unclear. "It makes me feel upset," said acting secretary-executive director Ken Barbeau about the accounting issues. Hines served as COO during Hines tenure, but Aniban had oversight of the financial programs. Barbeau said he was unaware of the transfers until Leak brought it to his attention the week of the Jan. 17. "I don't know who knew what because we are just digging into this." Barbeau, when he took oversight of the voucher program in 2022, said he inquired about the audit issue and was told "there are a lot of things that go into it and they were going to work on it, but it's now two years later." He said he wasn't sure if "they," Koffarnaus and Aniban, didn't want to put out misstatements, didn't want to get into the agency's cash position or they were trying to cover something up. He said the agency would work with HUD on next steps. And that a separate forensic audit, in addition to one for the voucher program, is being discussed. "We are really committed to, as well as the board, to transparency and accountability," said Barbeau, who answered reporters questions at length after the meeting, a departure from Hines. "And we are committed to building trust and rebuilding that trust with residents and the community. That is not going to be overnight and I understand it." Barbeau said the actions to reduce spending should have been done earlier. Among those laid off from Travaux, an entity that manages development projects for the agency, was its leader Scott Simon. The position is not planned to be filled. The board expressed its support for the measures taken. All but one member is newly appointed and the members, who serve without pay, have made it clear they want change. Board members previously expressed frustration to Urban Milwaukee that at their first meeting in December they received an alarming letter from HUD that Hines and HACM had received in October. Part of Friday's meeting included approving a federallydictated recovery agreement and a sustainability plan related to the HUD's October findings. "We are not here any longer to go with any status quo. We are going to be completely transparent and it's not going to look good," said board member Alderwoman Sharlen P. Moore. She said the agency's supporters and partners need to help right the ship. "Our housing authority is extremely important to the residents of this city." 35 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022151 "Accountability breeds transparency," said chair Charlotte Hayslett, a former HACM resident and employee. "To our residents on behalf of this commission, we apologize to you this is an embarrassment." Hayslett praised Common Ground Southeastern Wisconsin for "giving voice to the voiceless. If it wasn't for you, people would still have been in place doing what they have been doing." The organization launched a large campaign for improvement at the agency in March 2023. Its members, including some HACM residents, packed the room Friday. Mayor Cavalier Johnson previously had criticized the coalition for what he said were "Trumpian" tactics and defended Hines, but on Friday board members praised the coalition. Hines, after vowing in September that he had many working years ahead of him, retired in December and collects a pension of nearly $12,000 per month. "As soon as it was found, we came to you," said Hayslett, speaking to the community about the financial issues. "It's very humbling. We will work to earn your trust and restore that respect." "We have already uncovered some of our major issues," said commissioner Karen Gotzler, a housing authority consultant. "I think we will all need to remember we are in the very early stages of discovery." "Back then, if they would have listened to residents they probably wouldn't be in this predicament now," said commissioner Jackie Burrell, a Westlawn resident. "So my thing right now is to make sure residents are being heard and you all take that into consideration." [WI] Milwaukee housing authority, HUD agree on `recovery plan' (FOX6Now.com, WI) - full text FOX6Now.com [1/31/2025 5:20 PM, Stephanie Quirk, 786K, WI] VIDEO. Milwaukee's housing authority on Friday said prior leadership misused millions of federal dollars that was intended to provide rent assistance. Instead, the agency said it was used to pay staff -- and now it's at risk of going bankrupt. Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee leaders said former management incorrectly used $2.8 million of Section 8 federal funds to pay staff. Now, the agency must pay back the money or risk bankruptcy in as little as 45 days. Brad Leak only joined HACM's finance team a few months ago, but in those few months he discovered a million-dollar problem. The issue dates back to 2019, leaders said. "The intent was not to say we will go into bankruptcy in 45 days. If we did not swiftly act this week, we would be," Leak said. During a special meeting on Friday, HACM outlined a number of actions it took to cut costs. The agency let go of 24 staff members and implemented a hiring freeze. "We want to be transparent," said Ald. Sharlen More, HACM's commissioner. "There is no longer 'we are going to hide things and sweep it under the rug.- While the new board of commissioners is focused on fixing the issue, some renters and 36 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022152 leaders from the advocacy group Common Ground are turning their attention to the official who was in charge at the time: Willie Hines. "It feels like Hines scammed Milwaukee -- scammed poor people -- and now these folks have to play cleanup," said Common Ground's Kevin Solomon. "Doing it with transparency and accountability and apologies, but fundamentally, this isn't their mess." HACM also announced on Friday that it reached an agreement to partner with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development on an effort to "improve resident housing facilities, upgrade agency operations and improve financial controls." In addition to adopting the "Milwaukee Recovery Plan" with HUD, the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee notified officials that previous fiscal management deficiencies and accounting errors had allowed restricted federal funds to be used incorrectly for some administrative costs and staff salaries. As a result of these previous decisions and a changed fiscal position, HACM also notified officials that its rating agency had adjusted its bonds to A- from its previous A+ ranking. The Milwaukee Recovery Plan, HACM said, is meant to "shore up management and the fiscal health of the agency and its real estate asset base." Specifically, the agreement requires HACM staff to follow a defined timeline and take action to address a range of issues -- including fiscal management, tenant services, housing conditions, facility operations, and related matters. Also included in the Milwaukee Recovery Plan are steps aimed at adding and improving financial controls and internal audit tools; adopting new efforts to increase occupancy rates; improving collections efforts: and upgrading the physical conditions of the various HACM properties. The Milwaukee Recovery Plan is a public document and is posted on the HACM website. [WI] The Milwaukee Housing Authority misused $2.8 million in federal funds, now it's cutting costs to avoid bankruptcy (WISN Milwaukee, WI) - full text WISN Milwaukee [2/1/2025 12:21 AM, Mariana La Roche, 891K, WI] Leadership within the Housing Authority for the City of Milwaukee misused $2.8 million in federal funds, and is now strapped for cash as the agency reconciles its finances. The Housing Authority's new chief financial officer, Brad Leak, updated the new board of commissioners in a public meeting Friday. "We will be sure from this point forward transparency will be the rule of order," Leak said. The previous Housing Authority CFO took the $2.8 million from the agency's Section 8 fund and used the money to pay staff salaries between 2019 and 2022, Leak said. Money for the Section 8 program comes from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development. "I want to emphasize this point," Leak said. "Using federally restricted funds for a different purpose other than/unrelated to the restriction is improper and illegal under federal regulations." Leak also said, however, he doesn't think any of the Housing Authority's previous leadership took money from the agency for personal gain. 37 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022153 Housing Authority Board Chairwoman Charlotte Hayslett called the latest revelation "an embarrassment." "To our residents, on behalf of this commission, we apologize to you all," Hayslett said. The Housing Authority now has to work with Department of Housing and Urban Development to implement a comprehensive recovery plan that aims to improve housing facilities, operations, and financial controls. The agreement comes as HACM disclosed that previous management had incorrectly used restricted federal funds for administrative costs and staff salaries. This revelation, along with other fiscal challenges, has led to a credit rating downgrade from A+ to A- by the agency's rating firm. The Milwaukee Recovery Plan establishes specific timelines and action steps to address fiscal management, tenant services, housing conditions and facility operations. Key components include enhanced financial controls, internal audit tools, initiatives to boost occupancy rates, improved collections and upgrades to HACM properties. "Our newly constituted Board views this agreement as a turning point for HACM," said Hayslett. "Working with our federal partners, we can implement new ideas, consider different approaches, and do a better job overall." The housing authority is seeking an independent third party to conduct a forensic audit of past financial management practices. HACM officials have briefed city leadership, including the Mayor's Office and City Council members, on these developments. The recovery plan is publicly available on HACM's website. Agency leadership has committed to keeping stakeholders, including staff, residents and community organizations, informed of progress as they implement the required changes. [Editorial note: consult source link for video] [WI] Milwaukee's public housing organization lays off 20 workers, citing budget constraints (Madison - Spectrum News, WI) - full text Madison - Spectrum News [1/31/2025 2:23 PM, Rachel Ryan, 684K, WI] The Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee is laying off 20 workers due to budget constraints, a spokesperson for the organization said on Friday. It comes following controversy around the organization and changes in leadership. HACM oversees more than 4,000 affordable housing units for low-income households, elderly residents and disabled adults. It also provides housing assistance via its Housing Choice Voucher Program to another nearly 6,000 households in the city, according to its website. In December, a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) report highlighted mismanagement within HACM. It pointed to not having adequate property management, a lack of organizational quality control and having $2.5 million unaccounted for. A week before that report was released, Willie Hines resigned as HACM's executive director. Hines' leadership term was fraught with public outcries for him to resign amid frequent resident complaints about unsafe, unhealthy and even "uninhabitable" living conditions. HACM's Deputy Director Fernando Aniban also resigned at the end of last year. 38 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022154 A spokesperson released the following statement in regards to the new layoffs: "The Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee (HACM) has made the difficult decision to reduce our 238-person workforce by 20 employees as part of a necessary effort to manage costs. We understand the profound impact this has on our employees, their families, and our entire HACM community. This decision was not made lightly, but it is a step we must take to strengthen the agency's financial stability, fulfill the requirements of the HUD Recovery Agreement, and work toward emerging from our HUD-designated troubled status," the statement said in part. "Our priority is to minimize the impact on residents, voucher holders, and partners. To do so, we are realigning staff while also implementing additional financial measures, including reducing nonessential expenditures and instituting a hiring freeze. HACM remains committed to serving our community, stabilizing the agency, and supporting our team through this difficult time." [WI] HACM leaders apologize to residents after the misuse of $2.8 million in Section 8 funds (CBS 58, WI) - full text CBS 58 [1/31/2025 9:00 PM, Michele Fiore, 238K, WI] New leadership at the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee is admitting they have serious cash and liquidity issues, after what they called the illegal transfer of Section 8 funds to the tune of $2.8 million by the former administration. It's a lot to unpack for HACM's new chief financial officer who took over just two weeks ago. For now, Brad Leak impressed on commissioner the need to follow the Department of Housing and Urban Development's outline to make things right. "To our residents on behalf of this commission we apologize to you all," said a tearful Charlotte Hayslett, Chairwoman of the Board of Commissioners for HACM at Friday's special meeting. Emotions are running high at this special board meeting after word broke that Milwaukee's Housing Authority misused $2.8 million in Section 8 funds. "During interviews with the former finance director, it appeared that the reason for the transfer what the agency was encountering serious cash issues at the time and needed to borrow from one program to the other," said Brad Leak, Chief Financial Officer, HACM. Leaders say the money meant for Section 8 housing was instead improperly used for payroll and other items. "And now I know why you don't have funds, because you been stealing from Peter to pay Paul," said Florence Riley, a Westlawn resident for the past four years who says she's often told they don't have money for things like garbage or security where she lives. The misappropriation of funds happening under the Housing Authority's previous administration from 2019 to 2022. "How dare you put the agency in such a dismal state of affairs and not apologize for the actions. The residents deserve better," said Hayslett. Current expenditures are being paid 45 days late. The agency had to let go of 20 workers, issue a hiring freeze, eliminate non-essential expenses, and take on a $1.6 million payment plan to the Pension Board. They are desperately trying to correct their general ledger. Milwaukee Alderwoman Sherlen Moore is one of four new housing authority board members. "When you have things that are covered up and you have people that you know kind of continued the status quo, you get what you've gotten and we know that that day is over," 39 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022155 said Ald. Moore. Answering to a rumor that Milwaukee's Housing Authority could face bankruptcy. "So the intent was not to say we will be going to bankruptcy in 45 days. it was that if we did not swiftly act and during this week, we would be in the bankruptcy situation," said Leak. Commissioners ended the meeting taking that swift action, approving a recovery agreement aiming to meet benchmarks over the next two years and regain better status with HUD. [Editorial note: consult video at source link] [WI] Internal letter details money misuse at HACM (Madison - Spectrum News, WI) - full text Madison - Spectrum News [1/31/2025 8:14 PM, Megan Carpenter, 684K, WI] Money misuse at The Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee (HACM) has been detailed in an internal letter that's now public. The letter, written by Chief Financial Officer Brad Leak, was confirmed at a special HACM Board meeting on Friday, Jan. 31. It said since 2019, HACM took $2.8 million from its Section 8 Voucher Program to pay administrative costs, including staff salaries. HACM's roughly $42 million Section 8 Voucher Program assists low-income individuals with housing and is the entity's largest program. HACM's January 31 board meeting focused on a newly-entered agreement with HUD to get the agency back on track. A 2022 audit from U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) found the program to be a fraud risk and ordered HACM to bring in a third-party to manage it. HUD also found a roughly $2.5 million discrepancy in financial reports for that program. A reason for that discrepancy had not been explained. Spectrum News has been reporting on issues within HACM since 2023, after residents began voicing health and safety concerns, primarily at HACM's public housing buildings. HACM's Jan. 31 board meeting focused on a newly entered agreement with HUD to get the agency back on track. Leak, in his letter, said HACM could go bankrupt within 45 days. At the board meeting, Leak clarified to Spectrum News that if HACM had not acted, bankruptcy was imminent. Entering into this agreement with HUD mitigates that risk. HUD's seven-page agreement includes a list of requirements and deadlines that HACM must adhere to. That included submitting overdue financial statements from 2023, submitting progress reports to HUD every 60 days and HUD-required inspections on all public housing properties. The agreement comes after an October HUD report detailed inaccurate financial reporting, insufficient management of leadership by the HACM board, a lack of high-quality public housing and inadequate property management. HACM acknowledged the HUD agreement and parts of Leak's letter in a statement Friday. It said, in part: "HACM notified officials that previous fiscal management deficiencies and accounting errors had allowed restricted federal funds to be used incorrectly for some administrative costs and staff salaries.". "The board also is in the process of identifying a potential independent, third-party professional to conduct a forensic audit and help examine some past financial management issues.". "Specifically, the HUD-HACM agreement requires agency staff to follow a defined timeline and take distinct action steps to address a range of issues, including fiscal management, tenant services, housing conditions, facility 40 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022156 operations, and related matters.". The financial woes come as HACM confirmed it laid off 20 employees on Thursday. A spokesperson said in a statement: "The Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee (HACM) has made the difficult decision to reduce our 238-person workforce by 20 employees as part of a necessary effort to manage costs. We understand the profound impact this has on our employees, their families, and our entire HACM community. This decision was not made lightly, but it is a step we must take to strengthen the agency's financial stability, fulfill the requirements of the HUD Recovery Agreement, and work toward emerging from our HUD-designated troubled status. Our priority is to minimize the impact on residents, voucher holders, and partners. To do so, we are realigning staff while also implementing additional financial measures, including reducing nonessential expenditures and instituting a hiring freeze.". [Editorial note: consult source link for video] [OH] Cincinnati receives $2M federal grant to increase middle-housing options (Dayton - Spectrum News, OH) - full text Dayton - Spectrum News [2/2/2025 5:45 PM, Javari Burnett, 684K, OH] In Ohio, home prices are expected to continue to rise and demand will remain high, according to experts with Ohio Real Estate School Hondros College. Cincinnati was recently awarded $2 million in grant funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, making more room for a housing option that's currently missing. "There's not a lot of middle housing, which is considered duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes throughout the city. The kind that we do have are a little outdated," Cincinnati DCED's Housing Development Officer Brianna Wiltshire said. The money was provided through HUD's PRO Housing (Pathways to Removing Obstacles to Housing) program, which looks to eliminate barriers to housing production. Wiltshire said Cincinnati's proposal promotes the development of middle-housing, creating permit-ready architectural plans. She added that it allows for more diverse investment in transit corridors and business districts. "It could be a resident that just wants more housing in their neighborhood or housing for themselves but can't afford a home, but they could afford to have a duplex, and they live on the first floor, and they rent out the second floor," she said. Last summer, the city adopted the Connected Communities ordinance which made it legal to build this type of housing. Cincinnati DCED Housing Development Officer Breanna White said that having these plans will expedite construction and make those developments cheaper to build. "If you're lowering the cost that it takes to produce these units, then it will ultimately lower the cost to rent out these units and sell these units," White said. "The architectural fees can make up anywhere from 4-8% of the total project costs. Other soft costs can be up to 25%." White told Spectrum News 1 that the city expects to see several long-term benefits from 41 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022157 this model, including increased density in neighborhoods and more supply on the market. "I think we're also expecting to see an uptick of developers producing this scale of housing as well, especially now that we have subsidies to help with that," she said. Cincinnati was one of 18 municipalities across the nation awarded this second round of PRO Housing funding, which totaled $100 million. [IL] Businessman from Riverwoods sentenced to 3 years in prison on federal charges of stealing millions (Lake & McHenry County Scanner, IL) - full text Lake & McHenry County Scanner [2/1/2025 11:57 AM, Sam Borcia, 252K, IL] A Riverwoods businessman has been sentenced to three years in federal prison for stealing $3 million through mortgage and vehicle loans obtained using stolen identities. Yale Schiff, 50, of Riverwoods, pleaded guilty in 2023 to a federal bank fraud charge in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. U.S. District Judge Mary M. Rowland sentenced Schiff earlier this month to three years in federal prison. She also ordered him to pay $2,955,954 in restitution. Prosecutors said Schiff fraudulently obtained mortgage loans, vehicle loans, lines of credit and credit cards by making false statements to financial institutions regarding his employment, income and encumbrances on the collateral he pledged for the loans. After obtaining the loans, Schiff filed false documents with the Cook County Recorder of Deeds, causing the fraudulent release of the liens. Schiff pocketed the loan proceeds, causing losses to the lenders, prosecutors said Prosecutors said Schiff used the same mortgaged properties for multiple loans, each time fraudulently removing the lien and keeping the proceeds. Schiff used various false and stolen identities to carry out his fraud scheme, prosecutors said. He bought vehicles under the false identities and fraudulently removed liens on the cars before selling them for a profit, prosecutors said. Schiff also opened bank accounts and lines of credit using the false identities and other aliases - funding the accounts with advances from other fraudulently obtained lines of credit and credit cards. Prosecutors said that Schiff, in one instance, used a credit card issued in the name of an elderly woman whom he knew was in a memory care facility at the time. and in another instance, he used a credit card issued in the name of a friend who was dead. "Defendant, over the course of at least 13 years, engaged in a calculated, sustained, prolonged, multi-faceted scheme to defraud multiple financial institutions, individual buyers of property, and individuals whose identity he used," Assistant U.S. Attorney Sheri H. Mecklenburg argued in a sentencing memorandum. "Defendant's conduct was prolonged, willful, and widespread," Mecklenburg said. Schiff's brother, Jason Schiff, of Lincolnwood, and a business associate, David lzsak, of Chicago, were also charged as part of the federal investigation. Jason Schiff pleaded guilty to causing a false report and statement to be made to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Jason Schiff was sentenced to three years of probation and ordered to pay $306,610 in 42 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022158 restitution. A jury convicted Izsak on ten counts of financial institution fraud and he is awaiting sentencing. [TX] Nearly $7 million awarded to City of Austin for more affordable housing (KXAN, Austin, TX) - full text KXAN [1/31/2025 5:31 PM, Talisa Trevino, 1849K, TX] The City of Austin received $6.7 million to develop, assess, and implement housing plans to help create more affordable housing. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded the grant through its program -- Pathways to Removing Obstacles to Housing -- and will be spread over six years, according to a city press release. Around $3 million of the grant will help finance the Ryan Drive affordable housing development and future developments in the South Congress area. $1 million is also set aside to help fund new zoning tools for "more diverse and attainable housing." $750,000 is planned to update the Austin Strategic Housing Blueprint and opportunity mapping, the city said. "Austin continues to demonstrate that our priority is to ensure access to affordable housing for all Austinites. We are ready to implement these grant dollars to expand our impact on equitable housing initiatives," said Mayor Kirk Watson in the press release. City of Austin housing grant activities Update the Strategic Housing Blueprint and Opportunity Mapping Index Invest in Development and Preservation of Affordable Housing Near Planned Light Rail Create New Zoning Tools to Unlock Missing-Middle and Urban Mixed-Use Development, Enabling More Housing Opportunities for All In the release, the city's Housing Department said, "Regulatory and other barriers have made it difficult to produce, preserve, and access affordable housing. Underserved communities of color and low-income populations feel these pressures more severely. These barriers also reduce opportunities to build generational wealth and further increase evictions and the likelihood of homelessness." Interim Director of the Housing Department, Mandy DeMayo, said in the press release, "This impactful funding from HUD will allow us to strategically update policy plans, invest in development near future light rail, and create new zoning tools to unlock missing middle opportunities." [TX] Tracy Andrus Foundation moves forward in HUD grant application (Marshall News Messenger, TX) - full text Marshall News Messenger [2/2/2025 5:00 AM, Robin Y. Richardson, 22K, TX] The Tracy Andrus Foundation is one step closer to its goal of providing more affordable housing opportunities in Marshall as the Marshall City Council recently approved a resolution regarding the entity's request for a certificate of consistency needed to comply with HUD grant application requirements. "I'm here to ask the city to approve a certificate of consistency," Foundation President and Founder Tracy Andrus said as he addressed the council last week. "The meaning of a certificate of consistency is for a jurisdiction to 43 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022159 certify that an application is consistent with a consolidation plan. It means that the certificate itself, it is saying that what we're asking for in our grant is consistent with what is in the plan.". He said they should be able to determine that everything the foundation is asking for is consistent with the needs addressed in the city's 2020 consolidation plan, which underscores the need for more decent housing, housing for the homeless and shelter the chronic homeless. "Right now, we're applying for a grant from HUD for $10 million to build 30 units here," said Andrus. "Right now, we're in the final phase of that grant. What HUD is waiting on from us is a certificate of consistency. I believe that once we look at what is in our consolidation plan there should be no doubt that what we're asking for is consistent with what the city has asked for in their 2020 plan.". He noted, according to the 2020 Marshall Consolidation, plan, one of the activities to be carried out by the city council is to support efforts to bring decent housing. "They said the city will undertake several activities with the purpose of meeting individual community, family housing needs. First step is to continue discussion with the Marshall Housing Authority, the Habitat for Humanity and other nonprofits interested in housing rehabilitation and new construction," Andrus said, highlighting the contents of the city's 2020 plan. "They will assist with the development, new construction or reconstruction of new housing units, including homes to be built or rehabilitated in partnership with the homebuilder's entity, with Habitat for Humanity.. .". "We're asking for home ownership with very low and moderate income individuals and households," Andrus informed. "We are proposing to provide at least 30 permanent and supportive housing units in Marshall, Texas, through this grant.". Additionally, he said the foundation plans to reserve approximately $1 million of it to partner with an entity that has a vacant building that could be rehabilitated to meet housing needs. "We're going to, and this has not been solidified, but as part of our grant, we've reserved approximately $1 million to approach Wiley University or any other entity that has a building that's standing that we may be able to rehabilitate to allow it to be able to use for housing additional vulnerable, homeless, chronic populations here in Marshall, Texas," he said. "In addition to that, we have some money in this grant that we're planning on using to update or bring our property at 303 W. Burleson up to code," he said of the city's directive to install a water suppression system to accommodate the foundation's existing homeless shelter at the location. Further highlighting the city's housing needs, Andrus noted that the consolidation plan additionally outlines housing and homeless objectives, notes the housing needs in Marshall are significant and centered around the age of the housing stock and limited number of multi-family units. "Due to the age of housing in Marshall with nearly half, which is 45.8% having been built before 1960, the housing stock in Marshall is in need of rehabilitation, replenishment and expansion. So, I just come before you tonight to ask you to consider what we've done, what we've submitted," said Andrus. Andrus noted that the Tracy Andrus Foundation has been operating since 2007. "We've been in this city for a while operating in this city," he said. "In the last five years, we've expended more than $8 million into this economy. In Marshall, Texas, we've been through two single file audits, which are federal audits. We've never had one finding in those audits. 44 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022160 "So, I ask you to consider the request that we're making for a certificate of consistency. And what I want to say to you also, a certificate of consistency is not holding this board or this city liable for any of our buildings," he clarified. "All we're asking for is a certificate of consistency to say that what we're asking for, which is more housing, decent, public supportive housing, low income housing. What we're asking for is consistent with what is in our plan. That's what we're asking for.". Interim City Manager Melissa Vossmer confirmed that the integrity of the application seems to be firmly in place, according to HUD. Reggie Cooper, the city's director of planning and zoning, also confirmed that the goals in the grant application are consistent with the goals outlined in the city's consolidated plan when it comes to addressing the need for lower income housing and shelter for the homeless. "After we got the information, specifying exactly what the project was then it is my opinion that it does follow what our plan document says -- the need for affordable housing, that's what the application says," Cooper confirmed. "And so there as some layers of protection but when you start looking at the actual document itself, in my opinion what it is designed to do, it meets consistency.". [OK] There's a shortage of Oklahoma landlords willing to lease to people with rental assistance (The Oklahoman, OK) - full text The Oklahoman [2/2/2025 6:19 AM, Maddy Keyes, 2924K, OK] On a recent afternoon, Mike Vaught and his wife, Miranda, stopped for a friendly chat with Shelia Hawkins outside the Oklahoma City bungalow she rents from them. Vaught can't remember how long he's known her. Hawkins was once his grandfather's tenant, and he has memories of her from when he was a child. Vaught brought her to one of his properties a couple of years ago, where a Section 8 voucher helps cover her rent. "They're like family to me," said Hawkins, looking at the Vaughts with a smile. For 20 years, Vaught has rented the majority of his 19 properties to families with Section 8 rental subsidy vouchers. The federally funded vouchers are paid by local housing authorities to landlords to help low-income families secure housing. Those with vouchers typically stay in a unit longer than the average tenant, and the Vaughts appreciate the opportunity to build lasting relationships with the families. However, the number of landlords renting to voucher participants has stagnated in recent years, housing authority officials told The Frontier. It's hard enough for the tens of thousands of families on a waitlist to secure one of the coveted vouchers. Lack of federal funding has forced some housing authorities to indefinitely close their waitlists, while others have only enough funding to help those with priority status for vouchers because they're experiencing homelessness or have a disability. But even for those who receive a voucher, housing isn't a guarantee. Oklahoma has a shortage of affordable housing options. And housing officials say the number of landlords participating in the Section 8 program isn't keeping up with the climbing demand. Some voucher participants are struggling to find someone who will rent to them. Since 2020, nearly 8,000 Section 8 vouchers -- also known as Housing Choice 45 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022161 vouchers -- have expired across the state before the participant could secure a lease, according to data from the Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency and three of Oklahoma's largest housing authorities. Voucher participants typically have anywhere from 60 to 120 days to find a landlord who will accept their voucher and sign a lease, with the possibility of a 60-day extension. However, even that is not long enough for some. In 2024 alone, nearly 900 people saw their housing vouchers expire from four of Oklahoma's largest housing authorities. Participants can reapply for a voucher if theirs expires, as long as the housing authority's waitlist is open. Both the Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency's and the Tulsa Housing Authority's waitlists are currently closed due to long wait times and funding shortages. While individual reasons for why a voucher expires aren't always tracked by the authorities, a spokesperson for the Tulsa Housing Authority told The Frontiermost, if not all, of the expirations are because the participant wasn't able to find a home where their voucher would be accepted within the allotted time frame. "One of the quickest, most effective ways to combat the affordable housing deficit is for more landlords (and) property owners to accept Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers," wrote Ginny Hensley, the vice president of communication at the Tulsa Housing Authority. Karey Landers, executive director of the Apartment Association of Central Oklahoma, which represents property owners and managers across the state, has worked in the rental housing market for over two decades. At the start of her career, she managed a tax-credit property that regularly accepted voucher participants as tenants. Options for affordable housing were on the rise, she said, with a steady stream of tax-credit developers coming to the state to build in the late 1990s and early 2000s. This has dwindled over the past decade or so. Oklahoma has a deficit of about 77,000 affordable rental units. The largest gaps for those who are extremely low income are concentrated in the state's largest cities, including Oklahoma City, Tulsa and Norman, according to the most recent state data. Oklahoma also stands to lose as many as 1,352 affordable housing units over the next five years as contracts signed in the 1990s for the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program expire, according to numbers provided by the Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency. This is on top of the 1,106 contracts that expired between 2020 and 2024. The contracts require developers to maintain the affordability of participating units for a minimum of 30 years in exchange for tax credits. But as the contracts expire, many affordable housing developers are selling their properties to owners who choose to discontinue their participation in the program, Landers said. "I've seen more leave than I have come in," Landers said. "So I do think that has hurt the overall voucher program.". Many low-income families are being priced out of the already limited housing. The average rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Oklahoma has increased by nearly 30% since 2020. Pandemic-era rent markups haven't leveled out as much as some housing officials expected, and often landlords will charge as much as the market will bear. Rising inflation and insurance prices also have forced some landlords to hike their rents to make up for the additional costs, Landers said. Many are choosing not to lease to voucher participants, finding they can earn more from the open market. "If I can get $10 more, I'll take it," said David Kinnard, a landlord with about 800 units between Oklahoma City and Norman. "That's kind of what businessmen do.". 46 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022162 Kinnard stopped leasing to voucher participants at most of his properties over a decade ago, saying the process was strenuous and expensive for landlords. After a landlord agrees to lease to a voucher participant, the unit is inspected for approval using the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's housing quality standards, which ensure a property is safe for occupation. "When the repairs are being made, there's no rent coming in," Kinnard said. "Why go through the hoops?". Lengthy inspections are often the biggest deterrent for landlords, Landers said. She said it can take anywhere from one to three weeks to have a unit inspected, not including time for necessary repairs. It may take only 24 to 48 hours to get a tenant who isn't renting with help from a voucher moved into a unit, she said. A spokesperson for the Tulsa Housing Authority said the inspections look for health and safety issues within the unit that would likely need to be addressed regardless of whether the property participates in Section 8. The Tulsa Housing Authority supplies landlords interested in participating in Section 8 with a checklist to review before the inspection. If the landlord checks off each item, such as having working door locks and functioning windows, the spokesperson said they have a 99% chance of being approved. Kathy Holt, the Tulsa Housing Authority's landlord liaison, recruited over a hundred landlords to the voucher program in 2024. Still, she says there's a need for more Section 8 units to meet the high demand, which is why the housing authority is actively working to recruit more landlords, particularly those with multi-family units. "We're really trying to recruit in a bigger way," Holt said. The Tulsa Housing Authority made strides over the past few years to recruit landlords into its Section 8 program by hosting monthly educational events and hiring Holt as their liaison to facilitate regular communication with landlords. The authority even awarded over $200,000 between 2023 and 2024 in sign-on bonuses to landlords. A spokesperson for the authority said they hope to offer the bonuses again in the future if they receive additional funding for the incentives. Holt accepted Section 8 tenants throughout her 25 years as a landlord. Now she uses her experience to recruit landlords into the program. She attributes the current deficit to a lack of awareness of the program and its benefits for landlords, such as consistent payments from the housing agency and stable occupancy. "I just loved it," Holt said of her time participating in Section 8. "It worked for me. So I thought I could help.". Unlike tenants from the open market, Section 8 tenants are backed by federal dollars. Even if the tenant loses their job, the landlord will continue receiving rent payments, according to an official from the Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency. The average length of tenancy for voucher participants is generally between 7 and 9 years, compared to just 2.5 years on the rental market. This means potential savings up to $10,800, given the standard price to turn over a unit ranges between $500 and $3000, according to a Tulsa Housing Authority spokesperson. There were over 10,000 people on the Tulsa Housing Authority's voucher waitlist and over 18,000 on the Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency's at the end of 2024; landlords will have no problem increasing their occupancy, Holt said. The authority hosts weekly events for voucher-friendly landlords to advertise their properties to potential tenants. "Even when I had 1,500 properties that I managed here in Tulsa, we could fill them up," Holt said. "That's the reason it worked for me, and this is what I teach the owners.". 47 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022163 Vaught and his son built the wooden front porch of Hawkins' Oklahoma City home. She loves to decorate it each Halloween and Christmas so her grandchildren have a festive place to visit. "I love them," Hawkins said of the couple. "If I can keep them forever. I'll keep them forever.". After 20 years in the business, this is why Vaught continues to lease to voucher participants. The consistent payments that arrive "like clockwork" each month and the housing authority's assistance if issues arise with a tenant are both advantages of the Section 8 program. But the Vaughts say the real benefit is longer tenancies, which allow the couple to build lasting relationships with their tenants and -- they hope -- give someone a leg up during what may be a difficult time. "If we could help a few people get back on their feet," Vaught said. "It's worth it.". National Housing News Chopra out at the CFPB (National Mortgage News) - full text National Mortgage News [2/1/2025 11:28 AM, Claire Williams, 35K] Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Rohit Chopra said in a social media post that he is no longer at the bureau, ending a weeks-long period of angst from bankers who wondered why Chopra continued to hold his spot in the new Trump administration. "This letter confirms that my term as CFPB Director has concluded," Chopra said in a letter to President Donald Trump, posted to the social media site X on Saturday morning. "I know the CFPB is ready to work with you and the next confirmed director, and we have devoted a great deal of energy to ensure continued success." Trump has not yet named a new acting director or nominated someone to the post. His options are somewhat limited because the Federal Vacancies Reform Act dictates that the No. 2 official at the bureau will lead it unless Trump appoints someone of his choosing. Until the White House designates an acting director, Zixta Martinez, the bureau's current deputy director, automatically assumes the role. Martinez joined the CFPB in 2010, and has been with the agency since its inception. The Trump administration is expected to name its own acting director shortly -- possibly as soon as Monday. However, any appointee selected by the president has to have already been confirmed by the Senate for another role or be picked from the CFPB's senior officials, according to the requirements of the Vacancies Act, which specifies who can fill a temporary position. In his letter to Trump, Chopra appealed to Trump's campaign promise of capping credit card interest rates, and urged him to continue some of the work that Chopra began at the bureau. In addition to proposing rules to "block China, Russia and other countries of concern from conducting surveillance operations on Americans using commercial data brokers," a policy move that fits with some of Trump's populist rhetoric, Chopra said that there are other areas of agreement between the work that the CFPB has been doing and Trump's priorities. "We have also put forth policies to block financial firms and technology giants from debanking and deplatforming Americans based on their speech or religious views, while also restoring freedom and other individual rights," Chopra said. "The next CFPB Director will also be able to act on the evidence that we have already uncovered in law 48 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022164 enforcement investigations of Big Tech and Wall Street firms. We have also analyzed your promising proposal on capping credit card interest rates, and we see a path for enacting meaningful reforms." Consumer groups and Democratic lawmakers immediately decried Chopra's exit from the bureau. "President Trump campaigned on capping credit card interest rates at 10% and lowering costs for Americans," said Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., ranking member of the Senate Banking Committee and a lead architect in creating the CFPB. "He needs a strong CFPB and a strong CFPB Director to do that. But if President Trump and Republicans decide to cower to Wall Street billionaires and destroy the agency, they will have a fight on their hands." Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., ranking member of the House Financial Services Committee, also promised to fight Republicans' efforts to dismantle the bureau. "Make no mistake, today's decision is the first step by Trump, his co-President Elon Musk, and their Republican allies in Congress to dismantle the agency entirely, leaving consumers with no place to turn to for help and no real watchdog to hold predatory lenders and other bad actors accountable," Waters said. "Rest assured, my fellow Committee Democrats and I will continue to fight, as we have for more than 14 years, to defend the CFPB from Republican attacks and ensure they stay true to its mission of protecting hardworking Americans from financial institutions who continue to profit at their expense." Chopra hung on to his post well beyond what many in the industry anticipated. His continued presence at the CFPB until Saturday called into question other top financial regulatory posts that the Trump administration has left unfilled, including that of acting Comptroller of the Currency Michael Hsu and the soon-to-be vacant vice chair for supervision spot at the Fed. The White House did not immediately respond to questions about who will now lead the bureau. President Trump Fires CFPB Director (The Mortgage Point) - full text The Mortgage Point [2/1/2025 2:31 PM, David Wharton, 2K] CFPB Director Rohit Chopra, who had served in the role since being appointed by President Joe Biden in 2021 for a five-year term, has announced that he has been fired by President Donald Trump. According to CNN, Chopra received the news via an email from the White House Saturday morning. Chopra then publicly announced the news via a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. In addition to noting that it had been an honor to serve in the role, Chopra posted a letter acknowledging and responding to President Trump. In the letter, former Director Chopra recalls the CFPB's origins as a response to the 2008 financial crisis, and notes that the Bureau should serve to "make sure that the laws of our land aren't just words on a page. Those laws are intended to check the enormous influence that powerful firms have over our daily lives. With so much power concentrated in the hands of a few, agencies like the 49 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022165 CFPB have never been more critical." Chopra ended the letter by writing, "I hope that the CFPB will continue to be a pillar of restoring and advancing economic liberty in America, and I wish you good luck in serving our great country." The CFPB declined to comment on the matter, but CNN quoted a White House official as saying, "It's the executive's decision and prerogative to see who they want in that role." The news comes just days after a Bloomberg report that Trump administration was considering tapping the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) or the U.S. Department of the Treasury to oversee daily functions of the CFPB. Earlier in the week, Sen. Ted Cruz had introduced the Defund the CFPB Act, which would zero out transfer payments from the Federal Reserve to the CFPB. "The CFPB is an unelected, unaccountable bureaucratic agency that has imposed burdensome and harmful regulations on American businesses, banks, and credit unions," said Sen. Cruz. "It is an unchecked Obama-era executive arm, and the Federal Reserve should not be transferring funds to it. Enacting this legislation would save American taxpayers billions of dollars and I call on the Senate to expeditiously take it up and pass it." The CFPB has been a lightning rod for political controversy since its inception, with many Republicans criticizing its goals, approach to regulation, and even the constitutionality of its funding structure. The Supreme Court in May 2024 upheld that funding, ruling via a 7-2 vote both that the Bureau's funding was constitutional and that it was in compliance with the Constitution's Appropriations Clause. The case, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau v. Community Financial Services Association of America, tested the Appropriations Clause of the U.S. Constitution that reads: "No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law; and a regular Statement and Account of the Receipts and Expenditures of all public Money shall be published from time to time." "The Bureau's funding statute satisfies the requirements of the Appropriations Clause," said Clarence Thomas, Associate Justice for the U.S. Supreme Court in an opinion for the court. "The statute authorizes the Bureau to draw public funds from a particular source--'the combined earnings of the Federal Reserve System'--in an amount not exceeding an inflation-adjusted cap." The CFPB was established by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 in the wake of the financial crisis of 2007-2008. The role of the CFPB is to review the practices of companies, banks, and lenders in the financial services industry and work to protect consumers from predatory practices. Authorized by Congress in 2010, the role of the CFPB is to reform predatory and deceptive financial industry practices that policymakers believed led to a wave of mortgage defaults, and ultimately to the crisis and subsequent Great Recession. Trump fires CFPB Director Rohit Chopra (HousingWire.com) - full text 50 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022166 HousingWire.com [2/1/2025 11:12 AM, Sarah Wolak, 243K] President Trump fired Rohit Chopra, the director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) on Saturday, abruptly ending a five-year term scheduled to run through late 2026. The Associated Press reported that Chopra was notified of his firing in an email. Chopra confirmed the news via a letter posted on X that read "With so much power concentrated in the hands of a few, agencies like the CFPB have never been more critical." The news comes a few weeks after inauguration day, with many surprised that Chopra outlasted President Trump's initial government firing sweep. Chopra was appointed in 2021 by former President Joe Biden to serve as the CFPB's director. During his tenure, Chopra was known for his aggressive approach to enforcing consumer protection laws. During his time at the bureau, Chopra led a crusade against junk and overdraft fees, which most large banks ended up abandoning or reducing. In 2022, Chopra ordered Wells Fargo to pay $2 billion in redress to over 16 million consumers harmed financially by the bank. Per the New York Times, the bureau will be run by Zixta Martinez, the CFPB's deputy director, until a new acting leader is selected by President Trump. The bureau, created after the 2008 financial crisis to regulate mortgages, car loans and other consumer finances, has long been opposed by Republicans and their financial backers. "Although Chopra recently attempted to highlight the two consumer financial protection issues on which he and President Trump agreed -- debanking and credit card interest rate limits--it was always clear his days as Director were numbered," said Peter ldziak, senior associate, Polunsky Beitel Green. "The only surprise in Chopra's firing was that it took Trump almost two weeks to do so." "There had been talk in Washington that the Administration was waiting until they had a nominee or someone favorable who could serve as Acting Director before firing Chopra. But, so far, Trump has not named a nominee or appointed an Acting Director, so it's not entirely clear why Trump decided to fire Chopra today," ldziak said. "There are rumors that Trump plans to name Russ Vought as Acting Director if he is confirmed as OMB Director next week, which would mirror Trump's appointment of then-OMB Director Mick Mulvaney as acting CFPB Director during his first term." While most in mortgage lending considered Chopra an enemy, consumer groups lauded his work at the CFPB. Jesse Van Tol, president and CEO at the National Community Reinvestment Coalition, issued a statement that said, "[Chopra] lived up to the clear mandates of settled law. His team demonstrated how right lawmakers were to create this independent and focused watchdog, all while riding out predictable and cynical lawsuits from industry that failed to trick judges into dismantling what Congress had built." GOP lawmakers file bill to defund the CFPB (National Mortgage News) - full text National Mortgage News [1/31/2025 3:25 PM, Andrew Martinez, 35K] Republican lawmakers have filed legislation to defund the Consumer Financial 51 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022167 Protection Bureau, adding more uncertainty over GOP plans for the financial regulator. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-TX, introduced this week the Defund the CFPB Act, which if passed would give zero transfer payments from the Federal Reserve to the bureau, a funding structure created under the Dodd-Frank Act. The CFPB's transfers are not subject to congressional approval, giving it greater independence. "The CFPB is an unelected, unaccountable bureaucratic agency that has imposed burdensome and harmful regulations on American businesses, banks, and credit unions," said Cruz in a statement. The regulator received $729.4 million in transfers from the Fed for fiscal year 2024, according to a December report by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. Its projected budget for FY2025 is $810.6 million, under an inflation-adjusted funding cap of $823 million. The Bureau has been a target of ire for financial services businesses including housing finance players, who take issue with its loan officer compensation rule among other actions. However, industry stakeholders like the Mortgage Bankers Association don't advocate for the CFPB to be shuttered but rather seek opportunities to work together on forming regulation. The MBA last week sent a letter to the CFPB to urge it to halt further work on its nonbank Registration Regulation. That request was addressed to Director Rohit Chopra, the Democrat department head still sitting under the new Trump Administration's overhaul. Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, earlier this week hinted at an imminent "blockbuster" announcement regarding a new CFPB leader. He attributed the delay in Chopra's firing to the Vacancies Act, which would place an existing Chopra deputy as the acting head by default. The chairman also said he would support changes to the bureau's statutory funding caps. The defunding bill this week was co-sponsored by GOP lawmakers including Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.C., also a majority member of the Senate Banking Committee. The bill was also supported by the Texas Credit Union Association and the Texas Bankers Association, Cruz's office said. In a statement Thursday, TBA CEO and President Chris Furlow backed the defunding call by accusing the bureau of hypocrisy, which oft issues redlining punishments but settled its own discrimination suit for $6 million in 2023. "No agency should be allowed to exercise authority without accountability to the people's elected representatives, yet CFPB's current funding structure enables just that," said Furlow. Financing the future of senior living (McKnight's Senior Living) - full text McKnight's Senior Living [2/3/2025 1:58 AM, Kevin Laidlaw, 28K] The United States population aged 75 and older is expected to double by 2050, and with a severe lack of senior living inventory, owners and operators are under increasing pressure to meet the growing demand for affordable, high-quality care. Addressing this challenge head-on requires a strategic financial approach, strong partnerships and 52 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022168 operational improvements. The senior living sector has faced significant financial headwinds as it has recovered from the pandemic, with communities already managing high labor costs and narrow margins. With $19 billion in debt maturities due in the next two years and rising long-term interest rates -- up 70 to 80 basis points in recent months -- these pressures will continue to be top of mind for providers. There is good news, as occupancy rates have steadily improved for 14 consecutive quarters across the sector, but converting those gains into stronger operating margins remains challenging. Labor expenses, driven by the need for skilled caregivers, are among the largest budgetary strains. Nearly half of the senior living inventory is more than 25 years old, underscoring the need for capital improvements to stay competitive. At the same time, senior living professionals are struggling to finance new developments, deepening the already pervasive inventory issue. Those conditions may leave owners and operators wondering, "What can I do today to ensure long-term success for my business?" To overcome those challenges, senior living professionals should explore creative financing solutions based on individual objectives. A key benefit of the sector is that, because of its valued place in society as an essential component of all communities, a myriad of both public and private financing options are available to support owners. Considering the pros and cons of all available structures, then multi-tracking the options that are the best fit as long as possible, becomes even more important during challenging financing markets. For example: The US Department of Housing and Urban Development loans can offer long-term, low fixed rates for refinancing but have rigid eligibility requirements and take longer to process. Agency (Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac) financing can provide faster closings and better debt service ratio underwriting metrics, but loan-to-value sizing parameters, paired with limits on skilled nursing facility beds and certain payer types, can be more restrictive. Finance companies, on the other hand, can allow for more creative underwriting structures and higher leverage, but borrowing costs are usually higher. Lastly, traditional banks also have structuring flexibility and can lower variable interest rates, but guarantees are more prevalent. Property Assessed Clean Energy financing can be paired with finance company or bank debt to improve the capital structure. Regardless of the financing path or paths chosen, improving the financial performance of the subject community will aid those efforts. Value-based care models are emerging as one practical way to accomplish this. Adopting value-based care requires aligning with broader healthcare systems and making operational changes to support collective goals. Strategies such as regular care coordination meetings, onsite medical teams and tailored Medicare Advantage plans already are showing promise in reducing healthcare costs and differentiating operators in the marketplace while allowing the senior living provider to share in the resulting expense savings. 53 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022169 Despite the challenges, the future of senior living remains promising. Demographic trends indicate sustained demand, but new inventory growth has slowed significantly. Only 29% of construction projects began within the last year, the lowest rate in a decade. High demand and low inventory conditions create a favorable environment for owners and operators who can secure funding to build new communities or modernize aging properties, establish healthcare partnerships and embrace innovative care models. Those senior living sponsors will be well-positioned to meet demand and set new standards for quality and efficiency. Interest rates moving lower would certainly help as well! Alanna McCargo leaves FHLBank leadership to assume policy role (HousingWire.com) - full text HousingWire.com [1/31/2025 1:49 PM, Chris Clow, 243K] Alanna McCargo, the most recent Senate-confirmed president of Ginnie Mae who departed last year to become president and CEO of the Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLBank) of San Francisco, has left the bank's leadership team to assume a new policy position working with the chair of the board of directors. Joseph E. Amato, the bank's current executive vice president and chief financial officer, will serve as interim president and CEO while the board launches a search for a new chief executive," the bank said in its announcement. "Amato will continue to serve as CFO, a position he has held since May 2021. He joined the bank as executive vice president and senior financial officer in October 2020." McCargo was nominated for the leadership post at Ginnie Mae by President Joe Biden in the fall of 2021, and she was confirmed by the Senate that December before taking office in early January 2022. Her confirmation marked the first time there had been a Senate-confirmed Ginnie Mae president since the 2017 resignation of her Obama-era predecessor, Ted Tozer. After serving in the role for roughly two-and-a-half years, McCargo chose to resign from Ginnie Mae in April 2024, soon after then-U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Marcia Fudge also left her role. In May, the FHLBank of San Francisco announced that she would serve as its new CEO. In an announcement of the change, the bank said that both McCargo and its board of directors "jointly determined" that she would immediately step down as president and CEO. The bank said she would continue to work with the board as a special policy adviser. McCargo will be returning to Washington, D.C., as part of the change. "Alanna is a respected leader with deep expertise in housing finance and policy," said board chair F. Daniel Siciliano. "Her insights and strategic guidance will be invaluable as we continue to support our members and partners in meeting the credit and investment needs of the communities we all serve." McCargo said she is grateful for the chance to continue working to advance the bank's goals. "This is a pivotal time for housing and financial markets, and I am pleased to continue working with the Board in this new capacity," she said. "I look forward to 54 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022170 supporting the bank and the broader FHLBank system in advancing policies that promote financial stability and access to capital." Prior to serving as Ginnie Mae's president, McCargo served as a senior adviser for housing finance at HUD and also led housing policy initiatives at the Urban Institute. FHLBank of San Francisco's Alanna McCargo stepping down (National Mortgage News) - full text National Mortgage News [1/31/2025 1:24 PM, Bonnie Sinnock, 35K] The Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco has announced that President and CEO Alanna McCargo will leave that position. After leaving her current job, McCargo will move to a special policy advisor post in Washington, where she was previously based for many years. Chief Financial Officer Joseph Amato will fill her role temporarily until a permanent leader can be found. The FHLBank declined to comment on questions about the catalyst for the move, which comes as the Trump administration and a Republican-controlled Congress are looking to roll back many of former President Biden's policies. "This is a pivotal time for housing and financial markets and I am pleased to continue working with the board in this new capacity," McCargo said in a press release, which characterized the transition as a departure. Her status as an employee or contractor in the new role was unclear. McCargo recently helmed government bond insurer Ginnie Mae as President Biden's nominee, but her career spans multiple federal administrations and both public and private roles in ways that could make her valuable as an advisor. She left Ginnie last spring. While the Biden and Trump administrations take vastly different views on many topics, both have shown interest in scrutinizing the FHLBanks, albeit with potential disparate aims. Cornelius Hurley, a lecturer at Boston University Law School and critic of the system, said in an op-ed last year he foresees a new Department of Government Efficiency's review referencing investigations done by the Federal Housing Finance Agency under Biden. Both proponents and critics of the FHLBanks, which were established by law in 1932 to support affordable housing, have clashed over the extent to which they are public entities, the degree to which they can support themselves and whether their AH activities go far enough. They have an implied U.S. government guarantee on their borrowing that amounts to around $6.9 billion with a total subsidy of $7.3 billion, according to a Congressional Budget Office estimate issued last year. Ryan Donovan, president and CEO of the Council of Federal Home Loan Banks, the system's trade group and lobbying arm, characterized those costs as paid for by bond buyers in an interview last year. "There is no explicit guarantee of the Home Loan bank system. When we issue debt, we specifically say the United States does not guarantee it. The investors in our debt do 55 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022171 take a slightly lower return on their investment, perhaps because of the way they perceive this implied guarantee, so I suppose to the extent there is a subsidy, it's a subsidy that's ultimately paid by the investors in our debt, not the U.S. taxpayers," he said. However, critics like Hurley additionally question whether the system acts in the public's interest. "Banks fund themselves by borrowing cheaply from the system as an alternative to gathering deposits. It is unreasonable to require taxpayers to subsidize a government enterprise whose primary function is to deprive consumers of a fair rate of return on their savings," he said in his op-ed. Donovan said in his 2024 interview that the system provides value to citizens in multiple ways. The FHLBbanks "provide tremendous public benefit through both our liquidity and affordable housing missions. There have been studies showing we reduce interest rates and the cost of mortgages," he said. Trump places tariffs on Canada, China and Mexico (HousingWire.com) - full text Housinqwire.com [1/31/2025 4:38 PM, Neil Pierson, 243K] President Donald Trump is enacting tariffs on goods imported from three major U.S. trade partners, multiple news outlets reported Friday. The plan was set to go into effect Saturday, the White House confirmed, with 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico, along with 10% tariffs on China. According to reporting from The New York Times, these three countries are responsible for more than one-third of all goods and services imported or exported from the U.S., and they support tens of millions of American jobs. The Canadian, Chinese and Mexican governments have promised to answer with tariffs of their own. "No one -- on either side of the border -- wants to see American tariffs on Canadian goods," Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Friday on social media platform X. "If the United States moves ahead, Canada's ready with a forceful and immediate response." HousingWire Lead Analyst Logan Mohtashami wrote Friday that he does not suspect that tariffs will become a broader policy strategy for the Trump administration. "I don't believe we will see universal tariffs in place for the Trump term; this is all about negotiating a deal with other countries," Mohtashami wrote. "Can we possibly see tariffs put into place to strong-arm countries into deals? Yes. However, this is all a short-term ploy to get better deals. Trump doesn't want people to think he's bluffing, so he may follow through with his threat, but it would only be a short-term event." Tariff proposals have been part of the Trump agenda for some time and will impact the U.S. homebuilding industry, particularly through imports of Canadian softwood lumber. The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) swiftly responded to the announced tariffs on Friday in a letter to the White House. "Bringing down the cost of housing will require a coordinated effort to remove obstacles to construction, be they regulatory, labor or supply-chain related," NAHB Chairman Carl Harris said in the letter. "NAHB stands ready to work with you to accomplish these goals. 56 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022172 However, we have serious concerns that proposed 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico will have the opposite effect, by slowing down the domestic residential construction industry." The trade group also reported that inputs for residential construction have seen their prices rise by more than 30% since the start of 2021. Canada and Mexico account for about 25% of building materials imported to the U.S. Shortly after Trump's election in November, his proposals included across-the-board tariffs of 10% to 20%, with additional tariffs of 60% to 100% for China. A forecast from Pantheon Macroeconomics estimated that a 10% universal tariff would raise inflation by 0.8% percentage points in 2025. And the Tax Foundation estimated that a 20% tariff would raise taxes on U.S. households by an average of $2,045 in 2025. The tariffs come at a time when the housing and mortgage industries are trying to spur more Americans to buy and sell homes. The Federal Reserve this week ended a streak of cuts to benchmark interest rates, holding them steady at a range of 4.25% to 4.5%. "The Fed's pause on rate cuts confirms what Treasury yields have been telling us -- inflation risks are likely to keep mortgage rates high in the near term," Eric Orenstein, senior director at Fitch Ratings, said in the wake of the Fed's decision. Fed Chair Jerome Powell said he'd had "no contact" with Trump about the president's clear desire to lower interest rates. But he also told reporters that the central bank's forecasting efforts had potential tariffs in mind, as well as any policies related to immigration. "I think we need to let those policies be articulated before we can even begin to make a plausible assessment of what their implications for the economy will be," Powell said Wednesday. "And as we always say, this is no different than any other set of policy changes at the beginning of an administration. We'll patiently watch and kind of not be in a hurry to get to a place of understanding what our policy response should be until we see how it plays out." In an earnings call this week, Hilla Sferruzza, executive vice president and chief financial officer of Meritage Homes -- one of the nation's largest homebuilders - said that his company did not yet have clarity on the tariff proposal. "But as an industry, we have experienced extreme supply chain constraints a couple of years back and are routinely dealt with labor shortages, especially over the past decade," Sferruzza said. "For Meritage, our all-spec strategy has and will continue to allow us to pivot and offer a substitute if product availability or cost issues arise. We have been expanding our sourcing channels over the past several years, particularly since COVID, so we remain nimble and ready to adjust to any potential international trade implications." The Times reported that North American automakers also oppose the tariffs. Linda Hasenfratz, executive chairwoman of Canadian auto parts maker Linamar, told the outlet that the additional 25% costs could shut down auto production across the continent within a week. "Nobody can absorb this kind of cost, not the automakers, not the 57 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022173 suppliers, not consumers," Hasenfratz told the Times. "Demand will collapse, and vehicle production will grind to a halt. putting millions of workers out of work, the vast majority of which are in the U.S." Federal workers question legality of OPM `buyout' FAQ memo (National Mortgage News) - full text National Mortgage News [1/31/2025 1:00 PM, Kate Berry, 35K] Federal workers are raising legal and ethical questions about a follow-up memo of frequently asked questions on the Trump administration's offer for civil servants to resign by Feb. 6. On Friday, the Office of Personnel Management sent a follow-up memo of frequently asked questions to the government's roughly 2.3 million workers. The memo states that if a civil service employee chooses to resign they will not be expected to work during the so-called "deferred resignation" period and encourages civil servants to go on vacation and even take a second job. The Trump administration's OPM wants federal employees to resign while still getting paid their full government salary through Sept. 30. The FAQ memo states that federal workers will continue to accrue "further personal leave days, vacation days, etc and be paid out for unused leave at your final resignation date." "Am I allowed to get a second job during the deferred resignation period?" the memo asks. "Absolutely! We encourage you to find a job in the private sector as soon as you would like to do so. The way to greater American prosperity is encouraging people to move from lower productivity jobs in the public sector to higher productivity jobs in the private sector." The memo also responded to questions about vacation. "The federal workforce is expected to undergo significant near-term changes. As a result of these changes (or for other reasons), you may wish to depart the federal government on terms that provide you with sufficient time and economic security to plan for your future -- and have a nice vacation," the memo states. "You are most welcome [to] stay at home and relax or to travel to your dream destination. Whatever you would like." Some employees at federal financial regulatory agencies said the memos are filled with inaccurate information. For example, staff at financial regulatory agencies are not allowed to have other jobs. Many are prohibited from even volunteering on a board without going through their agency's ethics office for approval. "Technically I can't work another job while I match on the payroll for the federal government," said an attorney at a financial regulatory agency, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation by the Trump administration. "We have to work to get paid, so I don't know what legal authority there is for [saying] that." The offer of deferred resignation is being made available to all full-time federal employees except for military personnel, postal workers, immigration enforcement and national security. The offer to resign will generally not be available to federal employees after Feb. 6. The civil service refers to government employees who work in non-political and non- 58 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022174 judicial roles and are hired based on merit and seniority. Their jobs continue even when the political leadership of the country changes. The Trump administration has long referred to federal employees and regulatory agencies as the "deep state." The memo says that federal workers also will continue to accrue retirement benefits during the deferred resignation period. Civil service employees also have the right to rescind their resignation at any time with the agency they work for reviewing the requests. "It is the objective of the program to move quickly to consolidate and/or reassign roles and in many cases place employees on administrative leave which would likely serve as a valid reason to deny recission requests," the memo says. On Wednesday, the American Federation of Government Employees and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees -- two labor unions that represent more than 2 million government workers -- asked a federal judge to bar President Trump's executive order from going into effect, claiming the administration overstepped its authority by stripping federal workers of their right to comment on proposed rule changes in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act, which governs how federal agencies develop and issue regulations. On Tuesday, the National Treasury Employees Union filed a lawsuit against President Trump and senior administration officials for issuing an executive order on Jan. 20 that attempts to strip civil service and due process protections from a large swath of federal employees by creating a new "excepted service" classification called Schedule F. The order directs agencies to move numerous employees into the new category "with the goal that many would then be fired," the lawsuit states. The Schedule F order was designed to allow the Trump administration to replace tens of thousands of career civil servants. Congress has enacted comprehensive legislation governing the hiring and employment of federal employees, who have "due process rights if their agency employer wants to remove them from employment," the suit states. "Because the Policy/Career Executive Order attempts to divest federal employees of these due process rights, it is contrary to congressional intent. It is also directly contrary to Office of Personnel Management regulations." The NTEU represents roughly 150,000 employees across 35 different departments and agencies. Some civil service workers said they would not respond to the Trump administration's mass email and have reported the OPM memos as phishing or spam. Purchase Mortgage App Payments Leveled in December (The Mortgage Point) full text The Mortgage Point [1/31/2025 3:50 PM, Demetria C. Lester, 2K] With the national median payment requested by purchase applicants falling to $2,127 from $2,133 in November, homebuyer affordability improved marginally in December. This is in line with the Mortgage Bankers Association's (MBA) Purchase Applications Payment Index (PAPI), which uses information from the MBA Weekly Applications Survey (WAS) to calculate how new monthly mortgage payments change over time in relation to income. 59 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022175 The mortgage payment to income ratio (PIR) is larger when the MBA's PAPI rises, which is a sign of deteriorating borrower affordability conditions. This can be caused by rising mortgage rates, growing application loan amounts, or a decline in earnings. When loan application amounts, mortgage rates, or incomes decline, the PAPI declines, which is a sign of improving borrower affordability conditions. "Homebuyer affordability conditions were essentially flat in December, the result of somewhat volatile mortgage rate movements and moderating home-price growth," said Edward Seiler, MBA's Associate VP of Housing Economics, and Executive Director for the Research Institute for Housing America. "2024 was a sluggish year for home sales because of weak affordability conditions throughout the country. MBA expects 2025 conditions will improve as housing supply increases, giving prospective buyers more options and putting less pressure on their budgets." In December, the national PAPI (Figure 1) dropped from 161.3 in November by 0.3% to 160.8. The PAPI is down 0.6% annually as a result of the notable earnings rise, even if median wages were up 4.1% from a year ago and payments increased 3.5%. In December, the national mortgage payment rose from $1,436 in November to $1,446 for borrowers looking for lower-payment mortgages (the 25th percentile). The median mortgage payment for purchase mortgages from MBA's Builder Application Survey rose from $2,481 in November to $2,500 in December, according to the Builders' Purchase Application Payment Index (BPAPI). Results of the MBA's December 2024 PAPI: The national median mortgage payment was $2,127 in December--down $6 from November. It is up by approximately $72 from one year ago, equal to a 3.5% increase. The national median mortgage payment for FHA loan applicants was $1,866 in December, down from $1,898 in November but up from $1,822 in December 2023. The national median mortgage payment for conventional loan applicants was $2,128, down from $2,133 in November but up from $2,053 in December 2023. The top five states with the highest PAPI were: Idaho (249.5), Nevada (249.0), Arizona (230.3), Rhode Island (206.3), and Florida (205.8). The top five states with the lowest PAPI were: Connecticut (115.2), Alaska (117.3), Louisiana (118.9), D.0 (121.3), and Vermont (122.1). Homebuyer affordability increased for Black households, with the national PAPI decreasing from 152.7 in November to 152.2 in December. Homebuyer affordability increased for Hispanic households, with the national PAPI decreasing from 154.1 in November to 153.6 in December. Homebuyer affordability increased for White households, with the national PAPI decreasing from 164.3 in November to 163.8 in December. Stagnant mortgage application activity may be due in part to a rise in December home sales. The MBA recently reported that new single-family home sales reached a seasonally adjusted annual pace of 698,000 in December, according to data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Census Bureau. This represents a 6.7% increase from the forecast of 654,000 in December 2023 and a 3.6% increase from the revised November rate of 674,000. 60 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022176 "New-home sales are now 16% higher than the pre-pandemic average, but we are currently still only building about 10 per 1,000 households, which is about the same as in 1991," said Mark Fleming, Chief Economist at First American. "New construction has struggled to keep up with demand. Rising construction costs, zoning restrictions and a shortage of labor have all contributed to the inability to build enough homes." In 2024, an anticipated 683,000 new residences were sold, 2.5% more than the revised 666,000 in 2023. In December, the average sales price of a new home sold was $513,600, while the median sales price was $427,000. At the end of December, there were 494,000 new homes for sale, according to a seasonally adjusted estimate. At the current sales rate, this amounts to an 8.5-month supply. "To put this pace in perspective, in the late 1930s and early 1940s, we were building between 500,000 and 700,000 units a year, which equated to 15-20 units per 1,000 households," Fleming said. "Post-World War II that ramped up to over a million units, peaking at 1.9 million units per year in 1950, or 44 units per 1,000 households. We have never built at this rate since." U.S. Homes Selling at Slowest Pace Since 2019 (The Mortgage Point) - full text The Mortgage Point [1/31/2025 4:42 PM, Demetria C. Lester, 2K] According to a recent Redfin study, housing prices and mortgage rates are still high, and home sales are at their weakest pace since the pandemic began. Not only are properties selling more slowly, but there are also fewer residences being turned over. "Prospective buyers have been cautious because they've seen homes sitting on the market and they've heard interest rates and prices may drop. When the market isn't competitive, some buyers think they should wait for costs to go down," said Jordan Hammond, a Redfin Premier agent in Raleigh, NC. "Now it's pretty clear that sellers aren't slashing asking prices and mortgage rates aren't plummeting, so mindsets are shifting. People are starting to believe that if they want or need to move, and they can afford to, they should do it." Key findings from the four weeks ending January 26: Before the seller accepted an offer, the average U.S. home listing that went under contract stayed on the market for 54 days, which is the longest period since March 2020 and one week longer than it was at this time last year. The average home was selling in 35 days at this point in 2022, during the pandemic-driven surge in home purchases. The market had 5.2 months of supply, which was more than the 4.9 months in the previous year and the most since February 2019. A longer period of time indicates that properties are on the market longer and indicates a buyer's market. Months of supply is the amount of time it would take for the current supply of homes to be purchased at the current sales rate. The largest drop since September 2023 was recorded in pending home sales, which fell 9.4% year-over-year. Due to the high cost of purchasing a home--mortgage rates are close to 7%, and 61 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022177 housing prices are rising 4.8% annually--sales are slow. At $2,753 per month, the median house payment is slightly below the record high set in April. Extreme weather is also keeping potential buyers at home, including wildfires in Southern California and snow and bitter cold in the Midwest, South, and Northeast. As new listings increase and mortgage rates decline--at least somewhat--from their peak in early January, the market should pick up steam in the upcoming weeks. Redfin brokers also anticipate that some purchasers may soon leave the sidelines as they become weary of waiting for prices and rates to drop. Top 5 metros with biggest YoY increases in median sale price: Pittsburgh (19.3%) Milwaukee (16.7%) Fort Lauderdale, FL (14.2%) Newark, NJ (13.4%) Cincinnati (11.7%) The U.S median sale price for the average home declined in just three metros YoY: San Francisco (-5.6%), Austin, Texas (-2.6%), and Tampa, FL (-1.5%). Top 5 metros with biggest YoY increases in new listings: San Jose, CA (23.4%) Phoenix (19.5%) Seattle (15.2%) Oakland, CA (14.5%) Sacramento, CA (14.2%) Overall, new listings declined in 18 metros across the nation. The biggest YoY decreases were in: San Antonio (-17.4%) Detroit (-16.6%) Newark, NJ (-14.4%) Atlanta (-12.9%) Warren, MI (-11.6%) Pending sales, however, saw a significant drop YoY, increasing in only two metros: Portland, OR (9.7%) and Milwaukee (2.6%). Top 5 metros with biggest year-over-year increases in pending sales: Miami (-24.9%) Detroit (-24.5%) Atlanta (-22.7%) San Diego (-20.1%) Houston (-19.8%) Agency MBS Investors Expect Reduced Volatility in 2025 (Inside Mortgage Finance) Inside Mortgage Finance [1/31/2025 11:57 AM, Brandon Ivey, 4K] Agency mortgage-backed security investors are optimistic, expecting volatility in the 62 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022178 sector to be limited this year. "The current monetary policy stance of the [Federal Reserve] provides a positive underlying investment foundation for high-quality fixed income instruments, like agency MBS, particularly at current valuation levels," Peter Federico, president and CEO of AGNC Investment, said this week during the real estate investment trust's earnings call. David Finkelstein, CEO and co-chief investment officer of Annaly Capital Management, said the agency MBS market is "healing well" following volatility in 2022 and 2023. "A lot of that has to do with the fact that the agency market is just in much better balance today," he said this week during Annaly's earnings call. "You have much broader participation. Banks are back involved. Money managers are taking in a lot of [assets under management]. REITs are growing a little bit. And supply is relatively light." How federal agencies have already changed their websites under Trump (Washington Post) - full text Washington Post [1/31/2025 9:10 PM, Jeremy B. Merrill, Azi Paybarah, Eric Lau, 40736K] President Donald Trump has moved swiftly to implement his policies across the federal government mainly with sweeping executive orders. His administration has been particularly focused on removing any references to diversity, equity and inclusion from federal agencies' websites. Asked by a reporter on Friday in the Oval Office whether he can confirm that websites would be shut down so they can be scrubbed of DEI content, Trump said, "I don't know. It doesn't sound like a bad idea to me." Trump added: "I think DEI is dead, so if they want to scrub the websites that's okay with me." And in many instances they already had. The White House press office released an unsigned statement to The Washington Post saying that the American people had given Trump a mandate "to remove DEI from our federal government and reinstate a system based on merit." A Post review of more than 8,000 federal webpages that changed since Inauguration Day found 662 examples of deletions and additions that reflect policy changes at the heart of Trump's campaign. "Diversity" has been deleted. "Climate resilience" is now a popular substitute for "climate change." And "pregnant people" has been replaced by "pregnant women." Removing DEI-related language was the most common change The Post found in its analysis of webpages within 14 cabinet-level agencies, as organizations stripped the phrase off everything from codes of conduct to agency goals. From long-standing job listings to now-shuttered DEI-related offices and even obscure, years-old webpages, almost every federal agency and department The Post reviewed removed references to "diversity," "equity" and "inclusion." For instance, a job listing page from the Department of Homeland Security no longer promises an "inclusive" environment. The words "diversity," "equity" and "inclusion" disappeared from webpages dedicated to that subject, including the Equal Employment Opportunity and Anti-Harassment statement at the Department of Health and Human Services. Meanwhile, the Office of 63 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022179 Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization at the Department of Homeland Security struck them from a page describing its goals. These words were even removed from old documents. At the Environmental Protection Agency, someone removed the "Diversity Commitment and Code of Conduct" from a webpage describing a conference that took place in 2021. The Post also found a March 2022 letter from the secretaries of education and of health and human services edited to remove "children and youth of color, immigrant children, children with disabilities, and those who are LGBTQ+" from a description of children at risk for pandemic-related mental health challenges. And in the apparent effort to delete any and all DEI-sounding terminology, some changes extended into territory that had nothing to do with race or gender. For example, the word "diverse" was deleted from a page describing the breadth of the Department of the Interior's museum collections. The other types of changes to agency policies The Post found were not as sweeping, but there were dozens of instances of agencies changing how they talk about gender and gender identity. By early 2022, federal agencies in the Biden administration included gender-inclusive terminology, like "pregnant people" and "birthing people" in agency health guidance but following Trump's executive order targeting the rights of trans people, some agencies edited their language. For example, in a list of traits that the Department of Education says it will not use as the basis of employment discrimination, the words "gender identity" were removed. And Health and Human Services' Office of Civil Rights used to say it protects the rights of "women and pregnant people" to access reproductive health care -- but recently pared that back to just "women.". Numerous pages on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reflected that change too. Several CDC pages also now describe analyzing data by "sex" instead of "gender." Pages about HIV testing and medication for transgender people have also been removed as of late Friday, as well as information on supporting LGBTQ+ youth health. And the Department of Agriculture removed its entire 6,200-word Gender Inclusive Communications Guidance. The document had encouraged staffers to ask about pronouns and instructed them to use gender-neutral language. Finally, The Post also found in its analysis that some agencies were also starting to change how they talk about climate change, a policy area where Trump has sharply diverged from his predecessor. At the Department of Energy, the webpage for the Office of Energy Justice and Equity is gone -- as are all of its employees, who were placed on administrative leave earlier this week as part of the Trump administration's purge. The web address for the department's Low Income Energy Affordability Data Tool now redirects visitors to a page headlined "Restoring Energy Dominance" and links out to a description of the president's promise 64 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022180 to end a pause on liquefied natural gas exports. Another program no longer specified that it would help develop programs for an energy future that was equitable or clean. "Climate change" was also removed from a page describing an Environmental Protection Agency tool used to analyze greenhouse gas emissions and air quality. And several Department of Transportation references to "climate change" have been replaced with "climate resilience," a more generic term that describes protections from disasters, without investigating their root causes, according to Alys Campaigne, Climate Initiative Leader at the Southern Environmental Law Center, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization. An agency within the Department of Transportation even went as far as to remove goals around "achieving net-zero emissions and increasing equity." Instead, the new goals for the Advanced Research Projects Agency -- Infrastructure now read to "enhance resilience, and make America more globally competitive." Meanwhile, at the Agriculture Department, a page on the USDA's Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities has been taken down. The Forest Service's website has been similarly scrubbed. And at least two pages are gone that informed visitors about how climate change is affecting the nation's 193 million acres of federally managed forests and grasslands. [PA] What is Philadelphia's exposure to potential cost-cutting efforts in federal real estate? (Philadelphia Business Journal, PA) - full text Philadelphia Business Journal [2/2/2025 10:52 AM, Paul Schwedelson, 5054K, PA] As the Trump administration looks to cut federal spending, one potential option of reducing its office footprint could have far-reaching ramifications including on Philadelphia's embattled office market. The General Services Administration, which oversees the federal government's roughly 360 million-square-foot portfolio, leases more than 3 million square feet of space in the Philadelphia metro area, according to real estate data firm Trepp. That accounts for 2.9% of the local office market. The Philadelphia metro ranks fifth in the country in GSA square footage. The new administration's cost-cutting efforts could accelerate the GSA's real estate pullback that has taken place in recent years. In Philadelphia, expiring GSA leases have put office owners in precarious situations relating to their ability to pay off loans or forced owners to creatively restructure deals. "It has a huge impact because the GSA leases so many square feet around the city," Wolf Commercial Real Estate Managing Director Todd Monahan said. "It'll increase vacancy if they downsize further." An analysis by The Business Journals of a December filing that lists its real estate inventory found 1,715 of the GSA's listed leases nationally are set to expire in 2025 and 2026, totaling at least 47 million square feet. Some notable GSA leases expiring soon in Greater Philadelphia include: The Lits Building (701 Market St., Philadelphia): Lease expiring in April 2025 with 91,540 square feet of rentable space. 65 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022181 824 Market St., Wilmington, Delaware: Lease expiring in May 2025 with 86,213 square feet of rentable space; 1601 Market St., Philadelphia: Lease expiring in July 2025 with 35,755 square feet of rentable space. 920 W. Basin Road, New Castle, Delaware: Lease expiring November 2025 with 30,015 square feet of rentable space. The Curtis Center (601 Walnut St., Philadelphia): Lease expiring June 2026 with 31,260 square feet of rentable space. 530 Fellowship Road (Mount Laurel, New Jersey): Lease expiring July 2026 with 26,107 square feet of rentable space. 500 Delaware Ave., Wilmington: Lease expiring August 2026 with 25,684 square feet of rentable space. The Wanamaker Building (100 Penn Square East, Philadelphia): Lease expiring September 2026 with 55,520 square feet of rentable space. One Penn Center (1617 John F. Kennedy Blvd., Philadelphia): Lease expiring October 2026 with 53,213 square feet of rentable space. 10430 Drummond Road., Philadelphia: Lease expiring November 2026 with 49,990 square feet of rentable space. Over the past decade, the GSA has estimated it cut almost 18 million square feet of leased space. Even before the start of the pandemic in January 2020, the GSA planned to incorporate coworking spaces and shared desks. That same year, the Army Corps of Engineers and Housing and Urban Development vacated 113,000 square feet and 119,000 square feet, respectively at the Wanamaker building. The two government agencies downsized and relocated to 1650 Arch St. and 801 Market St. Those two tenants, along with Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, deciding to vacate set the Wanamaker building on the course to foreclosure as its lender now tries to seize control of the property. Monahan called that the "death knell" for the Wanamaker building. Elsewhere, when the Department of Labor's lease expired in 2020, it downsized from 160,000 square feet at the Curtis in Old City to 80,000 square feet at 1835 Market St. If more government agencies downsize as GSA leases expire, a similar story could play out across Philadelphia. To avoid that, Keystone Development and Investment negotiated with the GSA on a lease at 100 Independence Mall West. The GSA previously leased 135,000 square feet in the building for its regional headquarters. The lease included a rolling termination option beginning in January 2026, meaning the GSA could end the lease at any time as long as it gave Keystone a certain amount of notice. Flexible leases, like the rolling termination option, is common for GSA deals, industry insiders said. In the middle of 2023, as office tenants muddled through figuring out how they'd incorporate hybrid routines, the GSA told Keystone it was looking to downsize and save money. Keystone then negotiated for the GSA to cut 40,000 square feet, reducing its footprint to 95,000 square feet in the building on the southwest corner of 6th and Market streets. In exchange for less space, the GSA agreed to a lease that lasts until the early 2030s, Keystone Regional Director Jamie Rash said. 66 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022182 The deal was mutually beneficial with cost savings for the GSA and a more guaranteed term for Keystone. "That's probably a conversation that they're having with a lot of different landlords across the country," Rash said. A year ago, U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans (D-Philadelphia) and four other local Congress representatives wrote a letter to the GSA urging the agency to consider extending its 863,000-square-foot lease at Cira Square, the renovated former post office that now houses the IRS at 2970 Market St. The existing 20-year lease lasts until 2030 at the Brandywine Realty Trust-owned building. Though it's still five years away, the expiration would give the GSA an opportunity to vacate the space, potentially disrupting the 5,000 employees who work there. Evans argued that relocating from the building would cost money that could be spent on enhanced services, technology upgrades and recruitment and training efforts. "We believe that continuing to have a robust office footprint is essential for maintaining operational efficiency and delivering timely services to taxpayers," Brandywine said in a statement. "... We stay in regular contact with a broad swath of local, state, and federal officials, all of whom recognize that having a sizable federal presence is a good thing for our region. As such, we remain optimistic about the long-term value of Philadelphia as a hub for government and private sector employers." Other landlords are also positioning themselves for what may be on the horizon. "It's going to hurt if the government shrinks its footprint considerably," Rash said. "It's going to hurt D.C. a lot more than it's going to hurt Philadelphia, ... but it'll hurt for a little bit." [DC] How Trump could transform D.C. real estate, from downtown to design (Washington Post, DC) - full text Washington Post [2/2/2025 6:00 AM, Aaron Wiener, 40736K, DC] Donald Trump's presidency is shaping up to have a transfomiative effect on D.C. real estate, from the architecture of its buildings and the future of downtown to the market for luxury housing. Among his flurry of executive orders and memos on his first day in office were several that could directly affect the capital's physical landscape. His order requiring federal workers to return to full-time in-person work was immediately cheered by D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D), who for years urged the Biden administration to bring workers back to the office. Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, downtown D.C. has been plagued by empty offices as more people work remotely, hurting nearby retailers and reducing tax revenue from struggling commercial buildings. Also on Jan. 20, Trump issued a memo directing the General Services Administration, which manages federal real estate, to "advance the policy that Federal public buildings should be visually identifiable as civic buildings and respect regional, traditional, and classical architectural heritage." The memo echoes an executive order Trump signed before leaving office in 2021, decreeing that "classical architecture shall be the preferred and default architecture for Federal public buildings." In his first term, he also appointed classically oriented 67 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022183 members to the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, which has broad design review authority in Washington -- over not only federal and D.C. government buildings and monuments, but also alterations to private homes in or abutting Rock Creek Park, the city's monumental core, the Potomac waterfront, and Georgetown. President Joe Biden quickly revoked that order and replaced the Trump appointees. Now, Trump has authority to mold the commission, as well as other federal boards with design authority in the capital, to his liking. Some of Trump's campaign promises, though yet to be realized, have caused concern among regional leaders. For example, Trump vowed to shut down the Department of Education and move as many as 100,000 federal jobs out of the D.C. area. If carried out, such an exodus would have ripple effects in the region's housing and office markets, particularly in downtown D.C. "He's talked about carving up whole chunks of federal agencies and forcibly relocating them out of the national capital area," Rep. Gerry Connolly (D), whose Northern Virginia district includes tens of thousands of federal workers, told The Washington Post shortly after Trump was elected. "The ramifications of that are huge." It's unclear whether Trump will follow through on these dramatic pledges, but already he's taken steps to shake up the federal workforce. If the federal government were to vacate the Department of Education building and other properties, it could have upsides for the city as well. Some of them could be converted into private office buildings or apartments, bringing foot traffic and tax revenue to the city, said Tracy Hadden Loh, a Brookings Institution fellow focused on real estate. "Making the federal government smaller could allow more land in the D.C. area to be used for direct tax-revenue-generating purposes," Hadden Loh said during an interview before Trump took office. Nina Albert, D.C.'s deputy mayor for planning and economic development, said any federal government efforts to dispose of property could align with the city's aim to bring more residential life to downtown. But she cautioned that not all buildings would be easy to transform. "A lot of the old buildings that the federal government has are configured in such a way that they lend themselves to residential conversion," she said in a December interview, "and others do not." Trump's return to the White House has already begun to reshape corners of the residential real estate market. "In the luxury market, my God, the ceiling has been raised," said Daniel Heider of TTR Sotheby's International Realty, one of the D.C. region's top real estate agents for highend properties. According to data from Heider's firm, since Nov. 5, 34 homes in the region that were listed for at least $5 million have sold or gone under contract. That means about 5 percent of D.C.-area homes that have ever sold for $5 million or more have been bought since the election, a period of less than three months. 68 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022184 One reason is that people directly tied to the new administration are buying ultra-luxury homes. For example, Howard Lutnick, Trump's commerce secretary nominee, bought Fox News anchor Bret Baier's former house for $25 million in December, a record price for the District. But most of the new activity following Trump's election has come from people who expect to benefit from his policies, said Heider. "I anticipate sustained momentum in the ultra-luxury segment," he said. "That's driven by the idea of tax reform and deregulation and economic policies that are going to make it a lot more comfortable for these wealthy individuals to make placements like this." For less-rarified parts of the housing market, the Trump effect is more complicated. Lisa Sturtevant, chief economist at the Bright MLS real estate industry research firm, said cuts to the federal workforce would have an outsize impact on the D.C. region, which is home to more than 300,000 federal workers. "Demand for housing in the metro area would cool, setting up the potential for a drop in home prices, a loss in housing equity for current homeowners, and a drop in local property tax revenue," she wrote in an analysis following Trump's executive orders. Meanwhile, she said, the end of remote work would shift housing demand from more distant suburbs and exurbs, which boomed during the pandemic, to D.C. and inner-ring suburbs. "If federal workers are required to be in the office five days a week," she wrote, "expect a resurgence of interest in homes near employment centers such as the District of Columbia and near transportation and transit." Broadcast (TV and Radio) [NY] State funding awarded for Pro-Housing Communities projects in Rochester (WHAM-AM Rochester, NY) WHAM-AM Rochester [2/1/2025 11:05 AM, Staff, 37,408] reports state funding is being awarded for Pro-Housing Communities projects in Rochester. The city's housing authority was granted almost $800,000 for a mixed-use development made up of 65 housing units. [PA] Residents move home as construction finishes on Prospect Homes in Johnstown (WJAC-TV NBC Johnstown, PA) WJAC-TV NBC Johnstown-Altoona-St. CoIce [2/1/2025 8:27 AM, Staff, 6,841] reports that nearly two years ago, hundreds of people had to evacuate their housing community because of structural issues. Construction has now finished on Prospect Homes and residents are beginning to move back home. [MD] Maryland receives nearly $79 million from HUD to improve homeless services (WYPR-FM NPR Baltimore, MD) WYPR-FM NPR Baltimore [1/31/2025 8:05 AM, Staff, 108,800] reports that Maryland won nearly $79 million from HUD to improve homeless services around the state. Baltimore's Office of Homeless Services has been awarded $33 million for the city's Continuum of Care program. 69 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022185 [VA] Bristol Redevelopment and Housing Authority receives grant to revitalize a portion of the city (WCYB-TV NBC Tri-Cities, VA) WCYB-TV NBC Tri-Cities (TN-VA) [1/31/2025 6:12 PM, Staff, 28,613] reports the Bristol Redevelopment and Housing Authority received a $500,000 planning grant to revitalize a portion of the city. The authority is working with the city to potentially bring new vibrancy to the Virginia Hills historic area. [LA] New homeless shelter approved for New Orleans (WDSU-TV NBC New Orleans, LA) WDSU-TV NBC New Orleans [2/1/2025 10:37 AM, Staff, 30,151] reports city officials are moving forward with a new homeless shelter after approval from the city council. The city is promising the non-congregate shelter will use $8 million in HUD funds, but the rest is unaccounted for. The city also approved a 99-year lease. [LA] Himbola Manor apartments in Lafayette reaches deadline to complete repairs (KADN-TV Fox Lafayette, LA) KADN-TV Fox Lafayette [1/31/2025 10:37 PM, Staff, 3,535] reports that Friday was the deadline set for the embattled Himbola Manor apartments to complete mandated repairs. More than 100 code violations were found last year after residents complained about poor living conditions. [OH] Family gets help from news station after bullets tear through window (WOIOTV CBS Cleveland, OH) WOIO-TV CBS Cleveland [2/1/2025 11:17 PM, Staff, 43,779] reports a family called Cleveland's 19 News in early January for help after a bullet tore through their window and embedded in a kitchen cabinet. It has happened twice. 19 News was able to get help for the family. [IL] Springfield will hold meeting to discuss HUD funding (WIGS-TV ABC Champaign, IL) WICS-TV ABC Champaign [1/31/2025 7:04 PM, Staff, 14,317] reports a public meeting is being held in Springfield to talk about the use of HUD funding. The goal is to develop resources that address community needs. This is part of the city's five-year plan. [IL] Seniors from Patrick Sullivan apartments move back home after pipe is repaired (WGN-AM Chicago, IL) WGN-AM Chicago [1/31/2025 3:34 PM, Staff, 227,834] reports seniors who live in the Patrick Sullivan apartments in Chicago were able to move back home after a burst pipe displaced them for almost a week. The Chicago Housing Authority says the system is working again. [WI] Milwaukee's housing authority faces risk of bankruptcy (WITI-TV Fox Milwaukee, WI) WITI-TV Fox Milwaukee [2/1/2025 9:08 AM, Staff, 23,565] reports HACM faces a risk of bankruptcy after the retirement of Willie Hines. To address this, they've reduced their workforce by 24 employees to stabilize finances. HACM will work with HUD on a recovery plan. 70 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022186 [AZ] Veterans speak about new community in Glendale (KNXV-TV ABC Phoenix, AZ) KNXV-TV ABC Phoenix (Prescott) [2/2/2025 8:35 AM, Staff, 16,169] reports plans have been underway for a veteran's community in Glendale for a couple of years now. Veterans speak about the need in the community as the long-awaited project breaks ground. [OR] PIT count conducted in Portland area counties; volunteers see fewer encampments (KPTV-TV Fox Portland, OR) KPTV-TV Fox Portland [2/1/2025 11:35 AM, Staff, 17,216] reports more than 20 organizations worked together last week to conduct the annual PIT count of homeless people in the area. Volunteers say the number is down from last year. Housing Supply Homebuilders ask Trump for tariff exemptions on building materials (HousingWire.com) - full text HousingWire.com [2/1/2025 11:49 AM, Sarah Wheeler, 243K] The National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB) sent a letter to President Trump Friday asking for tariff exemptions on building materials from Canada and Mexico. The letter follows a Trump announcement that the U.S. was levying tariffs of 25% on Canadian and Mexican imports that would go into effect on Saturday, which would hit homebuilders hard. The letter reads: "Our country is facing a severe housing shortage and affordability crisis, which you recognized on your first day in office by issuing an executive order that seeks to increase housing supply and affordability. Bringing down the cost of housing will require a coordinated effort to remove obstacles to construction, be they regulatory, labor or supply-chain related. The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) stands ready to work with you to accomplish these goals. However, we have serious concerns that proposed 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico will have the opposite effect, by slowing down the domestic residential construction industry. "An ongoing challenge facing home builders is the cost and availability of building materials. Since January 2021, inputs to residential construction saw price increases of just over 30%. Our sector relies heavily on a diverse and cost-efficient supply chain for building materials such as lumber, steel, gypsum and aluminum. While home building is inherently domestic, builders rely on components produced abroad, with Canada and Mexico representing nearly 25% of building materials imports. Imposing additional tariffs on these imports will lead to higher material costs, which will ultimately be passed on to home buyers in the form of increased housing prices. Further supply chain disruptions from increased tariffs coupled with increased demand for materials could also hinder rebuilding efforts in areas affected by natural disasters, which you have pledged to help rebuild as quickly as possible. "NAHB's members understand you have larger and well-intentioned policy goals in mind as you consider a holistic trade policy. However, we respectfully ask that you 71 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022187 consider the effects of tariffs on Americans struggling to afford housing and that you exempt critical construction materials from such actions. We look forward to working with you to create jobs, boost our economy, and provide safe and affordable housing for all Americans." During Trump's first term, tariffs on Canadian softwood lumber led to a surge in costs for homebuilders. Back in 2018, the NAHB estimated that the tariffs added nearly $9,000 to the cost of constructing a single-family home. The impact on lumber prices was dramatic, with costs rising close to 80% year over year, in part due to the taxes. Per the Tax Foundation, the first Trump administration implemented nearly $80 billion in new taxes on Americans by imposing tariffs on thousands of products value at roughly $380 billion in 2018 and 2019 -- one of the largest tax hikes in decades. This time around, the Tax Foundation estimates that the tariffs on China, Mexico and Canada would Increase taxes by $1.2T from 2025 through 20434, reduce GDP by 0.4%, cut 344,000 jobs and increase taxes by about $830 per U.S. household. Trump says America has `all the trees' it needs. But fixing the housing crisis may mean depending on Canadian wood (CNN) - full text CNN [2/2/2025 6:00 AM, Alicia Wallace, 22417K] VIDEO. President Donald Trump has frequently quipped that "we don't need" products from Canada. That includes oil, autos and, of course, lumber. "We don't need the products that they have," Trump said Thursday as he signed executive orders in the Oval Office. "We have all the oil that you need. We have all the trees you need." While trees are bountiful in the US (we have 300 billion of them), economists and homebuilders caution that America does not currently have the industrial capacity to meet the demand and that taxing -- or worse, cutting off -- Canadian lumber imports could further exacerbate the ongoing housing affordability crisis. Softwood lumber, which is sourced from the likes of pine, spruce, firs and other conifers is prized for its light weight, workability and strength. As such, its applications are vast, but it's a critical ingredient in the US homebuilding industry: Commonly, the skeleton and skin of homes -- the framing, roof and siding -- consist of softwood lumber. Those bones could soon come at a higher cost, further exacerbating the home affordability problem. Trump just announced a 25% tariff on practically all imported goods (there was a 10% carve-out on energy imports) from Canada, where the US sources about 30% of the softwood lumber it uses annually. Trump also imposed a 25% tariff on imports from Mexico and an extra 10% on imports from China. However, because of a decades-long strife between the two neighboring countries, the tax on softwood lumber might not stop at 25%. Those imports already are subject to countervailing and anti-dumping duties of 14.5%. The Trump administration said Saturday that the tariffs were designed to stop the flow of undocumented immigrants and fentanyl into the US. "Our industry relies heavily on predictability," said Nick Erickson, senior director of 72 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022188 housing policy for Housing First Minnesota, a trade organization that represents builders, remodelers and other businesses in the North Star State. "Whether it's lumber tariffs or tariffs on any other import, these can impact the supply chain," Erickson said. "And we've seen in the past that tariffs on lumber, these are paid for by new homebuyers in the cost of their home." Housing in the US has becoming increasingly unaffordable in recent history, as supply has lagged demand. And that demand has become increasingly heightened in recent months as hurricanes and wildfires have destroyed thousands of homes across the US. Compounding that has been a "scarcity and an acute, sustained rise in building material costs," according to the National Association of Home Builders. And tariffs would further exacerbate those rising costs, the organization wrote. Of the estimated $184 billion of goods that went into new single-family and multifamily construction in 2023, about 7%, or $13 billion, was imported, according to NAHB estimates. Lumber, at $8.5 billion in imports, represents the lion's share of that, according to the NAHB, which noted that 70% of those lumber imports came from Canada. And it's not just lumber at risk for tariffs: 71% of the imported $456 million of lime and gypsum (which are used for drywall) came from Mexico in 2023. Factoring in the other raw materials and components imported from Canada, Mexico, as well as China (notably the steel, aluminum and home appliances already subject to tariffs), Trump's new tariffs could raise the cost of imported construction materials by $3 billion to $4 billion, the NAHB noted. "Which would then make housing affordability conditions more challenging," said Robert Dietz, chief economist at the NAHB. History has shown this to be the case. In 2006, the US-Canada Softwood Lumber Agreement allowed Canadian provinces to collect export taxes on lumber purchased by US companies. That agreement, which was active until 2015, resulted in softwood exports declining by nearly 8%, US lumber producers gaining $1.6 billion and US consumers losing $2.3 billion, Rajan Parajuli, an NC State associate professor of forest economics and policy, told CNN Business. "The losers always will be the consumers with the limited benefit for the domestic producers," Parajuli said, noting that the producers who import the materials end up passing along some of those added costs to consumers. While it is true that the US has a lot of trees (about 300 billion of them), economists and homebuilders caution that it would be far from easy for domestic wood to fill the gap. First and foremost, not all wood is created equal nor suitable for homebuilding needs. But perhaps most importantly, expanding an industry doesn't happen overnight, said Dietz. It takes regulatory approval to open a new saw mill, which is necessary to turn timber into lumber. Timber, he said, has challenges of its own as there are often harvesting limits. Then there are regulatory requirements to develop access roads. 73 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022189 "At various stages of the production process, there are very limiting factors," he said. "That's not to say that it's impossible to increase a domestic industry, but it takes time. It takes policy refinements, and what we've often seen in the natural resource and construction sectors is it also requires tackling domestic labor shortages." The construction industry has had an ongoing skilled labor shortage for a decade, he said. "The industry, in any given month, is short about 300,000 workers, and similar constraints apply to sawmills and harvesting timber," he said. "There's the economic question of if you're going to increase lumber production or any other kind of building material in a full employment labor market, what other sector are you going to produce less of?" A salient example can be drawn from very recent history: When lumber prices skyrocketed amidst a pandemic home-buying boom. The price of softwood lumber increased from roughly $350 per thousand board feet to more than $1,500 per thousand board feet, he said. "But when we look at data items like lumber production employment in the sawmill industry, it didn't really increase that much," he said. "Part of the reason is that, like any other industry, there's a large amount of fixed costs." Still, even in an era when tariffs loom large, and scores of pressures beset the US housing industry, some homebuilders are optimistic, especially about the potential for the Trump administration to further ease regulations. "This housing shortage in America has really created this interesting bipartisanship (where all parties) unite on this concept of increasing housing affordability and providing regulatory relief, lifting the barriers at all levels of government for the production of needed new housing," said Erickson, of Housing First Minnesota. "This has been going on for about two years, and it's crescendoing." [CT] CT needs 110K housing units. Here's where they are needed most (New Haven Register, CT) - full text New Haven Register [1/31/2025 5:00 AM, Alex Putterman, 467K, CT] Connecticut needs an additional 110,702 units of new housing -- and possibly far more -- to meet demand statewide, according to a report commissioned by the legislature and presented to lawmakers Thursday. Housing needs are especially acute in the Hartford region and southwestern Connecticut, the report found. "Connecticut is the most constrained housing market of any state in the country," said Michael Wilkerson, who co-authored the report, citing the state's low vacancy rate. "And so for us, that's indicative of ... a very challenged housing market in terms of affordability and availability of housing." The new report, which emerged from a 2023 law, is part of a broader "Fair Share" housing study set to be completed this spring, which will include suggested town-bytown housing allocations. The effort is designed to help state lawmakers assess housing need and craft policy accordingly. 74 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022190 The final version was initially due Dec. 1, 2024, in time for the start of the legislative session, but has been delayed throughout the process. The report presented Thursday outlines three possible models for quantifying housing need: one focused on housing for the state's poorest residents, another aimed at people with incomes below 80 percent of the area median income and a third that includes people earning significantly more than the area median income. House Majority Leader Jason Rojas, who attended Thursday's presentation, said he favors the model aimed at building housing for residents making up to 80 percent of their area median income, which calls for 110,702 new units. Under this proposal, about 35,700 of those units would be built in southwestern Connecticut, 30,300 in the Hartford region, 17,400 in the greater New Haven area and 12,700 in the Naugatuck Valley. Under all three models presented Thursday, those areas would be in for the most new housing. "It lined up with what we should be thinking about," Rojas, D-East Hartfrod, told CT Insider. "Those are the population centers, along 91 and 84. ... And it's also where there's some infrastructure in place, so there are opportunities there." The other two proposals presented Thursday call for even more housing: 136,246 under one model and 358,900 under the other, much of which would be intended for higherincome residents. Rep. Anthony Felipe, a Bridgeport Democrat who co-chairs the legislature's Housing Committee, said he was glad to have the new report as he weighs what policies to pursue. "It's a it's a lot of things we've been hearing for the last couple of years, but it's good to have it in one place," he said. Top Democratic legislators have declared housing a top priority during the current legislative session, though it is unclear whether they'll be able to pass sweeping proposals that drastically increase supply or will have to settle for more modest measures, as they have in previous years. Open Communities Alliance, a non-profit that advocates for affordable housing construction, has proposed a policy they call "Towns Take the Lead," in which towns are required to zone for a given number of units, as determined by the "Fair Share" study. The concept is similar to proposals that have failed in previous years, though slightly less demanding on towns, the group says. Erin Boggs, executive director of Open Communities Alliance, attended the presentation Thursday. "This was incredibly valuable information for policymakers to understand." Boggs said. "It's great to have it." Most Republicans, as well as some suburban Democrats, have opposed policies through which the state mandates that towns build housing, advocating instead for "local control." Sen. Jeff Gordon, the top Republican on the Planning and Development Committee, said in an email Thursday that he objects to the state dictating where housing should go. "I have advocated for a multi-faceted approach, not a top-down mandate," said Gordon, who represents a handful of small towns in eastern Connecticut. "The people of 75 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022191 Connecticut know best what is best for their towns. They know what can and cannot realistically be done in their towns." Gordon acknowledged Connecticut's issues around housing affordability but said he'd prefer to address high cost-of-living other ways, such as through lowering taxes. Wilkerson said next steps for the public policy firm tasked with the study, ECOnorthwest, include another round of focus groups and technical panels, which will help the first develop its final town-by-town numbers. "The goal here is to help articulate approaches and trade offs," Wilkerson said. "It's not about getting a specific right answer, because there is not really a right answer. It's (about), what are your objectives?" [VT] Vermont is desperate for new homes. Is it time to build them in factories? (Vermont Public, VT) - full text Vermont Public [1/31/2025 5:00 AM, Carly Berlin, 148K, VT] AUDIO. Inside a cavernous factory at the end of a road in East Montpelier, houses get built piece by piece on an assembly line. Each of the homes starts off in one corner of the 100,000-square-foot shop as a series of humble "Lego blocks," as Huntington Homes co-owner Jason Webster put it on a recent tour of the company's humming factory floor. At the first stops on the production line, the blocks get floors, walls, and ceilings; then they get wired, insulated, taped, and painted. Your typical home builder would have to wrangle an electrician and a plumber and a roofer to a building site, often resulting in a drawn-out subcontractor scheduling snarl. But here, all of those workers are firing their nail guns and spinning their circular saws under one very large roof. Streamlining the building process in this way allows Huntington Homes to construct a house in a matter of days, instead of months. "We can build a whole house in 12 eighthour shifts - so, 96 hours," Webster said. These "Lego blocks" are then shipped out on a truck, pieced together by a crane, and, voila -- to the untrained eye, the final-product looks like any other conventionally-built house. The company constructs about 70 homes a year like this. Any estimate you look at indicates that Vermont is not on track to build the number of homes needed to close the state's stark housing gap and rein in rents and home prices. Last year, a little over 2,000 homes were built across the state, according to data recently compiled by the Department of Housing and Community Development -- only about a quarter of what state officials say Vermont needs to build annually to achieve a healthy economy. The need to ramp up Vermont's sluggish rate of home construction -- which has never fully rebounded from the 2008 housing market crash -- has housing wonks here wondering: should we start building more homes on the assembly line? That's the question at the heart of a recent state-commissioned report that looks at how to grow Vermont's off-site construction industry, a catch-all term that includes manufactured housing -- like single-wides and double-wides often located in self- 76 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022192 contained parks -- and modular construction, the Lego-like building method that Huntington Homes uses. The company is the one major modular builder within state borders. Other smaller outfits include the Wilder-based VerMod, which began producing energy-efficient homes during the aftermath of Tropical Storm Irene, and New Frameworks, which sells prefabricated accessory dwelling units that use natural building materials, like insulation made from straw. A startup in Brattleboro is working on prototypes of modular kitchens and bathrooms to sell to apartment developers across the Northeast. Elsewhere, governments have bet big on encouraging modular construction to accelerate homebuilding, including across the northern border in Quebec. Oregon and Colorado have dedicated state funding to boost off-site home production in recent years. Building homes in factories is already commonplace in European countries, like Sweden. Taking construction indoors brings a host of benefits, said Jeff Lubell, a housing researcher based in Norwich who helped put together the Vermont report. It allows building to happen year-round, through Vermont's frigid winters. The work is less physically demanding than outdoor construction, opening up opportunities for a wider range of potential workers -- a key consideration amid the state's workforce shortage in the building trades, he said. Another major potential advantage is bringing down construction costs by building many standardized homes at once, Lubell said. "If we build one home at a time -- a home here, a home there -- then, it's about the least efficient way that you can do anything, right?" he said. Mass-producing homes using uniform plans can let builders take advantage of "economies of scale," Lubell said. Companies can save on design costs and get bulk deals on materials like lumber and windows. A homebuyer may have to accept that their house looks like the rest of the homes on the street, overcoming what Webster sees as a cultural block. In other parts of the world, it's common to see rows of carbon-copy houses, but in America, homebuyers are wedded to customizing their dream house. But standardization comes with a major upside: lower sticker prices, because, ideally, savings made during the building process would be passed on to the buyer. In a typical project, "you might be able to build two units, four units, 10 units, even 20 units, right on a particular site," Lubell said. "But in a factory, you can build a hundred units a year. You can build 200 units a year." The off-site construction report contains a few key recommendations to state leaders for achieving that kind of scale. One method would be for state government to sign bulk purchase agreements or guarantees over a set period of time to ensure companies get consistent business. Some developers -- and state agencies -- are already experimenting with bulk purchases of homes built off-site. South Burlington-based Summit Properties, which develops both market-rate and affordable housing, bought 45 duplexes and townhomes from Huntington Homes that will be sold as part of a new mixed-income housing development in Middlebury. 77 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022193 "It boils down to cost," said Zeke Davisson, Summit's chief operating officer, when asked why the company decided to go with modular homes for the project. "We've certainly realized the potential of it," he added. Davisson projected that Summit would save "up to 10%" on construction costs by choosing modular, excluding expenses for things like site prep, foundation work, and installing driveways and utilities. Those homes will start to get assembled at the East Montpelier factory this spring. The project is something of a departure for Huntington Homes, which hasn't typically worked with developers. Over its four-decade history, it has mostly built single family homes, about half of them shipped to out-of-state clients in places like Cape Cod and Nantucket, Webster said. He hopes to pursue more projects like the Middlebury one going forward, he added. The state itself committed to a bulk purchase of manufactured homes this past summer, part of the Rapid Response Mobile Home Infill Program created in the aftermath of catastrophic flooding in July of 2024. State officials could consider overseeing more bulk purchases like that one, Lubell said, and could then hand off those units to nonprofit housing agencies who in turn would be responsible for finding land and potential buyers. The other major way the state could jumpstart off-site construction would be to put public money toward getting more factories running, the report notes -- including a defunct manufactured home plant in the Rutland County town of Fair Haven. Bob Richards used to work at the factory, overseeing the final details before the singlewides and double-wides got out the door: "the trim, the carpet, the draperies," he said. He now chairs the town's select board. With the aid of a state grant, Fair Haven is investigating whether the former Skyline company building still has the equipment it needs to start churning out homes again. "The whole idea of affordable housing -- that's what Skyline did, and that's what that building was built for, and that's what it could do best," Richards said. "The town is absolutely in favor of that." Despite all of the promises of speed and efficiency, this type of homebuilding comes with a major catch. Off-site construction requires a lot of upfront investment -- to get a factory up and running, for instance -- which means it doesn't weather the booms and busts in the housing market nimbly. A conventional home builder can lay off some employees during an economic downturn, but a recession can doom a whole factory. That's what happened to the Fair Haven plant, which closed its doors in 2011. Manufactured home production had fallen steadily during the 2000s, Lubell said, and the 2008 housing market crash was likely "the last straw" for the factory. Modular construction also had a much larger footprint in New England before the Great Recession. Pre-2008, there were eight modular factories building full-sized residential homes in the region, according to Webster. Now, there are only three: one just across the border in Claremont, New Hampshire, another in Maine, and Huntington Homes' factory in East Montpelier. A handful of other plants now produce two-dimensional "panels" -- like, individual walls and floors -- that then get shipped and built onsite. 78 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022194 Huntington Homes is still only producing about half as many homes a year as it was in 2007, Webster said. For years post-recession, many off-site builders became more cautious about the projects they took on, he said. Meanwhile, many workers left the construction trades, a large portion of them aging out, and not enough younger workers have taken their place. The number of workers in the building trades plummeted in Vermont during the late-2000s and has never fully recovered. The struggle to hire enough employees continues to put a major dampening effect on the number of houses Huntington Homes is able to build, Webster said. The threat of another economic downturn makes Housing Commissioner Alex Farrell hesitate about putting public funding toward boosting the off-site construction industry. "We, the state, need to be thinking about that eventual bust cycle," Farrell said. "We're here to mitigate risk for the public and then for private developers, but we just don't want to leave the state holding the bag." For now, though, the demand for homes in Vermont shows few signs of slowing -- and Vermont shouldn't miss out on an opportunity to speed up home production, Farrell said. To Lubell, the housing researcher, putting a relatively small amount of state money toward off-site construction poses a low risk compared to the status quo: watching as housing prices continue to rise. [NY] `City Of Yes': Promising But Won't Solve New York Housing Crisis (Forbes) full text Forbes [1/31/2025 6:30 AM, Richard McGahey, 102611K] Like other American cities, New York is struggling to address its housing crisis. A decades-long failure to build enough housing is causing rents to skyrocket beyond incomes and wages. And overly expensive housing could have major negative effects on the city's economy and population, with the burdens falling most heavily on low-income people. After decades of inadequate housing policy, New York is now moving forward with Mayor Eric Adams' "City of Yes" proposal--zoning and other reforms aimed at increasing new housing construction. But while the proposal is welcome, it won't be enough to fully address the city's long-term housing problem and the economic and social threats it poses. New York's housing crisis is the result of two longer-term trends: job and population growth, and stagnant new housing construction. While the city added jobs and new residents, little housing was built. Experts now estimate the city needs hundreds of thousands of new units just to close the gap. And housing production still is not keeping up. There are estimates that the city needs up to 50,000 new units per year, but only 27,980 were completed in 2023, while permits to build new units actually fell. Other data reinforce the severity of New York's housing shortage. In 2023, the net rental apartment vacancy rate hit 1.4%, the lowest since 1968. Such a low rate likely doesn't even account for people moving from one apartment to another, or renovations and 79 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022195 repairs, much less new residents seeking to live in the city. Not surprisingly, such a low vacancy rate drives up rents. The New York City Comptroller's office reported that "median 'asking rent' on publicly listed apartments available for leasing rose to a record high level in 2023." Those rent levels and increases translate into a housing affordability crisis. The Comptroller reports that rent level means "a household would need to earn $140,000 or more to not be rent-burdened (defined as paying 30% or more of income on rent). This income level is nearly double the median NYC household income level in 2022." This yawning gap in housing availability and affordability threaten New York's future prosperity. The Regional Plan Association estimates that by 2035 the entire New York region could lose $900 billion in GDP, 730,000 new jobs, and billions of dollars in tax revenues. Since New York City drives the region's economy, many of these losses would fall directly on the city. Faced with the ongoing housing crisis, Adams proposed an ambitious plan--the "City of Yes"-- to produce more than 100,000 housing units in the next 15 years. The new housing would come from private developers, largely by changing single-family and other zoning restrictions allowing denser development in many parts of the city. The plan also would reduce expensive parking mandates, and other administrative barriers. The plan got substantial pushback, from an odd combination of conservative singlefamily neighborhoods opposed to greater density, and progressive advocacy groups suspicious of private developers. Single-family neighborhoods feared new development without mandated parking construction would make parking hard to find. Progressive opponents, in turn, argued for more affordable housing units and strong restrictions on for-profit development. The Adams administration, led by City Planning Director Dan Garodnick, negotiated a deal to get the City Council's approval. They accommodated single-family neighborhoods by continuing mandated parking for new residences (which reduces the space and resources available for housing), restricting development of alternative development units (ADUs) on existing single-family lots, and limits on denser housing near mass transit. Progressives negotiated another $5 billion in city and state funding for affordable housing, infrastructure, tenant protection measures, and focusing eligibility for affordable housing on lower-income households. The resulting package is now estimated to produce an additional 80,000 housing units over 15 years, down by around 30,000 from the original plan. "City of Yes" represents important progress for New York City on housing. For years, the city's housing supply has been held far below the city's needs, from a combination of inadequate policies and political opposition. That opposition is an odd coalition of single-family homeowners and some leftish advocacy groups. It is rare to see an issue that brings conservative Republicans on Staten Island and elsewhere together with leftist environmental and tenant groups. 80 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022196 Of course, those groups want very different things--no affordable housing or density increases for conservatives, especially in their neighborhoods, and a lot more--even exclusively--affordable housing and extended rent regulation for the leftists. If "City of Yes" is ultimately enacted, it is a promising sign that many progressive politicians now recognize the need to increase housing supply. City Comptroller Brad Lander, a progressive running for Mayor next year, was a strong supporter of the proposal, like several City Council members and other political leaders. But by itself, "City of Yes" isn't enough. Estimating 80,000 new housing units over 15 years gives an average of around 5300 new units annually. While that would be a welcome addition, Curbed reporter Kim Velsey notes "Adams has said that the city needs to add 50,000 units per year, nearly double the 27,980 that were added in 2023." (Curbed humorously described the city's revised and downsized proposal as the "City of Yes-ish.") So two cheers--not three-- for the "City of Yes." Hopefully, it represents a break from knee-jerk, anti-housing policies that have stifled new supply and helped create the housing affordability problem New York (and other cities) now face. But the momentum needs to keep going, to assure the "City of Yes" proposals aren't further watered down and additional efforts to increase housing supply will be undertaken. New York and other cities unfortunately have contributed to the housing affordability crisis through misguided policies, and it will take years and new pro-housing development policies to overcome it. [TX] Build, baby, build: Texas needs houses. I Opinion (Houston Chronicle, TX) full text Houston Chronicle [2/1/2025 7:00 AM, Charles Blain, 2315K, TX] Texas continues to experience significant population growth as Americans flee other states for new opportunities and, historically, a lower cost of living. According to the Texas Comptroller's office, approximately 225,000 people moved to Texas between 2021 and 2022, but homebuilding has not kept pace with the influx of new residents. The increased demand for housing -- combined with factors such as high interest rates, high property taxes, inflation and rising insurance costs -- have left Texas with a housing deficit of 306,000 units, second only to California. Texas lawmakers are likely to tackle housing affordability during the 2025 legislative session. News coverage of the issue often focuses on single-family housing, frequently describing sympathetic young families who struggle to afford a house of their own. But to solve the problem, we cannot focus exclusively on increasing the supply of homes for purchase. Homeownership is likely out of reach for most of the 37% of Texans who are and will continue to be renters. Roughly 4.2 million Texans rent, and of those, more than half spend a backbreaking 30% or more of their income on rent. To put it plainly, only a few of Texas renters could afford to buy a house of any kind, much less a new one. According to Equifax, the average credit score in Texas is only 686 -- well below the nationwide average of 705. Houston's average household income, 81 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022197 for example, is just under $63,000, while the income needed to afford a typical mortgage here is calculated at more than $95.000. That's a stark difference. Just because a family cannot afford or qualify for a mortgage does not mean they should not be able to live in a home they are proud of in a community where they can afford to rent. To improve Texans' living situations, it's just as important to increase the supply of single-family rental homes as it is to increase the supply of homes for purchase. We need options for everyone. Many who have testified before Texas Senate and House committees during the interim have emphasized the importance of increasing the housing supply for both buyers and renters. Some have zeroed in on several potential solutions: easing zoning regulations and minimum lot size requirements, streamlining local permitting processes and allowing for easier conversion of commercial property into residential. (The comptroller's report also outlined some of these options.) Meanwhile, calls to limit corporate purchases of single-family homes to rent miss the mark. According to a 2021 report by the National Association of Realtors, corporate investors bought 28% of homes sold that year in Texas -- more than twice the national average. But corporate investors in single-family homes range from large companies to small mom-and-pops. And according to legislative testimony, home purchases by corporate investors of every size have not exceeded 20% of the total. In reality, to generate much-needed housing at scale, Texas needs corporate investment. It's up to our elected leaders to clear the way by eliminating barriers to supply and creating greater housing options and accessibility for all Texans. [NM] Housing New Mexico launches zero-interest homebuilder program (Roswell Daily Record, NM) - full text Roswell Daily Record [2/2/2025 2:00 AM, Staff, 27K, NM] Housing New Mexico has launched a new program to address the shortage of affordable entry-level housing available to low- and moderate-income homebuyers in the state. The Zero Interest Homebuilder Program (ZIHP) is a loan product that offers interest-free construction financing through the New Mexico Housing Trust Fund. These loans are available to nonprofit organizations, for-profit organizations, governmental housing agencies, regional housing authorities, governmental entities, governmental instrumentalities, tribal governments, tribal housing agencies, builders, single-family developers, corporations, limited liability companies, partnerships, joint ventures, syndicates and other eligible associations or entities. As home price increases outpace wage growth, the ability to achieve homeownership becomes more difficult, resulting in a huge need for affordable housing. "With this new program, our intention is to promote the development and sale of entry-level homes priced appropriately for their respective market," said Housing New Mexico Executive Director/CEO Isidoro Hernandez. "We are optimistic that eligible for-profit and nonprofit developers and builders will take advantage of this 0% interest rate construction loan and, ultimately, provide more homeownership opportunities for New Mexicans.". ZIHP development and construction loans may be used to assist in financing a wide 82 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022198 range of activities to increase affordable homeownership opportunities, including costs of on-site infrastructure necessary to support the development of affordable single-family lots and/or the construction of affordable homes. Complete applications must be received no later than 60 days prior to a regularly scheduled Housing New Mexico Board of Directors meeting to be considered at that meeting. Meetings are typically held the third Wednesday of the month. To learn more about eligible loan applicants, loan terms, application procedures, eligible home types, eligible homebuyers, sales price limitations and other details, visit the Housing New Mexico website. [CA] L.A.'s wildfires have intensified city's decades-long housing crisis I The Excerpt (USA Today) - full text USA Today [1/31/2025 4:37 PM, Dana Taylor, 89965K] VIDEO. On a special episode (first released on January 30, 2025) of The Excerpt podcast: As wildfires continue to erupt across greater Los Angeles, the urgency of the housing crisis is front and center for Angelinos. With thousands of homes gone, the various issues that have plagued the real estate industry since the '80s are just that much more urgent. Where will people live and at what cost? Peter Dreier, an urban and environmental policy professor at Occidental College, joins The Excerpt to discuss the worsening situation and what it means for the people who call L.A. home. Homeownership American Homeowners Have Regrets About Buying Their House (Newsweek) - full text Newsweek [1/31/2025 8:13 AM, Giulia Carbonaro, 56005K] Tens of thousands of Americans still dream of buying a home, even during the current affordability crunch-but for the majority of owners, the aspiration has soured. Over twothirds (69 percent) of American homeowners have regrets about their home purchases due to the financial strain of owning a property and the unexpected costs related to it, according to a recent survey by Real Estate Witch. Nearly half (48 percent) said they'd have a different approach to the homebuying process had they known the actual cost of maintaining their home. Newsweek contacted Real Estate Witch for comment by email on Friday morning, outside of standard working hours. Homeownership has long been viewed as a crucial piece of the American dream, but a combination of factors has made this goal unreachable for many. A chronic lack of inventory-due to the country under-building following the 2007-08 crisis, pent-up demand, high mortgage rates, and rising home prices have pushed many aspiring firsttime homebuyers out of the market. Meanwhile, homeowners are being hit by a recent surge in property insurance premiums and homeowners association (HOA) fees. The U.S. housing affordability crisis has taken center stage during the 2024 presidential election, and Donald Trump has promised to increase inventory and put homeownership within reach of Americans. The survey conducted by free-agent matching service Clever Real Estate, which was 83 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022199 acquired by Real Estate Witch in 2020, found that in 2025 the typical American homeowner will spend an average of $24,529 a year-or $2,044 a month-on their home in addition to their mortgage payment for utilities, repairs, maintenance, property taxes, and homeowners insurance. For those who are part of a homeowners association, these costs are even higher: a homeowner in a HOA will pay an average $3,077 extra a year, according to Real Estate Witch, for a total of $27,606. For a majority of American homeowners, the cost of ownership comes somewhat as a surprise: a majority of 81 percent of the 1,000 American homeowners surveyed said costs were higher than they expected before buying their home. Nearly half (44 percent) believe it's easier to be a renter than a homeowner. This is particularly true for millennials (born between 1981 and 1996), many of whom are likely to have climbed on the property ladder only in recent years. Almost one in four millennial homeowners (23 percent) said the costs of homeownership have made them want to go back to renting-more than double the percentage of boomers (born between 1946 and 1964) feeling the same. The number was even higher for Gen X, with 25 percent wanting to go back to renting. The percentage of American owners disillusioned with homeownership has grown from last year, when 67 percent of respondents to the Real Estate Witch's 2024 surveysaid they had regrets about their home purchases. The total cost of owning a home has also grown for the average American owner: last year, it was $17,958. The highest expenses faced by American homeowners beside their mortgage payment are utilities, Real Estate Witch found. The total cost of utilities in a year is an estimated $7,319; maintenance is $6,087; renovations are $5,672; property taxes are $3,057; and homeowners insurance is $2,304. Homeowners association fees are, as mentioned above, an estimated $3,077 a year. The survey found that American homeowners are struggling with each of these expenses. A majority of 81 percent are worried about the cost of homeownership, including 29 percent who said their biggest concern is unexpected maintenance or repairs, 23 percent who say their biggest concern is rising property taxes, and 14 percent who say their biggest concern is rising homeowners insurance costs. Almost half of owners (46 percent) said they don't feel their property taxes accurately reflect their home's value. Another 46 percent admitted they don't actively budget for unexpected repairs, and the same percentage of owners said they did not accurately estimate the cost of repairs and improvements before buying. A majority of 59 percent would not actually be able to cover a $5,000 emergency home repair without going into credit card debt. Many blame the seller for hiding the real cost of maintenance for the property they bought. The previous owner, according to more than one in three (36 percent) homeowners, wasn't up front about the cost of maintenance. The same percentage believe the previous owner cut corners when it came to maintenance. The cost of homeowners insurance, which in many states is surging due to the growing 84 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022200 risk of catastrophic extreme weather events, is also a cause of concern for many. More than half (51 percent) are stressed by the rising cost of homeowners insurance, with one in eight (13 percent) being concerned about losing coverage on their property. The cost of homeownership might send many American homeowners back into the rental market-especially millennials. The real truth highlighted by these findings, however, is that owning a home remains too expensive even for those lucky ones that manage to afford to buy one. A majority of 56 percent of owners surveyed by Clever believe owning a home is not attainable for the average American. More first-time buyers rely on mortgage rate buydowns to afford homes (HousingWire.com) - full text HousingWire.com [2/1/2025 9:00 AM, Kennedy Edgerton, 243K] Higher mortgage rates are forcing many first-time homebuyers to adopt a "wait-and-see" approach to the market. According to HomeLight's Top Agent Insights report released this week, real estate agents are feeling this and are being forced to switch up tactics to attract buyers. HomeLight is an Arizona-based real estate platform designed to connect agents with clients. The company's 2024 Top Agent Insights survey gathered perspectives from more than 750 real estate agents between Oct. 30 and Nov. 15. More than half (59%) of agents reported a spike in contingency requests, according to the report. First-time homebuyers are struggling to achieve homeownership without extra help. Agents reported that 27% of first-timer buyers requested mortgage rate buydowns from sellers. HomeLight notes that this is becoming more common for existing-home sales. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), only 24% of recent buyers were first-timers. By comparison, first-time buyers comprised 40% of the market before 2008. HomeLight also highlighted an increase in cash-only purchases as a factor that's keeping first-time buyers away from the market, as they must compete with all-cash buyers and real estate investors. Down payments were also an issue for first-time homebuyers, with 23% relying on gifts from family to cover these upfront costs. HomeLight said this is a sign that homeownership is increasingly hinging on generational wealth. Recent business practice changes in the real estate market have also discouraged firsttime buyers, according to the report. HomeLight found that the NAR commission lawsuit and the resulting settlement made buyers and sellers uncertain about how to handle changes to buyer-broker agreements. "It has had unintended negative effects against the most vulnerable group of buyers: first-time buyers and lower-income buyers. Meanwhile, the luxury market is thriving and is unaffected, further widening the gap between classes," according to a surveyed agent in Texas. Other agents reported that the NAR settlement complicated things for buyers and sellers. One respondent said that "buyers are always short on money, and having to pay the agent's commission can be difficult if a seller is not willing to pay their brokerage 85 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022201 commission." Despite forecasts that predict mortgage rates above 6% in 2025, agents hope for a shift in the market. HomeLight reported that 45% of agents nationwide believe that interest rates will decline, bringing buyers back to the market. This optimism is also reflected in expectations that cooling inflation and policy changes could improve market conditions. Agents believe that sidelined buyers will jump at the chance to seize home purchase opportunities under better conditions. Nearly Half Of American Homeowners Were `Equity Rich' in Q4 As Home Prices Soared (Investopedia) - full text Investopedia [1/31/2025 3:33 PM, Terry Lane, 21770K] With home prices moving steadily higher, Americans maintained near-historically high levels of equity in their homes in 2024, according to a report from real estate data firm ATTOM. The report showed that 47.7% of homeowners were considered "equity rich" in the fourth quarter of 2024, meaning borrowers' home loan balance was no more than half of the home's total value. While that's off a tick from the recent peak in the second quarter, the share of equity-rich homes remains near record levels. In 2020, only 26.5% of homes were considered equity-rich. Moreover, the report showed that 95% of homeowners had some level of equity built up in their properties. "Nearly half of all residential mortgage payers in the U.S. have paid off at least half their loans, leaving many with six-figure levels of wealth available to leverage anything from new home purchases to starting new businesses to paying off major expenses," said ATTOM CEO Rob Barber. Barber said that historically high equity levels were partly the result of "endless increases" in home values over more than a decade. High prices have contributed to affordability issues in the housing market, which have pushed the number of sales lower. Census Bureau data backed this trend with the median sales price of new homes jumping more than 40% over the past 10 years, moving up to $420,100 in 2024 from $294,200 in 2015. The median price for existing homes also hit a record high of $407,500 in 2024. The ATTOM data showed that homeowners in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine had the highest levels of home equity, while Louisiana, Alaska, and North Dakota had the lowest percentage of equity-rich homes. Cities with the highest levels of home equity included San Jose and Los Angeles in California, along with Portland, Maine. At the same time, houses considered to be "underwater," where the loan on a property was at least 25% higher than the total value, remained at 2.5%. With home prices and mortgage rates high, many families find the American dream out of reach (APNews.com) - full text APNews.com [2/1/2025 8:41 AM, R.J. Rico, 47097K] VIDEO. The Petersen family's two-bedroom apartment in northern California is starting to 86 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022202 feel small. Four-year-old Jerrik's toy monster trucks are everywhere in the 1,100-squarefoot unit in Campbell, just outside of San Jose. And it's only a matter of time before 9month-old Carolynn starts amassing more toys, adding to the disarray, says her mother, Jenn Petersen. The 42-year-old chiropractor had hoped she and her husband, Steve, a 39-year-old dental hygienist, would have bought a house by now. But when they can afford a bigger place, it will have to be another rental. Petersen has done the math: With mortgage rates and home prices stubbornly high, there's no way the couple, who make about $270,000 a year and pay about $2,500 in monthly rent, can afford a home anywhere in their area. According to October data from the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, a San Jose family with a median income of $156,700 would need to spend 80% of their income on housing - including an $8,600 monthly mortgage payment - to own a median-priced $1.54 million home. That's far higher than the general rule of thumb that people should pay no more than 30% of their income on a mortgage or rent. Moving out of state is out of the question for the Petersens - they have strong family ties to the area and their income would plummet if they move to a lower cost-of-living area. "I'm not willing to give up my job and close connections with my family for a house," Petersen said. The issue is widespread and near historic highs nationally: As of last fall, the median homeowner in the U.S. was paying 42% of their income on homeownership costs, according to the Atlanta Fed. Four years ago, that percentage was 28% and had not previously reached 38% since late 2007, just before the housing market crash. "The American dream, as our parents knew it, doesn't exist anymore," Petersen said. "The whole idea that you get a house after you graduate college, get a steady job and get married? I've done most of those milestones. But the homeownership part? That just doesn't fit financially." The same is true for an increasing number of American families. In 2024, the median first-time homebuyer was 38 years old, a jump from age 35 the previous year, according to a recent report by the National Association of Realtors. That's significantly above historic norms, when median first-time buyers hovered between 30 and 32 years old from 1993 to 2018. The biggest driver of this trend, experts said, is simple: There are far too few houses on the market to match pent-up demand, driving prices past the point of affordability for many people who are relatively early in their careers. Coupled with high mortgage rates, many have concluded that renting is their only option. "Wage growth hasn't kept up with the increase in home prices and interest rates," said Domonic Purviance, who studies housing at the Atlanta Fed. "Even though people are making more money, home prices are increasing at a faster rate." That gap has left many out of the housing market, which for generations has been a way for Americans to build equity and wealth that they can pass down or leverage to buy a larger home. It's also led to widespread worries about housing in the U.S. About 7 in 10 87 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022203 voters under age 45 said they were "very" concerned about the cost of housing in their community, according to AP VoteCast, a survey of more than 120,000 voters in the 2024 election. Brian McCabe, a sociology professor at Georgetown University, said he frequently tells his students that "there are few things that all Americans agree on, but one of them is that they'd rather own a home than rent." McCabe said homeownership, especially as a wealth-building tool, is the right move for many, especially if the owner intends to be in one place for a long time. But he also said many are realizing that not owning a home has its advantages, too -- it gives people more flexibility to move and allows them to live in exciting neighborhoods they would not be able to afford to buy property in. McCabe said millennials are getting married later, having children later, have a stronger desire to stay in cities and, especially due to remote work, value the flexibility of being able to move with ease -- all of which he said could prompt an end to the notion that homeownership is the "apex of the American dream." "The big question is whether we see the sheen of homeownership start to fade," McCabe said. "It's such an interesting cultural marker: Why is owning a home the pinnacle for so many people?" It's a question Petersen wrestles with because she knows any three-bedroom home she found in her area would leave her family "house poor." "I used to subscribe to the idea that owning a house is just a natural milestone you have to reach," she said. "At some point, though, what are you sacrificing by just owning a house and gaining equity? I want to be able to travel with my kids. I want to be able to sign them up for extracurriculars. How are we supposed to do that if we're paying a mortgage that's most of our take-home pay?" Petersen said she'll "always hold out a little bit of hope" that homeownership will be in her family's future. But if they find a townhouse to rent that has space for her kids and fits within their $3,600 monthly rental budget? "I'd take that," she said. Lifelong Boston resident Julieta Lopez, 63, spent decades hoping to buy a home but watched as prices became increasingly out of reach. "The prices in Boston just got higher and higher and higher and higher," said Lopez, who works for the city traffic department issuing tickets for parking violations. Two years ago, furious to learn that her subsidized apartment's monthly rent was being hiked to $2,900, Lopez, who earns about $60,000 annually, took out her phone and began searching for government programs that help first-time homebuyers. She was determined to finally own her own place. Within months, she had succeeded. Lopez qualified to receive $50,000 from the local Massachusetts Affordable Homeownership Alliance nonprofit and another $50,000 from the city of Boston's Office of Housing -- funds that helped her with a down payment on the $430,000 two-bedroom condominium she shares with her 30-year-old son. She now pays about $2,160 a month on her mortgage. Lopez knows she is lucky the city has placed such a focus on aiding first-time buyers like 88 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022204 herself -- Boston has poured more than $24 million into its homeownership assistance programs since Mayor Michelle Wu took office in 2021, helping nearly 700 residents get their first homes. But Lopez also feels proud to have her own place after years of working so hard - jobs that included everything from telecommunications to health care to electronics. "I was determined to have my piece of the pie," she said. "I felt I deserved that. I've always worked. Always. Nonstop." We are all footing the insurance bill for climate-fueled disasters: Susan Atkinson (Cleveland.com, OH) - full text Cleveland.com [2/2/2025 5:11 AM, Susan Atkinson, 5110K, OH] In today's world of more frequent and severe natural disasters, the business risks of selling home insurance policies are rising sharply. The devastating fires in Los Angeles are just the latest in a long string of extreme events fueled by climate change over the last 30 years. The risk equations no longer pencil out. Increasing insurance damage claims lead to higher premiums. Hurricanes and wildfires have especially large financial impacts to insurance companies who face record-breaking payouts. These costs are passed on to policyholders, which undermines personal finances, housing demand and home values in high-risk areas. Conditions are ripe for an insurance crisis. From 2017 to 2022, homeowners' insurance premiums rose 40% faster than the inflation rate, indicating a significant real-term cost increase for policyholders. If you fall into this category, you might consider yourself one of the lucky ones. Read on. Insurance companies are reducing their coverage, sometimes writing new policies that exclude specific risks such as flooding or wind damage, especially in high-risk areas. In some cases, insurance companies are withdrawing entirely from some markets, as seen in California, Texas, and Florida. Using sophisticated climate modeling, companies are reassessing their exposure, and rightly so. As insurance premiums rise, some people forgo insurance altogether, increasing their financial vulnerability. But what if you have a mortgage? You are required to carry homeowners' insurance. What if you want to sell your property, but the potential buyer can't get mortgage-approved insurance because of your high-risk zone? What happens to the tax revenue that governments rely on for police and schools as home values in these areas plummet? There is increasing political pressure on state and federal governments to intervene, straining public resources. Is it an efficient use of taxpayer dollars to subsidize risky areas to keep certain insurance premiums affordable? Would subsidized insurance in high-risk areas burden households in low-risk areas and encourage more people to locate their residence in harm's way, areas that private insurers won't touch? A recent Brookings report concludes "the inconvenient truth is that property insurance premiums will need to increase in high hazard areas to reflect climate risk exposure.... to reflect the real and rising costs of climate change." 89 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022205 Fossil fuel companies are guilty of passing the costs caused by their activities onto society. This is referred to as externalized costs, meaning they don't pay the economic, social, or environmental damage that is rooted in the product they sell. Burning fossil fuel overloads our atmosphere with greenhouse gas emissions that trap heat, increasing global temperatures. The more fuel we burn, the more heat gets trapped, and the more erratic our weather becomes. The fossil fuel industry has historically funded misinformation campaigns and lobbying efforts to delay climate policies. These actions slow the adoption of renewable energy and the implementation of climate adaptation measures, increasing long-term societal costs. The economic consequences are unavoidable. Human-caused climate change is increasingly costly and catastrophic. Governments, businesses, and individuals are paying tax-funded disaster relief programs, infrastructure repairs, and higher insurance premiums for property. We need to hold carbon polluters responsible. Some states are passing "Climate Superfund" laws, requiring energy companies to help pay for the costs of dealing with extreme weather events and climate adaptation projects. Internalizing the costs and damage of emissions to the fossil fuel industry would create incentives to adopt cleaner practices and accelerate the global transition to sustainable energy systems. The burning in Los Angeles is the first U.S. mega-catastrophe of 2025. We need to get serious about reducing our carbon emissions, or climate-exacerbated weather events will continue to intensify. The 10 most popular U.S. ZIP codes for homebuyers--No. 1 is a fast-growing Houston, Texas suburb (CNBC) - full text CNBC [2/1/2025 11:15 AM, Celia Fernandez, 36472K] In January, Opendoor, a digital platform for residential real estate, released a new report ranking the most popular ZIP codes in America. To identify the top ZIP codes, the company analyzed data from the local Multiple Listing Services (MLS) where Opendoor Brokerage operates. They then ranked them all based on total number of homes that went into contract within 90 days of being listed for sale in 2024. "The most popular areas are known for being fast-growing cities with a lot of new development," Nick Boniakowski, Opendoor's Head of Agent Partnerships, tells CNBC Make It. "There's an overall theme here of being close to big cities without being in the city center," he says. "Buyers [want] to be close enough to the action while still getting that smaller city or suburban charm." Texas has the most cities on Opendoor's top 10 list - with six in the top 10. Boniakowski says this is a sign that job growth was also a major factor for buyers looking into these particular ZIP codes. ZIP code 77493 or Katy, Texas, ranked as the No. 1 most popular ZIP code for homebuyers. Katy is a western suburb of Houston. Boniakowski says Texas has seen a 90 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022206 lot of job growth, so it makes a lot of sense that this suburb outside of a major city like Houston took the top spot. Katy is relatively affordable compared to other cities close to major metros. "Katy has had a lot of new development and job growth. Having the diverse housing stock at some relatively affordable price points in addition to job growth is really a contributing factor to it being at the top of the list," Boniakowski says. The median listing home price is $379,900, while the median rent is $2,100, according to Realtor.com. Houston is home to the third largest number of Fortune 500 companies, after New York and Chicago, and Katy's proximity to the hub gives residents access to a wide range of employers. The area is also home to many major corporations, including ExxonMobil and the Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company. The 10 most popular U.S ZIP codes for homebuyers Katy, Texas Cypress, Texas San Antonio, Texas New Braunfels, Texas Summerville, South Carolina Forney, Texas Yukon, Oklahoma Clarksville, Tenn. Parrish, Fla. Kyle, Texas Cypress, Texas -- ZIP code 77433 -- is the number two most popular for homebuyers. Just like Katy, Cypress is not too far from Houston. Boniakowski says Cypress offers residents housing inventory, job growth, and proximity to a major city. The average home value in Cypress is $404,577, up 0.8% over the past year, according to Zillow. The Harris Country community is known as one of the most developed, booming suburbs in Texas, according to Keller Williams Realty. It offers award-winning neighborhoods, a top-notch school district, and growing career opportunities. Aging-in-place tech platform secures $35M funding round (HousingWire.com) - full text HousinqWire.com [1/31/2025 5:11 PM, Chris Clow, 243K] An aging-in-place technology platform recently secured a $35 million funding round, which it hopes to use to expand its existing partnership portfolio while also aiming to enter the Medicaid market. The Helper Bees is a platform that connects older adults to a "network of non-medical products and services," according to the company. It is designed to "make it easier for payers to offer these essential services directly into the home -- addressing critical needs such as in-home caregiving, home modifications, groceries and meals, pest control, housekeeping, and transportation." The company secured a Series C funding round, according to an announcement this 91 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022207 week. The round was led by Centana Growth Partners, with additional added support from a group of four existing investors - Silverton Partners, Impact Engine, Northwestern Mutual Future Ventures and Alumni Ventures. "This funding round represents a pivotal milestone for The Helper Bees and the aging-inplace movement," Char Hu, the company's CEO, said in a statement. "This partnership with Centana enables us to broaden our reach and continue empowering older adults to live independently and safely at home." Eric Byunn, a partner at Centana Growth Partners, added that the funding round helps to illustrate the rising preference that people have for services that allow older adults to remain in their homes. The platform "is streamlining the delivery of independent aging solutions at a time when they are in increasing demand, and the company's continued expansion into new areas such as payments, exemplified by the launch of their flexible spending card, showcases their adaptability and commitment to addressing evolving market demands," Byunn said. Hu added that the funding round will allow the company to expand its partner portfolio, including entrance into new markets like Medicaid. On the Helper Bees website, Mutual of Omaha is listed as one of the company's partners. The Mutual of Omaha Mortgage division is currently the market leader in Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) endorsements. Q4 Home Equity Holds Steady Nationwide (The Mortgage Point) - full text The Mortgage Point [1/31/2025 4:36 PM, Eric C. Peck, 2K] ATTOM has released its Q4 2024 U.S. Home Equity & Underwater Report, which shows that 47.7% of mortgaged residential properties in the U.S. were considered equity-rich in the fourth quarter, meaning that the combined estimated amount of loan balances secured by those properties was no more than half of their estimated market values. That level was down slightly from 48.3% in Q3 of 2024, and from a recent peak of 49.2% in the prior three-month period. However, it was still up from 46.1% in Q4 of 2023, and remained at historically high levels that again showed one of the most profound benefits of the nation's 13-year housing market boom. The same holding pattern continued for the portion of home mortgages that were seriously underwater. Just 2.5% of mortgaged homes fell into that category during Q4 of 2024, with combined estimated balances of loans secured by properties that were at least 25% more than those properties' estimated market values. That was the same as in Q3, and almost unchanged from the 2.6% level recorded in late 2023. "The last few months of 2024 marked pretty much a holding pattern for the housing market. That's typical for the slower Fall home buying season. But it certainly wasn't a downer for homeowners across the country who are sitting on historically high levels of property equity thanks in large part to the endless increases in home values over more than a decade," said Rob Barber, CEO for ATTOM. "Nearly half of all residential mortgage payers in the U.S. have paid off at least half their loans, leaving many with sixfigures levels of wealth available to leverage anything from new home purchases to 92 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022208 starting new businesses to paying off major expenses." The portion of mortgaged homes that were equity-rich during Q4 of 2024, 47.7%, remained far above the 26.5% level recorded in early 2020. While the latest figure was down in 33 of the 50 U.S. states from O3 to O4 of 2024, mostly by less than two percentage points, it was still up annually in 41 states. Annual increases were spread across almost all regions and price segments of the U.S. housing market, with the most benefit going to low- and mid-priced markets around the country concentrated in the Midwest and Northeast regions. However, there were signs of that pattern as those areas absorbed slightly larger quarterly drop-offs reversing late in the year. The annual increases were led by Rhode Island (portion of mortgaged homes considered equity-rich increased from 54.6 percent in the fourth quarter of 2023 to 60.8 percent in the fourth quarter of 2024), Missouri (up from 37.3 percent to 43 percent), Connecticut (up from 42.4 percent to 47.9 percent), New Jersey (up from 46.8 percent to 52.3 percent) and Illinois (up from 28 percent to 33 percent). On the opposite side of the spectrum, equity-rich levels generally declined slightly across western states. The largest year-over-year fallbacks during the fourth quarter came in Florida (down, year over year, from 54.3 percent to 50.9 percent), Utah (down from 53.7 percent to 51.1 percent), Arizona (down from 52.7 percent to 50.9 percent), Oregon (down from 51.2 percent to 49.6 percent) and Idaho (down from 57.6 percent to 56.1 percent). The portion of mortgaged homes considered seriously underwater across the U.S. barely changed during the fourth quarter of 2024. It stood at one in 39, which was nearly the same as levels of one in 40 during the third quarter and one in 38 a year earlier. The latest ratio remained far better than the one-in-15 portion recorded in 2020. The rate worsened in 36 states quarterly, by less than one percentage point in all of those, while it was better annually in 34. The biggest annual improvements in seriously underwater mortgages came in Wyoming (share of mortgaged homes that were seriously underwater down from 8.8 percent in the fourth quarter of 2023 to 2.4 percent in the fourth quarter of 2024), Mississippi (down from 8 percent to 6.4 percent), Louisiana (down from 10.9 percent to 9.5 percent), Missouri (down from 5.6 percent to 4.5 percent) and Illinois (down from 5.1 percent to 4.5 percent). The largest year-over-year increases in the percentage of seriously underwater homes during the fourth quarter of 2024 were in Kansas (up from 2.8 percent to 4.4 percent), Utah (up from 2 percent to 2.5 percent), Idaho (up from 2.3 percent to 2.7 percent), Georgia (up from 2.5 percent to 2.8 percent) and Florida (up from 1.3 percent to 1.6 percent). [AZ] Valley program provides no-cost home modifications for people with disabilities (12News.com, Phoenix, AZ) - full text 93 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022209 12News.com [2/2/2025 TOO PM, Trisha Hendricks, 2627K, AZ] VIDEO. When Josh Stephenson and his family first bought their two-story home in San Tan Valley, he had no idea how hard it would eventually become to navigate the stairs. "When we first moved in, I didn't think it would be a problem having stairs, but after a few years it started getting more and more difficult on my knees and ankles," said Stephenson. Stephenson has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. It's a genetic collagen deficiency that causes regular dislocations and instability in his joints. Stephenson eventually found himself either trapped upstairs away from his family or stuck downstairs sleeping on a makeshift bed. "Stereotypically, males tend to be like 'oh I don't need help, I can figure it out or do it on my own' and then we end up having a tumble down the stairs, which I've admittedly done a few times," he said. Turns out, Stephenson is far from alone. In fact, according to Housing and Urban Development's Office of Policy Development and Research, most homes across the nation are not fully accessible. About one-third of homes have level-one accessibility features like step-less entry, an entry-level bathroom, and a bedroom or an interior elevator to access those rooms. Less than 5% have the features needed to accommodate a person with moderate mobility difficulties. "It started getting to the point where I went, we might need to start looking for a new place to live," said Stephenson. But after getting connected with a Valley nonprofit called Ability360, things changed dramatically for Stephenson, thanks to its home modification program. "We can go into individual's houses that happen to have a disability, we can assess the level of accessibility within their house, we can make suggestions on how to help them be more independent in their own home, and then we can basically facilitate that construction for them," said Chris Rodriguez, president and CEO of Ability360. Rodriguez said the program just furthers their mission. "Everything that we do is geared around helping individuals with disabilities expand and maintain their independence in the community," he said. And in Stephenson's case -- in his own home. "In my case, getting a stair glide put in, helped me go from one floor to the next," he said. The program helped Stephenson's family find, install, deliver, and pay for a stair glide, which uses a chair attached to a rail system to lift a person up or down the stairs at no cost. "We were brought to tears over it," he said. "We were moved by the generosity." The home modifications not only allow Stephenson and his family to keep their current home but also allow them to stay together. "Yeah, that freedom is priceless," he said. "It's something I'm very grateful for." Ability360 did more than $1 million in home modifications spread over more than 100 projects last year, improving the quality of life and home accessibility for people like Stephenson. 94 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022210 [CA] How do insurance companies determine the value of homes destroyed by wildfires? (NPR) - full text NPR [1/31/2025 4:50 AM, Nick Fountain, 35747K] AUDIO. A MARTINEZ, HOST: Before people who lost their homes in the Los Angeles wildfires can rebuild, they need money. But how does an insurance company figure out what a house is worth when there's nothing left standing? Nick Fountain from Planet Money's podcast has been looking into that. NICK FOUNTAIN, BYLINE: Yeah, there's a job for that. Insurance adjusters who work for insurance companies trying to do the seemingly impossible task of figuring out how much it's going to cost to rebuild a destroyed house and replace everything in it. It's a job that requires some pretty weird travel. FOUNTAIN: What disasters have you worked? LELAND COONTZ: Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Ike, Hurricane Sandy, Hurricane Irma, Hurricane Odile. I'm trying to remember all the hurricanes. There's a lot of them. FOUNTAIN: Yeah. COONTZ: I always forget some. FOUNTAIN: This is Leland Coontz. He has 20 years of adjusting experience. I met him in southern California while covering the fires. So I just met this guy. He lost his house. He lost his business. Say you walk into his house. COONTZ: As an insurance adjuster? FOUNTAIN: As an insurance adjuster. COONTZ: Working for the insurance company? FOUNTAIN: Working for the insurance company. If it's totally destroyed, what do you do? COONTZ: OK, you need to try to create an estimate most of the time. So how do you write an estimate when it's burned to the ground? Well, for one thing, the concrete foundation is still there. FOUNTAIN: Like a detective, he's piecing together what used to be. COONTZ: There's always clues in the debris. Like, I've looked at debris and ashes for so long, I can look at some little wires and say, well, that's a hair dryer. FOUNTAIN: But that only goes so far, so adjusters ask homeowners for a list of everything they had. Extra helpful? Receipts and photos. COONTZ: From birthdays and parties. When grandma came from Kansas City for Thanksgiving, she took some pictures of the kids. And, yeah, it's a picture of the kid, but the sink is in the background. 95 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022211 FOUNTAIN: Then, photo by photo, receipt by receipt, adjusters will add up everything -- every tile, every toilet, every TV that was in the house -- and come up with a number. At least that's how it works in theory. Coontz says that insurers are not all that interested in the nitty-gritty details, the little line items. He says, when he worked for them, the system incentivized him to clear cases fast. COONTZ: Imagine if you're an executive insurance company. Do you have a big financial incentive to train the adjusters on how to do a sliding glass door correctly and add all of the line items? A little bit, maybe. They want to be professional sometimes, but it's not like a main driver of their business. FOUNTAIN: If you are sensing a little skepticism towards the insurance industry from Coontz, here's why -- he doesn't work for an insurer anymore. He used to, but now he's what's called a public adjuster. If a homeowner feels the insurer's estimate is low, they can hire someone like Coontz to give a second opinion. COONTZ: There's a lot of money in the details. FOUNTAIN: Now, in a statement, the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies rejected the idea that insurers prioritize speed over accuracy, saying, quote, "California requires insurers to handle claims timely, as well as diligently. Public adjusters have no greater motivation for accuracy than anyone else." But public adjusters do have a pretty big motivation -- money. They're paid a percentage of the new settlement, usually 10%, though it can be higher, which means sometimes they're a bad deal. California officials are warning fire victims about public adjusters who push their services, even in cases where they won't actually increase payouts after you account for their commission. Coontz, for his part, says he really sweats the details and regularly gets his clients big payouts that more than pay for his fee. And, yeah, if this dueling adjuster system seems like an inefficient way for people to get what they're owed from insurance companies, Coontz doesn't disagree. Is it a good system? COONTZ: No. Very dysfunctional system. The things I'm describing to you -- the neurotic level of detail, the mistrust on both sides -- the average person can't figure it out. And they get taken advantage of. I can come in, and I'll be honest, I can make really good money by doing my part in this very dysfunctional system. I make my money off the dysfunctionality. FOUNTAIN: Coontz says, yeah, these next few years might be pretty lucrative for him. Climate Resilience and Sustainability Climate Change to Wipe Away $1.5 Trillion in U.S. Home Values, Study Says (Wall Street Journal) - full text Wall Street Journal [2/3/2025 12:34 AM, Nicole Friedman and Deborah Acosta] Climate change will cause a $1.47 trillion decline in U.S. home values by 2055, according to a new study from climate-research company First Street. Rising homeinsurance costs and more homeowners spurning some risky neighborhoods will drive these declines, First Street said. 96 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022212 The study is an attempt to quantify the economic risk that weather events such as hurricanes, drought and heat waves pose to many Americans' biggest financial asset-- their homes. Thousands of displaced Americans are currently contending with the fallout from recent natural disasters including this year's wildfires in Los Angeles and hurricanes that ravaged the Southeast last fall. The relationship between climate change and home values has become a more urgent question as losses from storms, wildfires and other natural disasters are hitting new records. Climate change is making many of those events worse, scientists say, and more Americans have moved to disaster-prone areas in recent years, increasing the number of properties at risk. First Street projects the hardest-hit places will have rising home-insurance costs and population declines. The counties with the biggest projected population loss over the next 30 years are Fresno County, Calif.; Ocean County, N.J.; and Monmouth County, N.J. Other regions are projected to have higher home-insurance premiums but continued population growth over the next 30 years, because strong local economies or other amenities are drawing people to those areas. These include counties in the Houston, Miami and Tampa, Fla., metro areas. Some economists have argued for years that climate change should weigh on home prices in certain places, as home insurance becomes more expensive and Americans move to safer areas. The effects could be far-reaching. Homeowners might have to sell their homes at a loss or struggle to sell them at all. Declining property values could hurt local property-tax revenues. So far, however, the effect of climate change on home prices has been hard to find on a national level. Home prices climbed sharply in 2020 and 2021 as housing demand rose. Home-sales activity has plunged in recent years, but prices remain near record highs, including in some states considered vulnerable to climate change such as Florida and Arizona. "There is evidence that it's affecting people's behavior about where to live and where to buy homes, but only in some locations and still kind of at the margins," said Jenny Schuetz, vice president of housing at Arnold Ventures. "If you look at national population growth and migration, people are moving towards relatively high-risk places." First Street's $1.47 trillion estimate represents the effect that climate risks are projected to have on home values and doesn't account for how inflation or other factors could also affect home values. These projections also don't take into account any changes that local areas might make to adapt to climate change, such as building better flood protections. And if home values continue to appreciate at a rapid rate, the First Street figures won't look as ominous as they seem today. For instance, if home values double in the next 30 years-from an estimated $50 trillion today to $100 trillion in 2055-a $1.47 trillion decline would represent only about a 1.5% decrease. 97 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022213 Home-price gains in many areas will likely outpace the climate-related losses, said Jeremy Porter, First Street's head of climate implications research. "They just won't gain as much as they would have without the climate risk," he said. "There's a large number of communities that are going to be disproportionately impacted." First Street sells its data to companies, and its property-level risk forecasts are available on home-listing sites such as Zillow. First Street's study projects that average homeinsurance premiums will rise 29.4% in the next three decades and that the number of Americans who will consider climate risks when moving will soar, from 5.2 million in 2025 to 55 million in 2055. "One of the pain points for homeowners in the coming years is going to be affordability of insurance and property taxes," said Benjamin Keys, professor of real estate and finance at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. "There are people who are going to be stressed and will want to relocate." Mark Garcia never thought he would live anywhere but the beach. After his home in Fort Myers Beach, Fla., was swept away by Hurricane Ian's floodwaters in 2022, Garcia lived in a tent on his empty lot for nearly six months, hoping he would be able to rebuild. But after two more hurricanes, Helene and Milton, brushed past his community last year and flooded the island again, he decided to list his lot for sale last month. "We've kind of given up on the whole beach-living dream," Garcia said. "Even though we didn't have a house there anymore, seeing it go underwater again--it helped make up our decision." He moved slightly farther inland to Bonita Springs, Fla., to live with his girlfriend in a home that didn't flood during Hurricane Ian. In many cases, people will likely move out of the riskiest neighborhoods into nearby areas that are relatively safer and have more economic opportunities, Porter said. "We're not seeing mass migrations--everybody's not leaving Houston to go to Minnesota or something like that," Porter said. "But people are leaving Southeast Houston to go to Northwest Houston, because it's higher ground." How Climate Change Could Upend the American Dream (ProPublica) - full text ProPublica [2/3/2025 5:00 AM, Abrahm Lustgarten, 2950K] Houses in the Altadena and Pacific Palisades neighborhoods were still ablaze when talk turned to the cost of the Los Angeles firestorms and who would pay for it. Now it appears that the total damage and economic loss could be more than $250 billion. This, after a year in which hurricanes Milton and Helene and other extreme weather events had already exacted tens of billions of dollars in American disaster losses. As the compounding impacts of climate-driven disasters take effect, we are seeing home insurance prices spike around the country, pushing up the costs of owning a home. In some cases, insurance companies are pulling out of towns altogether. And in others, people are beginning to move away. One little-discussed result is that soaring home prices in the United States may have peaked in the places most at risk, leaving the nation on the precipice of a generational 98 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022214 decline. That's the finding of a new analysis by the First Street Foundation, a research firm that studies climate threats to housing and provides some of the best climate adaptation data available, both freely and commercially. The analysis predicts an extraordinary reversal in housing fortunes for Americans -- nearly $1.5 trillion in asset losses over the next 30 years. The implications are staggering: Many Americans could face a paradigm shift in the way they save and how they define their economic security. Climate change is upending the basic assumption that Americans can continue to build wealth and financial security by owning their own home. In a sense, it is upending the American dream. Homeownership is the bedrock of America's economy. Residential real estate in the United States is worth nearly $50 trillion -- almost double the size of the entire gross domestic product. Almost two-thirds of American adults are homeowners, and the median house here has appreciated more than 58% over the past two decades, even after accounting for inflation. In Pacific Palisades and Altadena, that evolution elevated many residents into the upper middle class. Across the country homes are the largest asset for most families -- who hold approximately 67% of their savings in their primary residence. That is an awful lot to lose: for individuals, and for the nation's economy. The First Street researchers found that climate pressures are the main factor driving up insurance costs. Average premiums have risen 31% across the country since 2019, and are steeper in high-risk climate zones. Over the next 30 years, if insurance prices are unhindered, they will, on average, leap an additional 29%, according to First Street. Rates in Miami could quadruple. In Sacramento, California, they could double. And that's where the systemic economic risk comes in. Not long ago, insurance premiums were a modest cost of owning a home, amounting to about 8% of an average mortgage payment. But insurance costs today are about one-fifth the size of a typical payment, outpacing inflation and even the rate of appreciation on the homes themselves. That makes owning property, on paper anyway, a bad investment. First Street forecasts that three decades from now -- the term of the classic American mortgage -- houses will be worth, on average, 6% less than they are today. They project that decline across the vast majority of the nation, affirming fears that many economists and climate analysts have held for a long time. Part of the problem is that many people were coaxed into living in the very high-risk areas they call home precisely by the availability of insurance that was cheaper than it should have been. For years, as climate-driven floods, hurricanes and wildfires have piled up, so have economic losses. Insurance companies canceled policies, but in response, states redoubled support for homeowners, promising economic stability even if that insurance -- required by most mortgage lenders -- one day disappeared. It kept costs manageable and quelled anxiety, and economies continued to hum. But those discounts "muffled the free market price signals," according to Matthew Kahn, an economist at the University of Southern California who studies markets and climate change. They also "slowed down our adaptation," making dangerous places like 99 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022215 Florida's coastlines and California's fire-prone hillsides seem safer than they are. First Street found that today, insurance underprices climate risk for 39 million properties across the continental United States -- meaning that for 27% of properties in the country, premiums are too low to cover their climate exposure. No wonder costs are rising. Insurers are playing catch-up. But it means Americans are playing catch-up, too, in terms of evaluating where they live. And that leads to the potential for large numbers of people to begin to move. First Street, in fact, correlates the rise in insurance rates and dropping property values with widespread climate migration, predicting that more than 55 million Americans will migrate in response to climate risks inside this country within the next three decades, and that more than 5 million Americans will migrate this year. First Street's analysts posit that climate risk is becoming just as important as schools and waterfront views when people purchase a home, and that while property values are likely to drop in most places, they will rise -- by more than 10% by midcentury -- in the safer regions. There are many reasons to be cautious about these projections. Precise estimates for climate migration in the United States have remained elusive in large part because modeling for human behavior in all its diverse motives is nearly impossible. First Street's economic models also don't capture the immense equity many Americans have accumulated in those properties as home values have lurched upward over the past two decades, equity that gives many people a cushion larger than the relatively modest projected losses. The models assume that all the past patterns of reckless building and zoning will continue, and they don't account for the nation's housing shortage, nor the difference between longtime homeowners and a new generation trying to buy now. However imprecise, First Street's work "plays the role of Paul Revere, of the challenge we could face if we fail to adapt," Kahn said. Climate-driven costs and climate risk may drive sweeping change in both homeownership and migration, at the same time that both of those factors are expected to continue to increase. It means that homeowners will need to be far wealthier, or renters will have to pay much more. Like many aspects of the climate challenge, this one will also drive climate haves and have-nots further apart, especially as relatively safe regions emerge, and discerning buyers flock to their appreciating real estate markets. No one is abandoning Los Angeles. Its wealth, density and government support make it far more resilient than places like Paradise, California, the New Jersey shore or Florida. But it will be economically and physically transformed. Pacific Palisades will probably be rebuilt to its past splendor: Its homeowners can afford it. Altadena, a middle-class neighborhood, may face a different fate: Its properties are more likely to be snatched up by investors, gentrified and made unaffordable by both the cost of rebuilding, insurance and upscaling of new homes as they are rebuilt. In that way, Altadena may prove to be the true harbinger -- of a future in which no one but the rich owns their own homes, where insurance is a luxury good and where renters pay a monthly toll to large private equity landowners who may be better suited to manage that risk. 100 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022216 Rethinking place-based economic security in the age of climate migration (Brookings Institution) - full text Brookings Institution [1/31/2025 8:53 AM, Vanessa Williamson, Ellis Chen, 1687K] This month. California wildfires displaced tens of thousands of people and caused an estimated economic loss of $250 billion. As the climate grows increasingly inhospitable, we must rethink how to provide for Americans' economic well-being. Right now, economic security is like a landline phone: tied to your home or workplace. We need to make it more like a cell phone: accessible wherever you are. The United States has long encouraged homeownership as a primary pathway to personal wealth accumulation. As of 2024, about 66% of American households are homeowners. The median wealth of American households was $166,900 in 2021; when excluding home equity, that value drops by about two-thirds, to $57,900. But climate change makes homes a less reliable store of wealth, not just because climate disasters destroy homes, but because climate risk raises insurance costs and lowers home values. In some high-risk areas, insurers have simply stopped renewing coverage, leaving homeowners one hurricane or wildfire away from losing most of their savings. The system of homeownership being destabilized by climate change was already in need of fundamental reform. Historically, federal housing programs segregated neighborhoods and prevented Black applicants from accessing the financing available to white applicants, leaving Black and Hispanic families with much lower rates of homeownership. Our colleague Andre Perry has demonstrated that Black neighborhoods continue to be undervalued. As Princeton professor Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor writes, "there has not been an instance in the last 100 years when the housing market has operated fairly, without racial discrimination." White families received 121% of the average 2019 Home Mortgage Interest Deduction tax benefit, while Black families received 54% and Hispanic families received 38%. As we have written previously, housing inequities are likely to be exacerbated by climate change. Black and Hispanic communities have disproportionately high exposure to climate risk on average while deriving a greater percentage of their wealth from home equity. And, as others have noted, the role that property values play in wealth accumulation incentivizes homeowners to treat homeownership as a zero-sum game, opposing new building in their neighborhoods and contributing to the national housing shortage. In communities incorporating climate migrants, unwillingness to build new housing will be especially damaging. Like the economic security of homeownership, the economic security provided by placebased public and private benefits will be challenged by climate migration. Eligibility requirements and generosity of unemployment insurance, nutrition assistance, and other social protections depend on what state you live in. Private benefits like health insurance often tie workers to places through "job lock." Reapplying for benefits in a new area places administrative burdens on climate migrants who are already dealing with the challenges of relocation, and, as Hurricane Katrina demonstrated, patchwork state programs can struggle to effectively administer benefits after mass displacement. As the U.S. population shifts in response to the changing climate, our geography-based system of economic security will struggle to meet Americans' needs. 101 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022217 Consider in contrast portable and near-universal programs like Social Security and Medicare. These programs reduce place-based challenges to economic security; regardless of where a person moves, they will receive their benefits. Social Security and Medicare are much more racially equitable than regressive spending like the home mortgage interest deduction. In fact, the programs reduce racial disparities in wealth and healthcare access. The structure of Social Security also encourages political participation. As the political scientist Andrea Louise Campbell has documented, the program dramatically increased the political mobilization of elders by providing them with money, time, and a direct interest in politics. Unlike homeownership, the programs do not incentivize people to use their political power to protect their own assets at the expense of others--they create a cross-class alliance of people with a shared interest in maintaining their benefits. Broadening portable social welfare benefits is therefore a critical component of the response to climate migration. Social insurance already constitutes an underappreciated part of disaster recovery that helps communities compensate for the economic effects of disasters. Expanding these programs would help mitigate the unequal costs borne by marginalized people facing climate displacement. A robust system of social welfare benefits also helps ensure that marginalized communities are empowered to participate in decisions on how to respond to climate change. No set of policies will eliminate the devastating consequences of climate change, and addressing those consequences must include an energy transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy. But expansive portable benefits can protect the basic material needs of individuals and communities harmed by the climate crisis. Designing these benefits is no small task and will require careful research. A central principle guiding this research must be a reconsideration of old assumptions about place-based economic security. Federal social insurance programs, not homeowner subsidies, provide a model for Americans' economic security in a time of increasing mobility on a warming planet. [CA] More Americans Than Ever Are Living in Wildfire Areas. L.A. Is No Exception. (New York Times) - full text New York Times [2/1/2025 4:24 AM, Mira Rojanasakul, Brad Plumer, 740K] Fierce winds and months of drought set the conditions for the catastrophic wildfires in Los Angeles this month. But the growth of housing in and around the city's fire-prone hills over the past few decades also played a major role. Most of the homes that have been damaged or destroyed so far were nestled in or near hillsides covered with highly flammable vegetation. Even dense urban neighborhoods like Altadena were vulnerable to embers blown from the burning hills nearby. Across the country, including in California, millions of Americans have been moving to places at risk of burning, particularly developments on the outskirts of cities that bump up against forests, grasslands and shrub lands. The rapid growth in these areas, known as the "wildland-urban interface," has increased the odds of devastating blazes, especially as climate change fuels larger and more intense wildfires across the West. Between 1990 and 2020, the number of homes in fire-prone parts of California grew by 40 percent, according to research led by Volker Radeloff, a professor of forest ecology at 102 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022218 the University of Wisconsin-Madison. By contrast, the number of homes in lessflammable areas - such as downtowns -- only grew by 23 percent. Across the West, there are now more than 16 million homes in the wildland-urban interface, or WUI (pronounced "woo-ee"). When wildfires erupt, they tend to do most damage in these zones where developments encroach on wilderness. Examples include the Palisades Fire last week, where a brush fire quickly spread to 1,000 houses and buildings in an upscale neighborhood. Or the Camp Fire in 2018 that incinerated Paradise, Calif, a town surrounded by forests. If someone had walked through these communities a week before the blazes, they might not think they were fire-prone, said Dr. Radeloff. "Their distance from natural vegetation seems way too far, but it's not," he said. Americans often move to the WUI to be closer to nature or because homes are cheaper. Mobile homes and low-income housing are prevalent in fire-prone areas. In California, many cities have restricted development in downtown areas, pushing people to the fringes. Since 2020, when the pandemic accelerated moves away from city centers, Los Angeles County as a whole lost population but both the Palisades and Altadena saw moderate gains. Data from Corelogic, a property and risk analytics firm, show that around 1 in 8 properties in California now face "very high" fire risk. In Los Angeles County, that figure is closer to 1 in 10, with newer buildings slightly more likely to be in wildfire-prone areas than those built before 2000. "Especially in the Western U.S., we've been growing like gangbusters out into the WUI for the last few decades," said Andrew Rumbach, a senior fellow at the Urban Institute, a nonprofit organization. "The amount of exposure to wildfire events is getting higher and higher." The growth of housing in flammable areas is a big reason that wildfires are becoming more destructive. Not only are there more homes in the path of fires, but with more people living near forests and grasslands, there's a greater chance fires will start in the first place. Humans themselves cause the vast majority of wildfire ignitions: a cigarette thrown out the window, or a hot lawn mower engine setting fire to dry grass. More homes in fire-prone territory also increases the demand to put out fires in often difficult terrain, which can stretch firefighting resources thin. Urban sprawl wasn't the only reason the Los Angeles fires have been so devastating. Many of the homes in Pacific Palisades were 40 to 100 years old, and had previously avoided damage in a region that burns frequently, said Crystal Kolden, director of the Fire Resilience Center at the University of California, Merced. But this time, there was more fuel and stronger winds. Much of the surrounding area used to be ranch land, and cattle grazing kept the buildup of flammable shrubs and grasses in check. Some of that land has since been converted into a park and a conservation area, allowing more vegetation to grow. A combination of a brutal drought - Los Angeles has gone eight months without rain -- and hurricane-strength Santa Ana winds supercharged the recent devastating fires. 103 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022219 "Palisades is an absolutely beautiful place, so people are going to move back there," Dr. Kolden said. "My hope is that they stop and ask themselves, how can we build back better so that this doesn't happen again." Its hard to imagine that millions of Americans will suddenly stop living near wildlands. That makes it critical to do more to protect homes and communities against fire. "We need to start looking at these wildfires as inevitable and learn to coexist with them," said Max Moritz, a wildfire expert at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Protections include building houses that are better fortified against burning embers carried by the wind, which can blow into homes through vents in the eaves or sides. It would also include creating more "defensible space" around homes and neighborhoods, cleared of brush and vegetation, to keep blazes at a distance, said Anne Cope, chief engineer at the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety. Since 2008, California has adopted some of the strictest rules in the country for new homes in high-risk fire areas, requiring developers to use fire-resistant materials and to provide access to water for firefighters. Another rule, adopted in 2023 but not yet in force, would require homeowners in fire-prone areas to remove anything flammable -such as bushes or wood fences -- from within five feet of their home. Some communities use orchards, farmland or other buffers against encroaching wildfires, said Dr. Moritz. Those actions can make a difference. After the Camp Fire, one analysis found that about 51 percent of the 35O single-family homes in Paradise built to the new codes escaped damage, compared with just 18 percent of the 12,100 homes built before the standards. But new rules take time to have an effect, and the building codes don't apply to older homes, which can be expensive to retrofit. Outside of California, many Western states don't have statewide codes, leaving it to local governments to enforce standards. In many cases, homeowners, state agencies and the federal government will have to do more to prevent vegetation buildup around high-risk areas, experts say. That's not always easy: In places like the Santa Monica Mountains near the Pacific Palisades, using prescribed fire to curb vegetation isn't effective, according to the National Park Service. Elsewhere, worker shortages and environmental regulations have hampered forest-thinning efforts. States might also impose tighter restrictions on development in some of the highest-risk areas. While some governments have paid people to move off land that floods repeatedly, the idea is rarely considered for wildfires. At the same time, California is facing an acute housing shortage, and experts say that any restrictions on development would need to be paired with an effort to allow more homes to be built in lower-risk areas, like city centers. "Encouraging infill development in cities in order to take pressure off the WUI areas is a huge part of the equation," said C.J. Gabbe, an environmental scientist at Santa Clara University. 104 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022220 When neighborhoods burn down, many residents want to rebuild quickly, with few restrictions. After the Marshall Fire near Boulder, Colo., in 2022, some communities agreed to stricter building codes, but others pushed back against requirements to use fire-resistant materials or to add sprinklers inside rebuilt homes, because it would have increased costs, said Mr. Rumbach of the Urban Institute. "People want to be safe, but in a recovery, cost and the ability to rebuild quickly are also important," said Mr. Rumbach. "You often see this tension between the two." Rising home insurance costs could force changes. As insurers pull back from fire-prone parts of California and premiums spike, many communities could look at ways to significantly lower their risk, said Dr. Kolden of the University of California, Merced. Some communities have started: In 1990, after the Painted Cave Fire hit Santa Barbara, Calif., burning 427 homes and killing one person, the nearby community of Montecito took action. The local fire protection district now works with residents to harden homes against fire, thinning out native shrubs on private property and requiring changes in building codes, such as wider driveways for fire engines. Those efforts were tested in the Thomas Fire in 2017, when high winds brought flames to Montecito's doorstep. This time, only seven houses were destroyed. "There are lots of disasters we have limited control over," said Dr. Kolden. "But fire is one we do have control over. We can control the fuel. We can control what our structures look like." "It's hard when it's not fire season to keep up that momentum," she added. "But right now, in the wake of a disaster, every other community that has any kind of fire danger should be looking at what they can change and saying, `Today's the day we start."' [CA] California should expedite rules to mitigate wildfires, lawmakers say (Los Angeles Times, CA) - full text Los Angeles Times [2/2/2025 6:00 AM, Alex Wigglesworth, 17996K, CA] California lawmakers are calling on the state to expedite rules that some scientists and fire officials say may have helped mitigate the damage from Los Angeles' devastating wildfires. The idea is simple: by keeping the first 5 feet around a home clear of flammable vegetation, wooden fencing and debris, homeowners can reduce the risk of embers igniting their property -- and, with that, the chances of an urban conflagration, in which flames spread from structure to structure. The California Legislature in 2020 passed a bill requiring property owners in fire-prone areas to maintain so-called ember-resistant zones around their homes. The legislation tasked the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection with writing up rules governing exactly what this should look like by Jan. 1, 2023. But the board still hasn't done so, and doesn't yet have a firm timeline for when they'll be finished. Asked why the rule-making is more than two years behind schedule, board executive officer Edith Hannigan responded with a statement saying the agency is still in the "prerule-making phase" of developing the standards and is focused on finding options for 105 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022221 financial assistance and education to help people comply with them. "There are many facets to consider as part of this complex process," she said. State Sen. Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica), who represents fire-ravaged Malibu and Pacific Palisades, is unhappy with the delay and is examining how the Legislature might prod the agency to pick up the pace, saying it's important for the standards to be in place as homeowners rebuild. "I'm frustrated that these regulations haven't come out of the Board of Forestry yet," said Allen, who chairs the subcommittee that approves the board's budget. "After seeing my community burn, I want to see them take action." Sen. Henry Stern (D-Calabasas) is also calling on the board to move more quickly. "We cannot afford to kick the can down the road," he said in a statement, calling the rules a matter of life and death for homeowners and their neighbors. "As we push to rebuild the Southland, we must also ensure our communities still standing around California won't be next." In both the Palisades and Eaton fires, brush burning amid fierce Santa Ana winds spewed embers that ignited homes. Flames spread along privacy hedges and fences to neighboring properties, overwhelming firefighting resources, according to a preliminary report from the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety. The goal of an ember-resistant zone -- also known as zone zero -- is to sever connections between properties to reduce the risk of that kind of spread, multiple experts said. Such precautions also lessen the chance of a home igniting by depriving embers of material to burn up against a structure, they said. "We definitely know from our research and post-fire analyses of defensible space that zone zero is the most critical," said Steve Hawks, the institute's senior director for wildfire. The fires took place during such extreme weather that even if one homeowner took all the proper precautions, winds could have helped embers ignite a neighboring structure and then spread, said Los Angeles County Fire Department Forestry Division Chief Ron Durbin. At the same time, he said, having 5-foot ember-resistant zones around homes "still would have made a difference, had everybody done it right." Rep. Laura Friedman (D-Glendale) introduced the zone zero legislation when she served in the state Assembly, following a string of destructive fires in 2017 and 2O18 that highlighted the need to be more proactive in preparing for such conflagrations, she said. "I'd say it's way past time to get these regulations written and pushed out to the public," Friedman said. Once written, the standards will apply to both new construction and existing homes in areas designated by the state to be at high risk of wildfire. Those areas may soon change, as legislation passed in 2021 required the California fire marshal to expand fire hazard severity mapping in areas of the state where local governments are responsible for fire suppression. 106 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022222 Those maps will be based on an updated wildfire hazard model that takes into account new science informing local climate data and improved predictions of how fires spread and how and where embers travel, said California Fire Marshal Daniel Berlant. That will likely result in more areas being characterized as fire-prone, especially dense communities close to wildland areas such as Altadena, portions of which were razed by the Eaton fire, Durbin said. The new maps, expected to be sent to affected cities for adoption this month, could result in more homes being required to comply with both existing brush clearance programs and the pending zone zero regulations, as well as, for new construction, the state's wildfire building code. Some may find that onerous: Though the zone zero bill faced no formal organized opposition, several legislators recall getting an earful from property owners concerned about the cost or aesthetics of removing plants and fences from around their homes. "Certainly there are people who will say it's not the state's responsibility to tell private property owners what they should do with their land, full stop," Friedman said. "But if you're living in a community that's in a high fire zone, we have to realize that one property that's patently unsafe can put a whole neighborhood at risk." Bill Dodd, a retired Democratic state senator who represented fire-prone areas including Napa County and part of Sonoma County, said many homeowners resisted zone zero regulations even after fires damaged their communities in 2017. "Even after the fires in Napa, we had people that said, 'I'm never taking out my trees,- he said. Before leaving the Senate last year, Dodd authored successful legislation giving property owners three years to comply with any zone zero rules, saying he was concerned about the costs to rural homeowners. That three-year phase-in is to apply only to those who need to retrofit their property, not to new construction. Friedman, however, said the rules could save homeowners money in the long run by incentivizing insurance companies to continue writing policies covering homes in fireprone areas. And both she and Allen pointed out that the cost of complying is far outweighed by that of losing one's home to fire. "After either losing their homes, being evacuated from their homes, seeing friends losing homes, people don't want to play around." Allen said. "I think there's an appetite for more serious regulation when it comes to ensuring that our communities are better prepared for catastrophic wildfires." Board of Forestry staff aim to have a draft proposal of the rules "as soon as is feasible," Hannigan said in her statement. The fire marshal must then approve them. Hannigan pointed out that many local jurisdictions, including San Diego and Napa counties, the Orange County Fire Authority, Rancho Santa Fe, San Rafael, Santa Rosa, Ben Lomond, Humboldt and Laguna Beach, have already adopted their own zone zero ordinances in the meantime. L.A. County hasn't adopted such an ordinance pending guidance from the state, but inspectors of new construction projects have been instructed to write up vegetation 107 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022223 growing on a structure as a violation, Chief Durbin said. He attributes the state's delay in enacting the rules to difficulty forging consensus on exactly what they should look like. "There's probably a little bit of politics involved associated with insurance and aesthetics and trying not to upset people," he said. "But when it's between upsetting people and having a home standing, having a home standing has got to be the most important piece." [CA] Is La Jolla ready for a wildfire? A look at evacuation routes and safety measures just in case (San Diego Union Tribune, CA) - full text San Diego Union Tribune [2/2/2025 11:00 AM, Noah Lyons, Ashley Mackin Solomon, 2212K, CA] With the recent "Gilman fire" in La Jolla, other fires in the San Diego region and the catastrophic wildfires in Los Angeles County still fresh in the minds of many nervous Southern Californians, the topic of fire safety has again come to the forefront. For La Jollans, that comes with questions about where and how to evacuate in case of a fire, how to minimize damage to one's home and what sources of information are available in an emergency. The brush fire near Gilman Drive and Via Alicante broke out the afternoon of Jan. 23. About 175 firefighters responded and kept the fire to three acres, according to San Diego Fire-Rescue Department spokesman Jose Ysea. It threatened some nearby homes and triggered evacuation orders, including at Torrey Pines Elementary School, and additional evacuation warnings. A week later, an official with the San Diego Metro Arson Strike Team said the fire started in a homeless encampment. MAST representatives did not immediately respond to the La Jolla Light's request for more information. One of the primary worries La Jolla residents voiced in the wake of the Gilman fire was about the traffic crowding the streets during the evacuation orders. "The only real problem was the traffic," Torrey Pines Elementary Principal Keith Keiper told the Light soon after. "We had three kids that couldn't get picked up because their parents were stuck in traffic. So we waited with them." Complaints about the traffic as people tried to evacuate filled social media. "If there was a real fire danger, one would never gotten out alive," according to one post. "The SDPD [San Diego Police Department] had all the streets [in the area] shut down and routed everyone to two lanes which were impassable. .. . Nothing was moving." There needs to be "some kind of evacuation plan and to ensure there is some kind of traffic control in a town that already has gridlock traffic at certain times of the day," according to another resident. "This truly could have been a horrible disaster!". A key factor in a swift evacuation is establishing a plan with family members and other loved ones, according to San Diego Fire-Rescue Department Capt. Paul Shuttleworth, whose Station 16 is off Via Casa Alta on Mount Soledad in La Jolla. Although traffic leaving La Jolla can quickly become congested and "the obvious routes 108 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022224 are going to be taken," swift response to evacuation orders will yield the best results, Shuttleworth said. "It is most beneficial to get out as soon as possible," he said. "That way we can go to work without having to worry about rescuing people or any impediment [of] our progress in trying to knock down fires." However, La Jolla's unique topography -- bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and canyons to the east -- doesn't leave a lot ways in or out, and several involve taking the often-congested Torrey Pines Road. Here are some of the possible evacuation routes: Torrey Pines Road: east to La Jolla Parkway to reach Interstate 5 and State Route 52; or north on Torrey Pines from the La Jolla Parkway intersection to eastbound La Jolla Village Drive to reach 1-5; or continue north on North Torrey Pines Road from the La Jolla Village Drive intersection through the UC San Diego area to Genesee Avenue; or continue north on North Torrey Pines to the Del Mar area. La Jolla Shores Drive: north to North Torrey Pines Road. La Jolla Scenic Drive North: north to eastbound La Jolla Village Drive. Gilman Drive: north to eastbound La Jolla Village Drive; or continue north on Gilman through UCSD; or go south on Gilman to reach I-5 or continue to La Jolla Colony Drive toward University City. Villa La Jolla Drive: north to eastbound La Jolla Village Drive; or continue north on Villa La Jolla through the UCSD area; or go south on Villa La Jolla to eastbound Nobel Drive or continue to northbound or southbound Gilman Drive. La Jolla Scenic Drive South (from south of the Mount Soledad National Veterans Memorial): south to southbound La Jolla Mesa Drive to the Pacific Beach area. Soledad Mountain Road: south to the Pacific Beach area. La Jolla Boulevard: south to the Pacific Beach area. "No matter what the incident is, the goal is going to be getting you to a place of maximum safety," San Diego police traffic officer Mark McCullough previously told the Light. "Sometimes the safest place is going to be your residence." All escape routes are "constantly evaluated to see what we have to change to make them better, because while all those people are going out, all our people are going in," McCullough said. UC San Diego, often viewed as a miniature city, has its own way of handling evacuations and other emergency situations. The university uses a mass notification system called Triton Alert to communicate with its campus community, including where to go. The system sends a message to all UCSD email accounts and everyone who has registered to receive text alerts on a mobile device. Whether and where to evacuate depends on the location and type of emergency, said university spokeswoman Jen Jordan. "Our evacuation plan is based on our experience with past events when people attempted to leave UC San Diego at the same time, which is typically not effective," Jordan said. "Our plan focuses on protecting people in their current location on campus, if it is safe. If the location might not be safe, our efforts would support moving people who might be in danger to safer locations on campus. This information would be provided by Triton Alert." 109 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022225 Though everyone hopes it won't happen, the potential for a wildfire always exists, Shuttleworth said. "When you live in a place where there's an urban interface with the brush, low humidities, low moisture and Santa Ana winds, it can and did happen," he said. "Fortunately ... we were able to get a handle on it." During the Gilman fire, he said, strike teams were available, as well as "all immediate fire engines in the area," enabling firefighters to halt the flames in less than two hours. In case of future emergencies, first responders say small preventive measures can help curb the spread of a fire and help the fire department do its job. It starts with "obvious" maintenance, Shuttleworth said, from clearing dead and excess brush and other vegetation, ensuring space between combustible items and a home, and cleaning pine needles and leaves from rooftops and gutters. Decluttering the inside of a home also helps prevent the loss of important items and helps curb a fire's spread. "When we talk about fire prevention, it's all the little things that we do like brush management," Shuttleworth said. "Mitigate as many things as possible that have that combustion factor. [With] one little ember, that spark turns into a burning ember and then into a flame. It's not like we can mow everything down. We can do all the prevention we want, but the other thing that's going to help is a quick and steady response from the fire department." In a video posted on social media by the city of San Diego, Fire-Rescue Department Assistant Chief of Operations Dan Eddy assured San Diego residents that firefighters are prepared "for any fire that comes their way." The department has 52 fully staffed fire stations with 53 engines, 13 ladder trucks, seven battalion chiefs and multiple special units, he said. "San Diego Fire continually monitors the weather throughout the day," Eddy said. "By doing so, we ensure we have the proper staffing and proper amount of personnel and apparatus to ensure your safety." Similar assurances were offered by Deputy Fire Chief Brent Brainard at the Jan. 9 La Jolla Town Council meeting as he fielded residents' safety concerns amid the "jawdropping" scale of the Los Angeles County fires. "I know there's a lot of questions going around about how the city of San Diego is prepared," Brainard said. "I can tell you, we are prepared for what we're seeing in the city [of Los Angeles]. All our stations are staffed, all our apparatuses are in service ... all of our fire hydrants are looking just fine." Brainard added that three fire crews were sent to examine the northern region of San Diego. Since then, several fires have broken out across San Diego County, including near Fashion Valley mall in Mission Valley, in Rancho Bernardo and in the Otay Mountain area near the U.S.-Mexico border. Each blaze was contained, though the 6,625-acre Otay brush fire lasted nearly a week. The county is looking to boost its response to the threat of wildfires. The Board of Supervisors voted 4-0 on Jan. 28 to pursue funding to buy a second firefighting 110 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022226 helicopter for night water drops, as well as buying four water tenders, which cost nearly $1 million each and an additional $750,000 per tender per year to cover staffing costs. Finding money for those items will be considered for the budget for the next fiscal year, which starts July 1. The county has nearly $4 million in hand but needs to come up with $14 million to pay for the helicopter. Supervisors also hope to analyze brush management money and methods to clear hazardous vegetation, and to get a better handle on the region's fire preparedness. That includes learning more about water supply and hydrant systems, the approach to public safety-oriented power shutoffs and hearing from the insurance industry about related issues facing homeowners. Several resources are available to residents to help them stay informed about wildfire spread, evacuation orders and other emergency services. The Fire-Rescue Department offers a Personal Wildland Fire Action Guide for download at sandiego.gov/fire/ready-set-go. The guide, prepared by the International Association of Fire Chiefs' Ready Set Go! program, provides tips and tools for preparing an individualized household plan for wildfires, including information about defensible space, fire-resistant home materials and emergency supplies to keep on hand. Genasys Protect (protect.genasys.com), formerly known as Zonehaven Aware, says it "helps communities and first responders plan, communicate and execute evacuations. ... Residents can look up their addresses using the search bar and use the zone map to find evacuation information for their area.". Watch Duty (app.watchduty.org) is a wildfire mapping app that alerts users of nearby fires and firefighting efforts in real time. PulsePoint (pulsepoint.org) is a community first-responders application that enables people trained in CPR to receive an alert that tells them where someone is suffering cardiac arrest and where they can find the nearest automated external defibrillator, or AED. Facility inspections, alarm permits and more are available through Fire-Rescue's community risk-reduction web page at sandiego.gov/fire/fireprev. San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria's field representative Fatima Maciel said the city will present an information session on fire safety in City Council District 1, which includes La Jolla, on a date and location to be determined. "The council president's office is looking ... to create a District 1 communitywide ... meeting ... in conjunction with the San Diego Fire Safety Council," Maciel said. The City Council president is District 1 representative Joe LaCava, who lives in La Jolla. Topics may include how to protect one's home, abate brush and otherwise get involved in preparation. Here are tips from the Personal Wildland Fire Action Guide on how to protect your home and otherwise prepare for a wildfire: Create a buffer zone between your home and dense vegetation by removing weeds, dry grass and brush as much as 100 feet around your home or to the property line to help keep flames away and reduce the risk of ignition from flying embers. If your home is 111 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022227 within one mile of a natural area, it may be considered part of an ember zone. Build balconies, decks and eaves with noncombustible materials and don't store combustible items under them. If there is a fire threat, move any outdoor furniture into your home. Block off all open spaces on your roof and regularly remove any combustible materials such as pineneedles and leaves from the roof and rain gutters. Use corrosion-resistant metal mesh to screen all vents, and check them regularly to remove any debris that collects in front of the screen. Build fencing with noncombustible materials wherever possible and regularly clear away debris. Ensure wooden fences do not connect directly to the house. Install weatherproofing around your garage door, and if the garage is attached to your home, make sure the interior door is solid and on self-closing hinges. Wherever possible, use dual-paned windows with temperedglass, as they are less likely to shatter from the heat of a fire. Ensure your chimney or stovepipe outlets are equipped with a spark arrestor with a mesh size no larger than a half-inch. Have multiple garden hoses that are long enough to reach any area of your home and other structures on your property. If you have a pool, consider a pump to use the water in case of a fire. Create an action plan for your household, including all animals, that includes communication plans and evacuation meeting locations at predetermined, low-risk areas and rehearse it regularly. Plan and practice several different evacuation routes. Sign up for an emergency notification system. Have fire extinguishers on hand and make sure everyone in your household knows how to use them. Ensure that everyone in your home knows where your gas and electric shutoff controls are and how to use them. Have a portable radio or scanner so you can stay up to date on fire and weather announcements. Assemble a go kit for the household and keep an extra one in your vehicle. Emergency supplies recommended by the American Red Cross include: a gallon of water per person per day for three days and a three-day supply of nonperishable food; a first-aid kit and sanitation supplies, including toilet paper and wipes; a flashlight, batterypowered radio and extra batteries; an extra set of car keys, credit cards, cash or traveler's checks; extra eyeglasses, contact lenses and medications; important household documents and contact numbers, including insurance; easily carried valuables, including personal electronic devices and chargers; a pair of extra shoes; and a printed map marked with evacuation routes. In case of fire, close all windows and doors, remove all shades and curtains from windows, open all blinds (except metal ones), move furniture away from windows and doors, turn off pilot lights and air conditioning units and leave your lights on so firefighters can see your house in smoky conditions. Disaster Recovery Trump's talking about shutting down FEMA. Republicans hate that idea. (Politico) - full text 112 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022228 Politico [2/2/2025 1:32 PM, Zack Colman] President Donald Trump's suggestions that he might shut down the federal agency charged with responding to disasters are running into trouble with Republican lawmakers. Deeply red states are experiencing some of the costliest disasters, and lawmakers from those states fear that eliminating Federal Emergency Management Agency would leave them on the hook for increasingly expensive bills. So while they're open to overhauling FEMA, congressional Republicans said they flatly reject the idea of abolishing the agency. "FEMA can't go away," Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) told reporters last week. "I think the first job of the federal government is to protect people and property." Trump's broadsides against FEMA came amid multibillion-dollar recovery efforts from Hurricanes Helene and Milton last fall and California wildfires that devastated the Los Angeles area in January. Speaking to reporters on Jan. 24 in deluged western North Carolina, he said he would "begin the process of reforming FEMA or getting rid of FEMA." "I think we're going to recommend that FEMA go away," said Trump, who has criticized the agency's handling of catastrophes in North Carolina and elsewhere. He added, "I'd like to see the states take care of disasters." The president's criticism of FEMA's behavior rang true to North Carolina officials still dealing with recovery from Helene, which scientists said climate change undoubtedly made wetter and more destructive. These officials lamented what they called a slow response by the agency in the early days, unclear guidance and cumbersome rules for rebuilding. Yet they cautioned against ending FEMA's role entirely, fearing states alone could not shoulder some of the logistical and financial burdens for disaster recovery. "I think [FEMA] failed me. But it may have been that they were completely out of resources," said North Carolina state Rep. Mark Pless, a Republican representing a western North Carolina district Helene ravaged. "I don't want to beat up on them. But if they failed, I want to know why they failed -- and I want to know what we can do to make a difference." Later, Trump via executive order created a council to review federal disaster recovery policies at FEMA. Cameron Hamilton, whom Trump installed as acting FEMA administrator, said changes are afoot at the agency. "We have some work to do at@FEMA, and we are ready to implement the President's agenda and reform FEMA to better serve the American people," he posted on X. In the order, Trump expressed "serious concern" that political biases influenced FEMA decision-making. He has trained much of his ire for federal recovery spending on California by slamming its handling of wildfires, with Republicans now mulling tying other political conditions to disaster relief dollars. (Those could include demanding that California require voter ID at the polls, Trump said during his visit to the state.) But Kennedy said the federal government would "help our neighbors in the time of need -- and we'll end up helping our neighbors in California." 113 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022229 Trump also lamented that FEMA had "unfairly treated" North Carolinians, who voted for him in last year's election. The recent disasters have brought fresh attention to the immense costs of helping communities rebuild from catastrophes and the federal government's role in recovering from disasters. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimated that damage from Helene and Milton totaled $78.7 billion and $34.3 billion, respectively. Total economic loss from the California wildfires, which accounts for more than property damage, could hit $275 billion, according to AccuWeather. Once a president approves a governor's disaster request, FEMA begins coordinating with local and state emergency managers who lead the response and recovery effort. FEMA can also then reimburse governments, typically up to 75 percent, for disasterrelated costs such as debris removal and rebuilding public infrastructure. It also can provide funds to eligible individuals for home repairs, rental assistance and other needs. Spending on those programs totaled $274.3 billion since August 2017, according to FEMA. Republican lawmakers echoed Trump's concerns about FEMA's efficiency, arguing that its programs deserve inspection to ensure they are properly serving people, and voiced support for changes at the agency. Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) said he understood Trump's comments as a call for an earnest review of FEMA spending. As governor of the frequently hurricane-ravaged state, Scott said what FEMA was willing to reimburse "shocked" him, arguing that the agency's operations encourage wasteful spending. He said clarifying state and federal disaster recovery roles would help, though he did not advocate ending FEMA involvement. "As the governor, you'd like to have the support of your federal government," he told POLITICO. But the hesitation to completely ditch FEMA spans the Republican Party. Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) said FEMA officials assisting with the Helene recovery are working "very hard," but the agency has become too politicized. But he suggested an "overhaul" rather than disbanding FEMA. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) said FEMA needs to be "reorganized" by letting states take the lead across a broad sweep of disaster recovery. And Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.) responded with a simple, "No," when asked whether FEMA should "go away," as Trump mused. That may owe to the fact that Republican-leaning states have been among the most reliant on FEMA aid, said Michael Coen, who was FEMA chief of staff in the Obama and Biden administrations. States and local governments would have to budget to cover the costs of any policy change that reduces the amount of federal disaster assistance as the severity and frequency of climate change-fueled disasters exact a toll on an everexpanding stretch of the country. "I think Republican governors would probably have something they'd want to say about 114 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022230 that," Coen said. Such a change would hit Republican states hard, according to FEMA data compiled by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Texas, Louisiana and Florida, all of which backed Trump in the last three elections, received the most FEMA federal disaster assistance for individual households from 2015 through 2024. The totals did not account for Helene or Milton, both of which rollicked GOP-leaning states and districts. As of Jan. 21, a FEMA spokesperson said the agency had awarded $315 million to 159,000 North Carolina households for Helene recovery. As Republicans look across the federal government for cuts, few are willing to take a cleaver to federal disaster spending given their districts may one day end up in need. Even when they've tried it, they've largely failed: While 23 Texas House Republicans and both its Republican senators unsuccessfully tried to block Hurricane Sandy relief for the Northeast in 2012, most backed federal aid for Texas' 2017 recovery from Hurricane Harvey, which dropped more than 50 inches of rain over Houston. "We've seen this pattern show up in the past where a Republican senator or congressman will say, 'You know, this is too much disaster aid. We should cut back on disaster aid,'" said A.R. Siders, an assistant professor at the University of Delaware and a faculty member of its Disaster Research Center. "Then a disaster happens in their state, and then suddenly they're very pro-disaster aid. This kind of rhetoric is easy to say and hard to stick to." Pless said change is warranted because FEMA has been slow to authorize recovery activities and direction to North Carolina. But he acknowledged that the state cannot replace some of the agency's functions. such as executing contracts for mobile homes to shelter displaced people. FEMA can quickly dispense resources through its budget authority, which is helpful in a state without a full-time legislature like North Carolina. Structurally, the state isn't yet ready to assume that role, he said. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) said she's discussing potential changes to FEMA with Hamilton, the acting chief. She floated letting states take control of disaster recovery, citing slow response time and allegations of political bias by FEMA officials. She suggested states could tap the National Guard for help if recovery expenses exceed budgets. And she recommended that FEMA waive a regulation that limits home repairs in high-risk flood zones if costs amount to at least 50 percent of the property's market value -- a rule intended to prevent repeat damage, but that also brings significant expense for homeowners. "Just hearing directly from my constituents, the current FEMA program that's in place is an absolute nightmare and mess," she said. States can ask to take control of certain recovery functions and send FEMA a bill later for repayment, said a former FEMA official who was granted anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. But what Trump floated sounds more like a wholesale change to put states in the lead, the official said. Such a system would likely create myriad challenges, the former official said. Many states lack the capacity or experience to budget for disasters. And emergency managers routinely criticize an existing Department of Housing and Urban Development disaster 115 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022231 recovery program that requires states to front the money, with many waiting years for reimbursement. "That's not exactly the solution either," the ex-FEMA official said. The University of Delaware's Siders acknowledged, however, that some changes could make sense. Climate change and demographic shifts putting homes. infrastructure and other assets in more vulnerable places are increasing the costs of disasters in those areas. But she said the damage threshold for triggering FEMA payouts is still quite low. Raising that level could leave major disasters to the federal government while putting states in charge of smaller events. But unlike the federal government, local governments must balance their budgets, said Zeb Smathers, the Democratic mayor of Canton, a town in western North Carolina where Helene-induced flooding destroyed homes and businesses. He wondered aloud how local governments could pay for recoveries if the tab grew out of control. "I heard President Trump's statements. I took them as he said them," he said. "What does that mean? When would you get paid? What would happen? There's so many questions that are attached to doing what he proposed." Wildfire zones contain $11B worth of mortgaged properties (National Mortgage News) - full text National Mortgage News [2/3/2025 12:01 AM, Brad Finkelstein, 35K] Homeowners in the neighborhoods exposed to the Los Angeles-area wildfires are already showing signs of financial stress, daily mortgage data tracked by ICE Mortgage Technology is finding. Nearly 5% fewer mortgage borrowers in the Eaton and Palisades fire zones made their January payment by the 17th day of the month, compared with December, its McDash Flash daily report found. But the heavy wave of delinquencies likely hasn't started yet, given that most borrowers had already made their monthly payment before the fires started on Jan. 7, ICE's latest Mortgage Monitor report said. At the same time, borrowers in the areas hit by Hurricanes Helene and Milton are continuing to have issues when it comes to making timely mortgage payments. "Natural disasters continue to be in the spotlight across the country, and our hearts go out to the tens of thousands of affected households," said Andy Walden, head of mortgage and housing market research for Intercontinental Exchange, in a press release. "Early data shows financial pressures building among homeowners impacted by the ongoing California wildfires, while at the same time, more than 56,000 homeowners are still struggling to get back on track with monthly payments across seven states in the wake of last year's major hurricanes," he wrote. More than 17,000 single family homes and condos were in the direct path of wildfires, with underlying values exceeding $45 billion, according to ICE automated valuation model data. Over 13,000 of that total had a mortgage, with an aggregate outstanding debt of roughly $11 billion. Given what the property values are, especially in the Pacific Palisades area, over 60% of 116 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022232 the mortgages involved are portfolio products. Government-sponsored enterprise loans are another one-third of the total, with Ginnie Mae and private-label securitizations holding a lesser share. "Unlike securitized loans, which are sold into the secondary market, portfolio loans can create exposure for lenders and investors that specialize in high-net-worth individuals," the Mortgage Monitor report said. Portfolio mortgage borrowers may lack the same natural disaster protections that conforming borrowers have. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac both allow for one year of forbearance for mortgages in their securitizations if the borrower is impacted by natural disaster. Government agencies have their own natural disaster policies, while many private-label securitizations are underwritten to GSE standards. Earlier in January, Assemblymember John Harabedian, D.-Pasadena, introduced the Mortgage Deferment Act calling for a minimum of 180 days of forbearance with the opportunity for a second 180 day period. It is likely the bill is aimed at those portfolio lenders and/or servicers. Meanwhile, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced agreements with five major lenders and then 270 state-chartered institutions for a 90-day forbearance period. In Pacific Palisades, 80% of the mortgages are in the lender's portfolio, while 0% were in Ginnie Mae securities. GSE loans made up slightly more than half of the mortgages in the Altadena area, but portfolio loans hold a rather significant 43% share. Meanwhile, home prices grew on an annual basis by 3.4% in 2024, which ICE Mortgage Technology calls the softest year for appreciation since 2011, when housing markets were impacted by the Great Financial Crisis. It was a full percentage point below the next worst years in the past decade, 2014 and 2018. On a month-to-month basis, prices were up by 0.2% on a seasonally adjusted basis in December, "a result of softer price gains in late 2023 rolling out of the backward-looking 12-month window, rather than a strengthening of prices" during the period, the report said. This report is a follow up to ICE's First Look which noted the total share of mortgages 30 days or more late for their payment, but not yet in foreclosure, was 3.72% in December, ICE said. This was down 20 basis points or 0.6% from November, but up by 15 basis points from December 2023's 3.57%, an increase of 4.02%. Those nationwide numbers show nationwide potential performance issues with Federal Housing Administration and Veterans Affairs mortgages. Walden said at the time. [NC] How newly elected officials are trying to improve Hurricane Helene recovery efforts (WRAL, Raleigh, NC) - full text WRAL [2/2/2025 5:30 AM, Paul Specht, Will Doran and Laura Leslie, 2922K, NC] Newly-elected leaders have been in office less than a month and are already changing the way the federal government and state governments will help western North Carolina recover from Hurricane Helene, the most devastating storm in state history. The 117 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022233 September storm brought 30 inches of rain, caused more than 1,400 landslides, and damaged about 74,000 homes in western North Carolina -- affecting more than 25% of the state. Officials estimate that the damage totaled roughly $60 billion in the state. More than 10,000 Helene victims have used temporary housing offered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the agency is still paying for 2,600 families to stay in hotels or motels. Still, elected leaders say relief could be delivered faster. After entering office in January, Republican President Donald Trump, Democratic North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein and other newly-elected officials are appointing new recovery leaders, proposing new bills and considering sweeping changes to the way aid is provided. Here's an update on where things stand. How much money does NC need for recovery? Helene did almost $60 billion in damage to North Carolina, according to Moody's Analytics and a report by the state budget director. That number includes $44.4 billion of direct damage, $9.4 billion of indirect or induced damage, and $5.8 billion of potential investments for strengthening and mitigation, the report said. To date, North Carolina lawmakers have enacted legislation that provides about $1 billion in relief. Congress in December approved $100 billion for disaster relief to be used to address multiple disasters, including Hurricanes Helene and Milton, the collapse of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge, and wildfires in New Mexico. Stein's office expects North Carolina to receive $15 billion of it, Jonathan Krebs, a top Stein advisor on Helene recovery, told legislators last week. North Carolina leaders, on both sides of the aisle, had asked for $25 billion from the federal government for Helene. But the state is unlikely to get that full amount unless the new GOP-led Congress and Trump agree to more spending. Meanwhile, Democratic legislators have called on the North Carolina General Assembly to provide more financial assistance to Helene victims. The state has billions of dollars in reserve accounts. However, Republicans, who hold a majority in the General Assembly, have said the state cannot be the primary source for financial assistance. Republican leaders have said the federal government should pay for most of the recovery and that, in the meantime, they're waiting to see how the state might be able to address problems that the federal government can't. Complicating matters: The state still needs money -- more than $200 million, the state's rebuilding czar says -- to finish recovery efforts for hurricanes Matthew and Florence. The federal government is also being stretched by multiple disasters. In addition to Helene, federal emergency managers have had to fund recovery efforts related to the unprecedented wildfires in California. What did Trump say in NC? After visiting western NC multiple times on the campaign trail, Trump returned Jan. 24 to tour disaster zones and speak to victims of the storm. While there, he said he was considering "getting rid of" the Federal Emergency Management Agency and instead send federal aid directly to the states. "I'd like to see the states take care of disasters," Trump said. "Let the state take care of the tornadoes and the hurricanes and all of the 118 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022234 other things that happen." FEMA helps states respond to disasters when local leaders request a presidential emergency declaration. FEMA can reimburse governments for recovery efforts such as debris removal. It also provides temporary housing and stopgap financial assistance to individual residents. FEMA has faced criticism in North Carolina for the speed at which it has delivered temporary housing units - such as mobile homes or travel trailers -- to approved Helene victims, and for its communication with victims using the agency's program for hotel and motel rooms. Critics say the agency should have moved quicker. Some state relief money isn't flowing quickly, either. The $100 million state lawmakers set aside for loans to local governments with cash flow issues is still sitting in the office of state treasurer Brad Briner. Briner spokeswoman Loretta Boniti said the office had to create a program to manage the money, but she says loans should become available soon. The same day Trump visited North Carolina, he announced the creation of a council to review FEMA. "The Federal responses to Hurricane Helene and other recent disasters demonstrate the need to drastically improve the Federal Emergency Management Agency's efficacy, priorities, and competence, including evaluating whether FEMA's bureaucracy in disaster response ultimately harms the agency's ability to successfully respond," Trump said in an executive order. The council includes three Republican members of North Carolina's congressional delegation -- Chuck Edwards, Virginia Foxx, and Tim Moore -- as well as Michael Whatley, the former state Republican Party leader who is now chairman of the Republican National Committee. Does Trump's federal funding freeze affect NC relief? Trump signed an executive order Monday that attempts to shut down government spending on grants and other aid programs through the Office of Budget Management, or OMB. The order was vaguely worded -- fueling questions, rumors and speculation about what would or wouldn't be affected. The White House put out a memo attempting to clarify the order on Tuesday, but then on Wednesday rescinded that memo. Trump's anti-spending order was temporarily blocked by a federal judge, but it could go back into place as soon as this week. Stein said Tuesday he's worried Trump's order will threaten FEMA aid if allowed to go back into effect. During a legislative hearing Wednesday, one of Stein's top Helene aides said FEMA's aid portal did shut down Tuesday, after Trump's order, but by Wednesday the money was flowing again. It wasn't clear if the flow of money for Helene relief restarted because of actions taken by the Trump administration clarifying that he didn't mean to target FEMA, or because of the court order blocking the order from going into place. Moore, the congressman and former state House Speaker appointed to Trump's FEMA review council, said he reached out to the White House and was told Trump didn't intend to shut down disaster relief funding. The state is also expecting money from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for disaster recovery efforts, but that money also appears to have been stalled by Trump's order. "I have serious concerns that we will have trouble accessing those funds," Krebs, the Stein adviser, told state lawmakers on Thursday. "We have executive orders that are encouraging those to move 119 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022235 forward, but we have executive orders that also put those funds on pause." What has Stein done? Stein's first official action after being sworn in last month was to sign several executive orders targeted at Helene relief. One order created a new state agency called GROW NC to handle the work, taking over for the Rebuild NC program that had drawn criticism for slow and over-budget recovery efforts under the Democratic governor's predecessor, Democrat Roy Cooper. GROW NC's leader, Matt Calabria, told legislators in a hearing Wednesday that the group would help drive the recovery process, "coordinating across agencies and tracking our progress." On Friday, Stein announced that his office is partnering with Dogwood Health Trust to launch a $30-million grant program for small businesses hurt by Helene. Small businesses with annual revenue of up to $2.5 million can apply for as much as $50,000 from the program. Another of Stein's first actions ordered faster delivery of travel trailers into western North Carolina. In a committee hearing Wednesday, some legislators from that area said hundreds of those trailers are sitting unused. Krebs, the Stein adviser, said state officials have made thousands of phone calls to people who lost their homes, trying to give them temporary trailers to put on their land while their home gets rebuilt. But most people will only take the offer of help, he said, if they get to keep the trailers permanently -- which FEMA doesn't allow. "People don't want them," Krebs told lawmakers. "To be as direct and honest with you guys as possible, we've made over 3,000 phone calls, starting with the folks highest in need. They're open to having a travel trailer, if we'll title it in their name and give it to them. But in terms of a true temporary housing structure, within the confines of what FEMA will allow, most people don't want them." In mid-January, Stein was part of a bipartisan group of North Carolina officials -- which also included Republican U.S. Sens. Ted Budd and Thom Tillis -- that successfully lobbied FEMA to extend its temporary housing program for eligible participants during the winter. During Wednesday's hearing, state Rep. Mark Pless, R-Haywood, said he thought the state emergency management department had done a good job, considering its limited resources. He urged Stein's advisors to continue regularly telling the legislature what they need, and how much it's going to cost. On Thursday, the head of Rebuild NC under Stein, Pryor Gibson, testified at a separate legislative hearing. He said the program needs $217 million more, on top of the hundreds of millions already spent, to finish putting people back into homes damaged or destroyed nearly a decade ago by hurricanes Matthew and Florence. Lawmakers were furious, saying the program was already over budget in addition to being years behind schedule. Gibson took over in November, after the agency's longtime leader was forced out under criticism. He said more than 1,000 people are still waiting on new homes after Florence and Matthew but that the state should be able to help all of them by the end of the year -- and turn its full attention to Helene recovery -- if the legislature gives that final cash infusion. Lawmakers could make that decision as part of the annual budget, likely to be passed this summer or fall, but Gibson urged them to act much more quickly than that. 120 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022236 What are others doing? In an interview for WRAL's "On The Record" public affairs program, Moore said he and other members of the FEMA review council plan on monitoring the agency's actions and reporting them to the White House. In the meantime, Moore and other North Carolina representatives are working to identify holes in the state and federal government response and look for ways to cut red tape. "I've seen areas that I've grown up in just devastated by this hurricane," Moore said. "And we still have thousands of people literally just waiting to find out something. And that's not right." For instance, Moore said, Helene damaged many private roads and bridges in western North Carolina -- but laws prevent the federal government from funding their repair. Moore and Edwards recently introduced a bill that would make certain repairs, replacements, and restorations of private roads and bridges eligible for reimbursement under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act. "There are communities where the only access to get there had to do with some private road or a private bridge," Moore said. "In those instances, it's a matter of public safety, we ought to take care of that. There was no insurance coverage available for it." Trump and many members of the Republican-majority House of Representatives and U.S. Senate want to cut federal government spending. Moore told WRAL Wednesday he thinks the Trump administration can achieve its goals without leaving Helene victims in a lurch. "We're going to have to do some belt tightening here and there. There's no question about it," Moore said. "But at the same time, these are hard working North Carolinians, hard working Americans who have played by the rules, done everything they're supposed to do. And you know what? They're going to get taken care of. They're going to be helped and I'm going to make sure that happens." [TX] Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham Once Again Calls on Media to Dismiss Democrats' Publicity Stunts Over Mitigation Funding (ThePostNewspaper.net, TX) - full text ThePostNewspaper.net [2/1/2025 9:27 AM, Staff, 5K, TX] Today, Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham called out Congressional Democrats for continuing to push a false narrative about federal disaster recovery and mitigation funding. The politically motivated and false claims date back to 2021 and have been successfully disputed by the Texas General Land Office (GLO) for years. The same unproven claims were previously sent by Biden's political appointees in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to the Department of Justice (DOJ) nearly two years ago and were rejected for lacking substance -- in less than 48 hours. "Congressional Democrats continue to ignore facts and offer zero proof with false claims regarding discrimination," said Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, M.D. "Two thirds of the beneficiaries of the mitigation funding -- more than 1,000,000 -- are minorities and 100% are low-to-moderate income -- surpassing the metrics required by HUD. There simply was no discrimination, which is why they rely on Hail Mary publicity stunts in the final hours of the Biden Administration instead of the facts. Perhaps the DOJ and HUD should investigate the multiple failures under former Mayor Turner's administration some of which were in violation of federal law.". 121 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022237 As Commissioner Buckingham stated previously, "The GLO developed the plan for its mitigation funding following HUD's instructions and then implemented the plan HUD approved -- five years ago. The GLO is not at fault because HUD's political appointees and the liberal advocates who controlled them wanted to hand pick who should get funding and who should not.". Commissioner Buckingham also highlighted the many failures by former Mayor Sylvester Turner to deliver vital resources to Houstonians while pandering to the media about HUD-mandated GLO oversight of his recovery housing funding. While having direct access to $1.2 billion in disaster recovery funding to meet the housing needs of Houston, Mayor Turner: Displaced 900 Houstonians from four apartment complexes and failed to provide relocation assistance to cover moving expenses, deposits, and rent increases, in violation of federal law. The GLO is still looking for hundreds of low-income Houstonians who are owed this money by law. Fired his Housing Director after he raised the alarm that Turner was violating federal law in forcing him to participate in a "charade" of a procurement process by bypassing the highest-scoring applications and awarding the contract to a single project that would invest $15 million in Harvey aid to a project to build less than a quarter of the apartments of those recommended by staff. It was later discovered that the development company Turner was directing funding to was run by Turner's former law partner, Barry Barnes. Promoted the head of "compliance" to the position after firing the whistleblower. This Turner appointee later sold city electronics to friends and coworkers in violation of the law. Failed to help Houstonians in need. A HUD audit of the City of Houston's disaster recovery efforts found that, "3 years after Hurricane Harvey, the City had spent only 1.8 percent of its suballocated grant funds, which substantially delayed assistance to participants. Further, it had assisted only 297 of 8,784 housing program participants, leaving affected Houstonians without the help they needed.". Filed a restraining order when the GLO stepped in to help the City of Houston, further delaying rebuilding assistance for thousands of Houstonians. An ABC investigation revealed Houston had rebuilt fewer than 60 homes at the time the GLO offered to help, while the GLO had rebuilt more than 1,000 homes across 48 counties. Prevented Houstonians from applying for assistance. The city's convoluted application screening process resulted in thousands of Houstonians not having the opportunity to qualify for financial assistance for home repairs. In contrast, the GLO helped nearly 3,000 Texans outside of Houston and Harris County receive about $86 million in financial assistance for home repairs. "Time and time again, through incompetence or corruption, Mayor Turner failed the people of Houston forcing the GLO to come behind his mess and deliver the resources he didn't," said Buckingham. "The GLO has rebuilt more than 2,500 homes for Houston and Harris County residents and continue to seek Houston renters displaced by Mayor Turner's housing program.". 122 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022238 [CA] The disaster aid California needs shouldn't come with conditions (Los Angeles Times) - full text Los Angeles Times [1/30/2025 6:00 AM, Jackie Calmes, 17996K] Onetime Trump "true believer" Stephanie Grisham, former press secretary to both Donald and Melania, famously told a national TV audience during last summer's Democratic National Convention that she knows firsthand that the president "has no empathy, no morals and no fidelity to the truth." She recalled the advice Trump gave her for serving as his spokesperson: "It doesn't matter what you say, Stephanie -- say it enough and people will believe you." Now add to those traits Trump's long-established refusal to see himself as a president for all Americans, notably those who didn't vote for him, and Trump's behavior toward Los Angeles in its time of need this month was as predictable as the urban infernos that erupted when a once-in-a-generation event -- hurricane-force Santa Ana winds meeting drought-parched landscape -- turned sparks and embers into incendiary devices, and homes into just more kindling. In an unprecedented act, Trump has been demanding conditions on federal disaster aid for California, even as he explicitly seeks none from the mostly red states that are rebuilding their lives, homes, businesses and infrastructure after last fall's hurricanes in the southeastern United States. During his mostly polite visit to L.A. last week, Trump didn't repeat those demands to Californians' faces. Perhaps the state can hope he's changed. But that's never been a good bet. From the fires' start, the know-it-all Trump has peddled his preposterous claim that if the states' Democratic leaders -- led by Gov. Gavin "Newscum," in his words -- would just turn on some valve in Northern California, they'd "allow beautiful, clean, fresh water to FLOW" to the rescue, as he posted on his social media site on Jan. 8. Even in his inaugural address, he lied, claiming the wildfires were burning "without even a token of defense" -- as firefighters from as far as Canada and Mexico risked their lives through 24- and 48-hour shifts. Trump is still spreading such disinformation despite countless fact-based assurances that a valve in Northern California wasn't the issue when the conflagration began on Jan. 7. Because, you know, say it enough and people will believe you. Near midnight on Monday, Trump let loose the most ludicrous version of the lie: "The United States Military just entered the Great State of California and under Emergency Powers, TURNED ON THE WATER flowing abundantly from the Pacific Northwest, and beyond. The days of putting a Fake Environmental argument, over the PEOPLE, are OVER. Enjoy the water, California!!!" The next day the president's new spokesperson, Karoline Leavitt, opened her first-ever White House briefing by repeating it, praising the boss because "the water was turned on" in California. That action, Leavitt said, was thanks to Trump's "pressure campaign ... on state and local officials there who clearly lack all common sense. Except that action didn't happen. Take it from Trump-friendly Fox News, whose Pentagon correspondent Jennifer Griffin tweeted just before Leavitt's briefing: "US 123 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022239 defense officials tell me they did not send troops to `turn on the water' in California, despite President Trump's claims overnight." Griffin was confirming the same message from the California Department of Water Resources. Trump's lies and misinformation are bad enough when Americans are reeling from natural disasters; then-candidate Trump dissembled as well last fall in misleading hurricane victims from Florida to southwest Virginia about the Biden administration's emergency response. But what's truly outrageous is Trump's repeated politicization of federal disaster aid, especially when blue California is the suffering state. It's a truism of politics: If any issue transcends partisanship, it's disaster aid. After all, federal assistance goes mostly to victims, not to state or local leaders. Some of those victims voted for Trump. As if that should matter: Only a politician with "no empathy, no morals" would condition disaster aid to a state that didn't vote for him. It's clear that Trump is playing politics. His projection is always a tell. In North Carolina on Friday before flying to L.A., Trump falsely complained that, under Biden, federal help had been too slow in getting to that hurricane-ravaged state "for political reasons" -- because North Carolina didn't vote for Biden in 2020. To a reporter's question, he said he wouldn't put conditions on aid to North Carolina (which voted for him in 2016, 2020 and 2024). He immediately added, "In California I have a condition." Two, in fact: A state voter ID law. And, of course, "release the water." "After that," said the ever-transactional president, "I will be the greatest president that California has ever seen." (Apparently Trump has dropped his idea of also conditioning aid on Congress extending the federal debt limit. Opposition from far-right Republicans made that ploy a nonstarter.) Trump's willingness to exploit disaster aid for political points shouldn't be surprising. During his first term he slowed aid over several years to Democratic-friendly Puerto Rico, which was all but destroyed by hurricanes, even as his administration sped it to red states Florida, Missouri and Texas, according to an investigation by the then-inspector general of Housing and Urban Development. And he resisted aid to California after the 2018 wildfires until an advisor showed him that ravaged Orange County had more Trump voters than all of Iowa. Before the 2024 election, Newsom called that 2018 experience "a glimpse into the future if we elect" Trump. The future is here. [CA] To Rebuild Los Angeles, Fix Zoning (The Atlantic) - full text The Atlantic [1/31/2025 11:23 AM, Jerusalem Demsas, 129344K] Day to day, most people can safely ignore that New Zealand rests along the boundary between the Indo-Australian and Pacific tectonic plates. But nature has a way of asserting itself. At 12:51 p.m. on February 22, 2011, the city of Christchurch was rocked by the aftershock of an earthquake that had struck more than five months earlier. Nearly 200 people died in this tragedy; some 70,000 were displaced. According to the Insurance Council of New Zealand, at more than $31 billion, this was the "biggest insured event" in the nation's history. Ten thousand homes needed to be rebuilt and another 3,500 demolished. As a result of this sharp decrease in housing 124 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022240 supply, the cost of shelter spiked. In the aftermath of the Christchurch earthquake, New Zealand activated emergency authority to require local governments in the metro area to rezone land for housing, and the city proper was forced to allow denser townhouses as well. According to a 2021 report to the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, the rezoning was described as "releasing decades of land in one go." The Christchurch City Council estimated that 41 percent of the housing growth from 2010 to 2018 was a result of legalizing denser housing in the city. More ambitious changes followed elsewhere, most notably in the nation's largest city, Auckland, which was pressured to allow--and fast-track--lots of new housing. A number of economic studies have subsequently shown that these reforms increased the supply of new houses while moderating prices: According to one study, rents would have been 28 percent higher without such reforms. The policy was a success, yet New Zealand still struggles to provide sufficient housing, and residents spend 30 percent more of their income on housing than the OECD average. Even with smart policies, it can take years, if not decades, to fully address a shortage. New Zealand shares many similarities to the United States. It's a car-dependent, heavily suburbanized country; more than 80 percent of the nation's homes are detached, singlefamily homes-20 percentage points more than in America. And today, America's second-largest city is facing its own natural disaster, and a set of choices for how to rebuild. There are few places in the U.S. with a tougher housing market than Los Angeles. meaning there are few places where the destruction of several thousand homes would be harder to bear. By one estimate, Los Angeles County is 500,000 affordable homes short of having sufficient housing for its residents; an appalling homelessness crisis has resulted. Now, on top of this, one estimate predicts that the Los Angeles fires have consumed up to $275 billion in total damages and economic losses. According to Redfin, 6,354 homes have been destroyed or damaged, resulting in significant downstream consequences. "A rental listed for $16,000 per month got bid up to $30,000," one agent recounted. In the coming months and years, the Los Angeles housing market, already extremely tight, will feel the strain of displaced homeowners and renters looking for a way to stay in the region as their neighborhoods undergo the long process of rebuilding. And it is a long process--just look at the state of Hawaii, where just three of the 2,000 homes destroyed by the 2023 wildfires have been rebuilt, Reason reported last week. The interminable pace is due in large part to the local and state governments' failure to shape the regulatory environment to encourage housing production. At least in California. policy makers are showing some signs of life: California Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order waiving some of the red tape that holds up housing production, such as the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). But Newsom's order applies only to properties that burned down or were substantially damaged, and it prevents new housing from exceeding 10 percent of the original structure's footprint and height. This means, in most cases, that only a single-family house like the one that existed previously can be built. 125 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022241 "I'm glad the governor and the mayor have issued executive orders to try to make it easier for people to get quick permits," California State Senator Scott Wiener, a leading housing advocate, told me. "But I think it's really important not to force homeowners to automatically rebuild the same way as before." Wiener and others, such as newly minted Representative Laura Friedman, whose district covers parts of Los Angeles, have argued that exempting infill housing from CEQA--not just rebuilding what was there before--is a crucial part of the solution. In a phone call last week, Friedman told me of a friend who'd lost her Pacific Palisades home of 50 years to the ongoing fires. But, Friedman went on, the family doesn't necessarily need to replicate their old home. "She and her family are devastated," Friedman told me, "but she told me that at her age, she prefers to now move into a condo in a place where she's not going to be worried every night about another fire." The persistent threat of future wildfires means that California's challenge is not just to rebuild what was lost, but also to build much more housing in areas less prone to wildfires to begin with. It sounds remarkably elementary: If you don't want people to live in places that are likely to burn down, you have to build in places that aren't likely to burn down. Los Angeles has tried this. Days after being sworn into office in December 2022, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass signed a directive to ensure that housing developments where all the units are affordable would get their permits within 60 days rather than languishing for months or even years, bypassing some of the onerous requirements and regulations that usually accompany multifamily housing. This change spurred production of apartments affordable to people making less than $100,000. After a little more than a year, developers submitted plans for more than 13,770 affordable units--nearly as many as the city approved in 2020, 2021, and 2022 combined, CalMatters reported last year. Some studio units are expected to go for as little as $1,800, a remarkable coup for unsubsidized new construction in expensive Los Angeles. It's exactly the type of policy that would weaken incentives to build farther out into wildfire-prone territory. In fact, the program was so successful that Bass has been backpedaling on it ever since. As the story often goes, the triumph of the program meant that a lot of new buildings were allowed, sometimes in neighborhoods where at least a few residents opposed new development and complained to their local officials. Soon enough, the policy reversals began. Bass exempted areas with single-family homes from accessing the streamlined affordable-housing permits (which make up 74 percent of the city's residential land) and then layered on a series of requirements that turned the policy from "remarkable" to "status quo," one economist remarked. Andrew Slocum, a developer who has affordable-housing projects approved under this program, told me he is frustrated by the rollbacks and his sense that political leadership isn't taking the housing crisis seriously enough. Slocum recently sent an email to the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety as well as to Bass's office arguing that the city is illegally holding up housing projects contra state law. This is not an isolated complaint. Last fall, a county judge ruled that L.A. had violated state and local law when it blocked 360 affordable apartments near single-family homes. Los Angeles is not the first California city to be accused of flouting state requirements to permit housing more 126 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022242 quickly: Malibu, Berkeley, Huntington Beach, and other localities have all come under scrutiny. I reached out to Bass's office and the L.A. Department of Building for comment, and the mayor's spokesperson Zach Seidl replied in an email, "Since taking office Mayor Bass has executed a comprehensive strategy to confront housing unaffordability in Los Angeles." Seidl also told me that L.A. permits more Accessory Dwelling Units "than anywhere else in California." This is unsurprising. Los Angeles is the second-biggest city in the nation and is almost three times as large as the next-biggest city in California. Last year, the Los Angeles Times looked at ADUs permitted per 1,000 housing units and found that L.A. barely cracked the top 10 of cities in Los Angeles County. This is the trap California has set for itself. In order to prevent costly damages from wildfires and further residential incursions into fire-prone areas, you have to provide more housing in dense urban corridors. But in order to satisfy NIMBY gadflies and antidevelopment members of the Democratic coalition, you have to make it difficult to build new housing basically everywhere. Los Angeles and even California are not alone in trying to balance these concerns. And in most contexts, it's easier to fold to short-term political pressure that prevents new construction. But the math is quickly changing. In acceding to critics, policy makers might think they are satisfying their residents' desire for stability and maintaining the neighborhood character of these communities. But by hell or high water--quite literally-- change is coming anyway. [CA] FAIR Plan gets 4,400 insurance claims from LA County wildfire victims (Los Angeles Daily News, CA) - full text Los Angeles Daily News [1/30/2025 9:51 PM, Jeff Collins, 645K, CA] Expected claims payments to Los Angeles County wildfire victims appear to have exceeded $900 million for the state's insurers of the last resort, allowing it to tap into "reinsurance" payments from back-up providers. In a statement released Thursday, Jan. 30, the California FAIR Plan reported receiving more than 4,400 claims from victims of the Palisades and Eaton fires in the past three weeks. "The FAIR Plan is accessing reinsurance to help pay claims," the statement said. In earlier statements, the FAIR Plan said it can only tap into reinsurance -- essentially insurance for insurance companies -- once it pays its first $900 million in claims. The damage caused by the wind-fueled firestorms in Pacific Palisades, Malibu, Topanga and Altadena neighborhoods consumed more than 37,000 acres, destroying nearly 16,000 structures and killing 29 people. Finances for the "Fair Access to Insurance Requirements" Plan have been under scrutiny since the devastating wildfires erupted on Jan. 7. If the state-created insurance pool runs out of money, it can invoke payment mechanisms that can affect virtually every insured home and building owner in the state. 127 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022243 The FAIR Plan provides coverage for homes and businesses that can't get policies on the open market. Consumers can only get fire coverage through the plan, often at a higher cost. In addition, owners must seek separate "wraparound" policies for liability, theft and other types of coverage. Yet, the FAIR Plan only has enough cash to cover a tiny fraction of its total $458 billion exposure. Last March, FAIR Plan President Victoria Roach told the provider only had $700 million in cash on hand. Should it run out of money, state law gives the FAIR Plan the ability to pass the hat among more than 100 fully licensed insurance companies in the state, provided Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara approves such an "assessment." Those insurance companies can, in turn, seek to pass their share of the assessment on to their policyholders as a "supplemental fee." However, it's not yet clear if the FAIR Plan needs to invoke these payment mechanisms. "We have not yet asked the California Insurance Commissioner for an assessment in response to the Southern California fires," the statement said. The last time the FAIR Plan issued an assessment was in 1994. Meanwhile, the FAIR Plan has been staffing up to meet the crush of phone calls and claims adjustment requests it's receiving. In earlier statements, the Plan said it ensures about 22% of the structures in the Palisades Fire zone and about 12% of the structures in the Eaton Fire zone. It's potential exposure totals more than $4 billion in the Palisades fire and over $775 million for the Eaton Fire. As of Tuesday, Jan. 28, the FAIR Plan had received over 3,200 claims for damage from the Pacific Palisades Fire and over 1,200 claims for damage from the Eaton Fire, the statement said. The FAIR Plan has assigned about 250 desk examiners and field adjusters to work on its claims and is hiring temporary staff, including customer service workers. Independent adjusting firms are helping with damage inspections, and thirdparty catastrophe examiners and adjusters are helping to "meet surging demand." [CA] Can We Rebuild Los Angeles? (City Journal) - full text City Journal [1/31/2025 11:54 AM, Matthew E. Kahn, Joseph Tracy, 453K] The Southern California wildfires, still burning, already rank among the most destructive in the state's fire-laden history. They have destroyed entire neighborhoods in Los Angeles, including those in the beautiful and affluent Pacific Palisades community nestled along the Pacific Ocean between Malibu and Santa Monica. The scale of the destruction and the human suffering the fires have inflicted are massive. Firefighters are continuing to battle blazes across some 62 square miles, an area larger than all of San Francisco. The latest death toll has reached 29, which would put the fires third in the state's history for fatalities, behind only the 1933 Griffith Park fire that killed 29 and the 2018 Camp fire, the deadliest of all, which killed 85. It is likely that the death toll will continue to rise and that a final tally will not be reached for some time. And many tens of thousands remain under evacuation orders or warnings, while countless others have seen their lives uprooted amid losses of their homes, belongings, and properties. Whole 128 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022244 blocks have been burned out, with photos suggestive of cities bombed in World War II. While the focus of attention rightly remains on protecting lives and putting the fires out, the consequences and implications for the future are hard to ignore. Rebuilding will be a herculean task, both in human and financial terms. Current estimates suggest that insurers could face $30 billion or more in fire losses. California has already seen an exodus of residents in recent years for various reasons. The trauma of the fires may drive others out for good, especially if they don't think their prospects for starting over are promising. Where does Los Angeles go from here? We take the optimistic view that Los Angeles is down but not out. Though the political leadership has been wanting, to say the least, amid the crisis--with Governor Gavin Newsom and especially Mayor Karen Bass coming in for well-deserved denunciation-- the heart of L.A. remains beating. Remarkably, amid the fires, the city is still functioning, carrying on most essential tasks and services. Flights to LAX continue even as the fires burn. Classes are ongoing at UCLA and USC. Economic activity continues across the city. While the rising death count is grim news, we can be grateful that it is not even worse, in part thanks to the widespread use of celiphones and early-alert systems. Los Angeles County is home to more than 4 million commercial, public, and residential structures. Most of these structures have not been damaged. Past disasters offer important lessons. One silver lining of the Great Boston Fire of 1872 that destroyed buildings across 65 acres was that the destruction created an opportunity to build anew and maximize the advantages that can be achieved from adjacent land parcels. Economic research studying the recovery of Japanese cities from U.S. bombing during the Second World War documents how even Hiroshima and Nagasaki saw population growth after the war and quickly recovered. These cases highlight the inherent advantages of successful cities, which persist even after a disaster. In time, these cities have rebuilt themselves and flourished. Los Angeles can do the same--provided that its political leaders don't hijack the process or stifle market-based ideas that will be vital to helping the city make a fresh start. While the fire destroyed many homes in the Pacific Palisades, it did not wipe out the value of the land on which these homes were built. In an era of "superstar" earners, the very rich will seek to purchase adjacent lots and build new mansions. During normal times, such land assembly is much more costly to achieve. Political intervention could inhibit these gains. Governor Newsom is already opposing efforts by private equity investors to swoop in and buy up properties. If market forces are allowed to operate, then an even richer Pacific Palisades is likely to emerge. The city would collect greater property tax revenue as long-held older properties would no longer operate under the Proposition 13 rules that limit increases in property taxes. In the short run, of course, displaced people will need to find housing. They will need daycare and schools for their kids amid significant disruption to their lives. Those who worked for these families have also experienced lost earnings opportunities. The costs of 129 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022245 these dislocations are hard to quantify. Some households will move within L.A. during the rebuilding; others will choose to leave entirely. The city has been building more Accessory Dwelling Units in recent years that will help manage some of these internal housing shifts. Urban housing experts argue that Los Angeles has been violating state ADU law by slow-walking production. Such government rules worsen the short-run rent increases by limiting the supply response. Rents will rise in the short run, reflecting a loss of housing supply that outstrips the loss of housing demand. Attempts to limit these short-run increases in rents would only deepen the challenge faced by displaced households to find temporary housing. Many homeowners in Los Angeles might consider renting out space in their homes if they could receive a high rent payment, but Mayor Bass has already expressed her opposition to such "price gouging." If market price signals can freely operate, then the adjustment costs will be lower. Apps such as AirBnb, Redfin, and Zillow will help those searching for housing. During the rebuilding, those in displaced households may have to move farther from their jobs, which will raise commuting costs. But work-from-home and hybrid job arrangements will mitigate these costs for some. The resilience cultivated during the Covid pandemic and its lockdowns will benefit families in the aftermath of this new disaster. After the fires are finally quenched, L.A. will see a construction boom. This will require an immense amount of planning, materials, and labor. The pace of the rebuilding will depend on numerous factors. Will the city process building permits and inspections expeditiously? Will supply chains for necessary materials operate smoothly? As federal immigration policy shifts, will enough construction workers be available, and at what wage? Will construction crews from around the nation descend on L.A.--and if so, at what cost? Must replacement homes be built on site? This traditional approach will slow down the rebuilding process. For some neighborhoods, allowing manufactured (pre-built) housing could speed up building time. Los Angeles construction has been costly in terms of acquiring permits, complying with union rules, and safety and environmental regulations. Another question concerns how much disaster aid will flow from the federal government to the progressive state of California. Will President Donald Trump be magnanimous, or will he demand that Governor Newsom redirect expenditure from, say, California highspeed rail projects to the afflicted areas? If the State of California and the Los Angeles region are responsible for raising revenue to pay for the recovery, then a more contentious policy debate will emerge, as taxpayers located in areas outside of the fire zone are subsidizing the recovery. The widespread destruction of adjacent properties means that rebuilding them could present a chance to start over, opening up new opportunities. Normally, it's expensive to bury power lines in existing neighborhoods while also trying to minimize disruption. In a neighborhood undergoing a complete rebuild, however, the costs could be much less. And buried power lines will boost resilience. Given that wildfires jump from one site to another, each property owner's mitigation efforts are important going forward. If my neighbor replaces his roof with fire-resistant 130 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022246 tiles, for example, my fire risk also goes down. But many owners don't take into account the benefits their own actions can have for others, and consequently they may underinvest in fire-risk mitigation. Some will advocate for tighter building codes to reduce future risk exposure, but this approach has drawbacks. City building codes tend to be uniform, even over areas that face different risk levels; they typically aim for a baseline level of mitigation. As such, they are not necessarily well-tailored and targeted for high-risk neighborhoods. As our understanding of various weather-related risks evolves, building codes should be revised in a timelier manner. Also, while homes must be built to code, they do not have to be updated over time as building codes change. This means that older homes that are more affordable will also be at greater fire risk. In recent years, for-profit insurers have retreated from writing residential property policies for those who live in California fire zones. These insurers face regulatory required price ceilings on what they can charge. As property owners in the Palisades lost access to private insurance, they opted to participate in California's Fair Plan. This subsidized plan implicitly imposes costs on the rest of the taxpayers in California. Going forward, a potential market-based approach would permit risk-based insurance premiums. Such premiums would allow insurance companies to offer policies to a broad market and remain profitable. Importantly, letting premiums vary with risk assessments also encourages mitigation efforts, where businesses and households update their properties to reduce their insurance costs. Insurers can also revise their premium pricing to keep pace with the evolving measurement and understanding of the spatial distribution of risks. The combination of state-level regulations that limit risk-based pricing and the existence of the California Fair Plan has created an incentive for the insurance industry to retreat. As private insurers pull back, adaptation efforts suffer. The for-profit insurance industry is uniquely positioned to use its risk pricing strategies both to nudge economic activity to safer locations within jurisdictions and create incentives for those who own properties in objectively risky places to invest more in risk-reduction efforts. In this sense, risk-based insurance dominates building codes at promoting risk mitigation and reducing the expected future loss of lives and property due to fires. Some commentators blame L.A.'s latest tragedy on climate change. This argument avoids political accountability for making paltry investment in clearing brush through proactive burns and clearing of material around properties, in equipment and emergency fire protection, and in testing of critical infrastructure such as water supply adequacy. These misjudgments magnified the risk from underinvestment in installation and maintenance of fire-resistant roofs at the property and community level. Fundamental reforms will be necessary in all these areas. By destroying supply, the fires will, as noted, raise Los Angeles rents over the short term. It's possible that, over the medium term, local home prices could decline if incumbent residents flee L.A. and interest in moving to L.A. from elsewhere declines. We do not believe that this scenario will play out, however. Housing is expensive in Los Angeles because the land is highly desirable and much of it 131 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022247 is zoned for single-family housing. Rezoning for higher-density housing, such as duplexes and fourplexes, would allow more intensive use of scarce land, reducing the cost-per-square foot of housing. Housing affordability would improve with more upzoning and construction of more condominiums. Such upzoning could be concentrated in areas that face relatively lower wildfire risk. Post-disaster, Los Angeles will have a unique opportunity to make such zoning changes. In normal times, upzoning of single-family neighborhoods results in higher new-density construction only when existing homes depreciate sufficiently that it makes economic sense to tear them down and rebuild. That can be a slow process. But if entire neighborhoods need to be rebuilt, then it's a reasonable time to upzone. Each parcel of land could then be built to its most economic use, improving affordability at a faster pace. Housing partnerships could provide a new market mechanism to overcome the challenges of mitigation. In a housing partnership, the homeowner brings in an equity partner. This lowers the size of the downpayment and mortgage, making ownership more affordable. In addition, the equity partner is likely to be an expert in the local real estate market, with incentives that align with those of the homeowner. When the property is sold, the homeowner and the equity partner share any gains or losses. Following a disaster, private equity could engage in equity sharing for whole neighborhoods that face rebuilding. This motivates the equity partners to internalize the positive effects of mitigation, helping to ensure that the optimal neighborhood level of mitigation occurs. In addition, the equity partners could coordinate rebuilding designs to incorporate current best standards in mitigation. They could also negotiate with builders to get better pricing and provide oversight of the reconstruction. For all this to take place, a secondary market in these equity shares is needed, so that the private equity firms could then sell off these equity shares into the broader market to diversify risks. Investors would be buying access to future house-price appreciation in these markets. Investors could diversify their real-estate portfolio by buying shares for properties across many local markets. Building a more resilient Los Angeles will require a government refocused on efficiently providing critical infrastructure and services at a lower tax burden to residents. Continuing restrictive zoning, high taxes and low-quality services will limit the potential rise in property values from rebuilding. The Los Angeles region's unique quality of life guarantees that billions of private-sector dollars will flow into rebuilding damaged communities. What is not guaranteed is how well this money will be spent. On a day-to-day basis, Los Angeles is famous for its quality of life. The January 2025 disaster highlights how living in L.A. poses risk. The opportunity to rebuild the devastated areas offers an opportunity for a more resilient Los Angeles to emerge. This would mean that in the future, the same weather conditions would pose less risk to life and property. This hopeful scenario is predicated, crucially, on the assumption that the progressive Los Angeles and California governments will start allowing insurance markets, water markets, and land markets to operate without such burdensome government regulations. 132 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022248 Freeing market signals to help direct resources will protect us better than any government officials or policies. For Los Angeles, the future will depend on how well the state and city learn from their past mistakes and other devastated cities' successes. [CA] Wildfire victims file 4,400 claims with California's FAIR Plan (Los Angeles Times, CA) - full text Los Angeles Times [2/1/2025 7:15 PM, Russ Mitchell, 17996K, CA] More than 4,400 fire-affected homeowners in Los Angeles County have filed insurance claims with the state's insurer of last resort -- the California FAIR Plan. That's enough to kick the plan's strained finances further into crisis mode, increasing the chances that homeowners statewide will see their insurance costs rise whether they live in a firedanger zone or not. FAIR provides insurance coverage to homeowners who can't find an insurer to offer them a policy because of excessive fire risk. FAIR also provides lower cost but much more restrictive policies to those who can't afford going rates. But FAIR is operating with a thin base of assets, with only a few hundred million dollars in its coffers. Claims submitted to FAIR thus far appear to top $900 million, the threshold at which FAIR must turn to reinsurance to cover its costs. Reinsurance is, at root, insurance on insurance. It provides cash when an insurance company becomes overloaded with more claims than it had planned for. FAIR reinsurance taps out at $2.6 billion. As of Tuesday, the FAIR Plan had received more than 3,200 claims for damage caused by the Palisades fire and over 1,200 claims for damage caused by the Eaton fire. More than 16,000 structures were destroyed and at least 29 people killed in both fires. The ultimate cost of the L.A.-area fires is unknown, though CoreLogic, a property value analytics company, estimates property losses to be between $35 billion and $45 billion. Pacific Palisades has one of the state's highest concentrations of FAIR Plan policyholders, with the insurer estimating its exposure in the neighborhood of $5.89 billion. If reinsurance proves insufficient to cover FAIR's liabilities, state regulations require insurance companies to make up the difference. Those companies are allowed under the same regulations to raise rates on homeowners throughout the state to provide that money. A bill working its way through the state Legislature could lessen the need for homeowner rate hikes to finance FAIR by selling bonds, thus transferring at least some of the costs from statewide homeowners to statewide taxpayers. Companies such as State Farm and Allstate have stopped selling new homeowner insurance policies in California, while others have limited what they'll cover or increased the price of coverage -- or both. According to the industry's Insurance Information Institute, California's insurers paid out $1.08 in claims and claims-related expenses for every dollar collected in premiums between 2013 and 2022. 133 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022249 As insurance companies retreat, the FAIR Plan has seen its policy count grow from a little over 200,000 in September 2020 to more than 450,000 as of September 2024. That has roughly tripled its total statewide loss exposure to $458 billion over the same period. FAIR's cash on hand totals several hundred million dollars, and its reinsurance coverage totals only $2.6 billion. For decades, insurers in California were barred from using so-called catastrophe models in setting rates. Recent policy shifts from California's Department of Insurance now allow those models to be used. Instead of largely relying on past claims data, the computer programs attempt to better refine an insurer's risk by taking into account a multitude of variables that affect a property's likelihood to suffer a loss. Another major policy change allows insurers to charge California homeowners for the cost of reinsurance they buy from other insurers to limit their losses during huge catastrophes, such as wildfires and floods. This cost shift to policyholders is common elsewhere but a big change for California, where it will raise premiums. [CA] Waiting up to 26 hours, Eaton Fire survivors form bonds in overnight line outside relief center (CBS Los Angeles, CA) - full text CBS Los Angeles [2/1/2025 7:45 PM, Kara Finnstrom, Marissa Wenzke, 52225K, CA] VIDEO. Before dawn Saturday, hundreds of Eaton Fire survivors were lined up outside a wildfire relief center in Pasadena on its last day being opened, many bundled in blankets and heavy coats as they waited through the cold early morning hours. An Altadena woman who lost her home in the deadly fire said she stayed through the night -- waiting 26 hours. "I actually was here for two days. I came two days in a row," she said, saying she couldn't make it in the day before. "They cut the line like right in front of me. And I said, 'I'm gonna stay until tomorrow.' So we did. With our friends over here, we stayed all night." Called the Wildfire Resource Hub, the relief center at Kaiser Permanente's Walnut Center building in Pasadena was organized by FEMA, Los Angeles County agencies, nonprofits and disaster aid groups. But it will soon close, no longer keeping its doors open beyond Saturday, and organizers are still working to find another location. It had been a one-stop shop of sorts, offering help with everything from food and financial assistance to fire recovery information. Several people in line spoke of losing their homes, some without insurance coverage to rebuild and many trying to move on after losing lifelong possessions in the wildfire that sparked Jan. 7. It turned out to be one of the deadliest and most destructive in California state history, killing 17 people and leaving entire neighborhoods of homes and other buildings burned to the ground. "To think that now I am in my 70s, and I have to start over, is overwhelming to me," said Dianne Lewis, saying she came early Saturday morning to make sure she made it inside. She received one of the numbers being handed out to ensure a spot in line. "Today, I'm excited because I have a number," Lewis said. "But I had to come very early." 134 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022250 Those not close enough to the front of the line would go without numbers, meaning they couldn't get in. Organizers said several people would be not be able get assistance, the demand for aid apparently higher than what could be offered at the Pasadena center. Until a new location is established, many will have to turn to other sources of aid. A FEMA disaster recovery center was being opened in Altadena this week along with other centers. While thinking of her most precious losses, Lewis spoke of looking ahead as she works to move forward. "It's all gone. I have no baby pictures of my children. I just lost my mom last year, and I lost her ashes in the fire. So that is probably the hardest part for me... because I just lost her last year," she said, her voice breaking. "But this is a journey. We need to come together as people." She spoke with a note of positivity seen among many of the people standing in line Saturday morning, some making new friendships as they waited for hours alongside individuals experiencing a common hardship most will never know. Meanwhile, others arrived with neighbors who have been facing the same journey, reflecting a sense of camaraderie as they try to rebuild and recover. Two neighbors in the tight-knit community of Altadena, the quaint town in the San Gabriel Valley left devastated by the Eaton Fire, made their way to the Pasadena relief center together. They both lost their homes and have been supporting each other since. In the hours before dawn, they sat next to each other in lawn chairs while waiting hours, one of them holding a small dog in his lap. "It's been pretty tough to find an apartment that allows dogs," William said. "It's been really rough." His neighbor, a U.S. Army veteran named West, lost the home he grew up in, which had been in his family for over 70 years. He said one of the most difficult things was "to see the devastation and knowing that everything just left us in a matter of an hour or so." "So right now, we're just trying to do the rebuild process -- all of us here standing in line -- and be strong about it." he said, saying he has turned to sources and information found online as well as aid from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. "I've never really had to use the VA like that, but now, I'm using the VA wholeheartedly," he said. "And they've really supported me and kept me above my sanity level to be strong -- not only for my neighbor and Benji right here," he said, gesturing toward his neighbor's dog, "but for my sister and people that are around me." Sean Triplett, another Altadena resident waiting in line, said he had been there since 1:30 a.m. in hopes of getting in once the center opened at 9 a.m. Like so many in the town, the house he lost had been in his family for generations. With no home insurance, he's trying to find a way forward, while still expressing a sense of hope and gratitude seen among many of the wildfire survivors. "All that's left is the chimney -- that's it. But my dog is here. He's alive and I'm alive," Triplett said. "Whatever these people can do for me, I would love it. I appreciate it. I think it's gonna bring the city closer... If anybody can help us, we're here to be helped." 135 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022251 "I don't wanna get all emotional, but I feel a certain way, you know what I mean?" he said. "And if you don't understand, you don't understand. Some people don't. They don't know. They see it, but they don't feel it." [CA] As crews clean up from LA wildfires, some residents are furious over hazardous waste (APNews.com) - full text APNews.com [2/2/2025 1:00 AM, Dorany Pineda] Not far from where Ceci Carroll lives, a rock-mining company has polluted the air with dust across the San Gabriel Valley, she said. Now, as crews clean charred remains from the Los Angeles wildfires, she worries about a new potential source of contamination: a site to process hazardous debris from the Eaton Fire. "I'm concerned about the community and also the school districts here, where we have children," said Carroll, a Duarte resident of 23 years and former local school board member. "We're dealing with the site with the chemicals and hazardous materials," she said. "Parents are absolutely concerned." Carroll is among residents from Duarte, Azusa and nearby cities opposing the Environmental Protection Agency's use of Lario Park in Irwindale as a temporary site to separate, package and transport potentially hazardous materials from the Eaton Fire. In ordinary times, people picnic, bike or ride horses on equestrian trails in the federally owned land. They now worry about dangerous waste that could pollute the air or seep into groundwater. The blazes that began on Jan. 7 charred thousands of buildings, cars and electronics across the Los Angeles area. The EPA has begun the enormous task of removing potentially hundreds of tons of hazardous materials from the Eaton and Palisades fires. That includes paints, pesticides, solvents, compressed gas cylinders, ammunition and lithium-ion batteries from electric cars that could turn toxic when burned. "The removal of these materials should not come at the cost of creating a toxic environment for communities already disproportionately impacted by pollution," Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis said in a statement. The mostly Latino communities adjacent to the site are exposed to higher levels of ozone and particulate matter pollution than other areas, according to data from the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. Experts acknowledge residents' concerns, but say hazardous waste is not necessarily harmful as long as safety measures are in place and the waste is not stored on site for years. At a town hall Wednesday, California Sen. Susan Rubio and local mayors opposing the site grilled state and federal officials: How was the site chosen? Why weren't we consulted or notified? Why truck toxic waste 15 miles (24 kilometers) from the burn zone and risk contaminating our communities? What testing will be done after it's closed? Hundreds of residents crammed into the performing arts center and spilled into the hall. They shouted "Shut it down!" and chanted "Leave it in Altadena!" 136 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022252 EPA coordinator Tara Fitzgerald told the audience that sites closer to the Eaton burn zone were being used for emergency fire operations, including the Rose Bowl and the Santa Anita Park in Pasadena. They chose the Lario Park site because it suited their needs and was available. She emphasized the EPA has done this work for years across the state. "We did the exact same thing" for the Woolsey, Santa Rosa and Napa fires, Fitzgerald said, and "we did not have any impacts to the community during the entire process." But the Eaton and Palisades fires are unprecedented. Together, they torched the largest urban area on record in California, according to an Associated Press analysis, and more than double the urban acreage consumed by the 2018 Woolsey Fire. The EPA said it would regularly monitor air, sample soil, use water trucks to control dust and transport waste out of the area daily. The agency lines areas with plastic where materials are processed and uses wattles, earthen berms and other items to control spills. The waste will be transported on surface streets, not freeways, so trucks can travel at a slower and safer speed, the EPA's Celeste McCoy told the county Board of Supervisors. She said the site would likely be used less than six months, and more areas are being considered. With these protective measures, the risks of groundwater contamination, which takes a long time, are low, said Sanjay Mohanty, a UCLA associate professor who has studied wildfire effects on water and soil. "There's several feet of soil that the pollutant has to pass through, and that also requires lots of water to leech from the system," Mohanty said. "And even if there is leeching, they would not migrate far into the soil in a short time." The bigger risks are soil and air pollution from possible dust emissions, he added, but those too can be mitigated. Duarte resident Laura Jasso did not leave the meeting reassured and remained upset about the lack of transparency from state and federal officials. "It's hard to have confidence when they've really done this behind our backs," she said. While crews continue their work, residents should be vigilant to what is happening at the site and ask how materials are being handled, about emergency response plans and truck routes and schedules, said Rachael Jones. professor and director of the UCLA Center for Occupational and Environmental Health. "The community has the right to know that information from the EPA and the Army Corps," Jones said. Jasso said her community is committed to holding the EPA accountable for ensuring safety. "Ultimately, we don't want it here, and we're going to continue to fight to not have it here," she said of the site. "But the fact is, it's here right now. And so we have to just acknowledge the safety of our students, the concerns of our families." [CA] L.A. wildfire victims face financial anxiety amid recovery: `The uncertainty is very unsettling' (CNBC) - full text 137 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022253 CNBC [2/2/2025 10:00 AM, Greg lacurci, 36472K] Alicia Kalvin awoke the morning of Jan. 7 to an urgent text from a friend: "There's a fire on your street." She hurried outside, alarmed to see red skies and low-flying planes dumping water. "I have to get out of here," thought Kalvin, 53, who lives in the Pacific Palisades of Los Angeles. Back inside, she glanced out the bathroom window and saw a hellish scene unfolding. It was a neighbor's house engulfed in flames, embers spewing into her own yard. Kalvin frantically threw on clothing. She grabbed her purse, her dog, a can of dog food and her mother's ashes before fleeing her childhood home. She didn't get an evacuation warning. Flames licked the hills of the Los Angeles enclave as Kalvin drove away. She says she's had nightmares ever since. Three days later, she returned to the area with a police escort. "I promised myself I wouldn't look, but of course I looked," said Kalvin. "It looks like 10 nuclear bombs went off. The whole neighborhood was just leveled -- markets, churches, schools. It looked like a war zone." In one sense, Kalvin is lucky because her home, somehow, is still standing. But questions about her financial future abound -- as they do for thousands of L.A. residents whose lives were upended by the recent wildfires. There's significant damage to Kalvin's home. Some sections of the exterior, including the roof, are scorched; the landscaping and artificial lawn are destroyed; the interior smells of smoke; and ash, blown in through broken windows, blankets the hallways, Kalvin said. She's trying to untangle what her home insurance policy -- the California FAIR plan, the state's insurer of last resort, which steps in when residents can't obtain coverage elsewhere -- might cover. "I'm very concerned at how much I'm going to have to spend if and when I fix up this house," said Kalvin, who is single and doesn't have kids. "Because insurance won't cover everything." Even before the Palisades Fire, Kalvin faced financial challenges. Work has dried up in Hollywood in recent years; Kalvin -- an educator hired to teach child actors on television, movie and commercial sets -- has had trouble finding gigs. She collects unemployment some weeks and funds income shortfalls with savings originally earmarked for retirement. "My future is very up in the air," she said. "And the uncertainty is very unsettling." The recent wildfires that erupted in Greater Los Angeles - fueled by hurricane-force winds and exceptionally dry conditions, exacerbated by climate change -- are estimated to be among the costliest in U.S. history. They've killed at least 29 people. AccuWeather estimates the blazes caused more than $250 billion in total damage and economic loss. S&P Global Ratings projects the L.A. fires will cause roughly $40 billion of insured losses. That sum would exceed the roughly $13 billion of the Camp Fire in Paradise, Calif., in 2018, which was the costliest blaze in U.S. history. 138 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022254 "There are all sorts of costs associated with a disaster," said Andrew Rumbach, a senior fellow at the Urban Institute who studies household risk to natural hazards and climate change. "They pile up, and many Americans don't have a [financial] cushion to rely on," Rumbach said. "Our main way of dealing with that as an economy is going into debt. That lingers for a long time." The fires, largely contained, were still burning as of Thursday. The blazes -- the largest being the Palisades and Eaton Fires -- have scorched more than 50,000 acres, an area exceeding the size of San Francisco, and destroyed more than 16,000 structures. Most of those structures have been residential houses, S&P Global Ratings analysts wrote in a recent note. The disaster pushed thousands of L.A. residents into one of the nation's most expensive housing markets overnight. They were left with countless financial questions, compounding deep emotional scars: Considerations like where to live, how to clean up, whether to rebuild -- and how to afford it all. "Individuals are dealing with insurance, mortgages, the replacement cost of belongings, temporary housing," said Sam Bakhshandehpour, 49, who's lived in the Pacific Palisades for 13 years. "There are lots of near- and long-term variables and frankly there are no answers right now." Bakhshandehpour, an investment banker turned restaurateur, said the extent of damage to his home is unclear. He wants to continue living in the Palisades, which he calls an "oasis" in L.A. -- but acknowledges cleanup of debris and toxic materials and repair to local infrastructure "could be years." Indeed, the recovery period for L.A. residents could be two to five years or longer, Rumbach estimates. Some residents may never be able to move back. "Even if there is a desire on the part of the homeowners [to rebuild], it is unclear as to whether the land will be re-zoned such that it can no longer be developed," according to S&P Global Ratings. Bakhshandehpour was able to find an unfurnished apartment in the interim. But furnishing a home from scratch has been a "massive" financial drain, he said. There are some financial backstops that can help allay such displacement costs. For example, victims may qualify for FEMA assistance. Applicants can get up to $770 upfront for basic needs like food and shelter while the government vets their application for more aid, potentially worth tens of thousands of dollars. During a state of emergency, California law also requires home insurers to issue a cash advance worth at least 30% of a policyholder's "dwelling" insurance limit, up to $250,000, without filing an itemized claim. They must also advance at least four months of coverage for living expenses. "There is no comparison to the dollars you get from a home insurance policy," said Amy Bach, executive director of United Policyholders, a nonprofit consumer advocacy group. "It has long been the most important source of funds to repair and rebuild, much more 139 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022255 than any government program, for the vast majority of people." Some insurers are paying policyholders even more than the law demands, Ricardo Lara, the California insurance commissioner, said Jan. 23. However, others "are not adhering" to those consumer protections, Lara said. The rules on advance insurance payments only apply for policyholders with a "total loss." But Julia Pollak's home is considered a "partial" loss. Her insurer, State Farm, paid a $15,000 advance on the home's contents and also authorized coverage for two months of living expenses. Both amounts are less than guarantees for those with a total loss. Her house, in the Marquez Knolls part of the Pacific Palisades, is damaged but still standing -- a white home now surrounded by "wasteland," she said. "There's a row of seven houses standing. All the rest are gone," said Pollak, a labor economist. "My house now looks out on a ghost town heliscape." She and her family -- a husband and four kids, including a newborn -- are in limbo in many respects. For one, the insurance proceeds they've received so far aren't enough to commit to a long-term lease, Pollak said. "I looked into liquidating my 401(k) for emergency purposes, but the tax consequences are not very nice," Pollak said. "So, I'm going to try not to do it." Thus far, the family has hopped from AirBnb to AirBnb. They don't know where they'll live after Feb. 5, when their current rental expires on a two-bedroom in Santa Monica. State Farm urged Pollak to use its third-party vendor to find future temporary housing -- a cost the insurer would pay for directly, rather than via reimbursement. As of Thursday, Pollak was awaiting approval for certain properties she'd identified. She worries they'll be snapped up in the interim. "As Feb. 5 approaches, I am getting pretty nervous," she said. Then, there are longer-term questions. The back side of their home is scorched. Everything inside reeks of smoke; various consultants have warned the smell won't disappear unless insulation and ducting is replaced. Contractors have recommended a "full gut" and a replacement of all porous, hard-to-clean items like carpets, couches and upholstered beds, Pollak said. They must wait for the insurer's determination. There's an additional tension here: It may be difficult to stay in the Palisades, but it's also financially difficult to leave. Pollak and others she knows whose homes are still standing worry insurers will deem their homes livable in a few months. She wonders, would they be residing in a construction zone for five years with no neighbors, businesses or schools nearby? Pollak and her husband bought their home in 2019 for about $2.75 million. Its value had grown to about $3.8 million before the wildfires, according to a Redfin estimate -- the family's biggest financial asset. Now, they likely can't sell or rent it for anything close to pre-fire value, Pollak said. "Ideally, we'd keep it and enjoy it in five to 10 years when it blossoms again," Pollak said. "But the carrying costs are so high that we can't pay the mortgage without living there and also pay for comparable accommodation elsewhere." 140 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022256 For all she and her family have endured, Pollak considers herself lucky: At least they have insurance. Many insurers have stopped writing policies in California or limited their exposure due to wildfire risk. Homeowners who lost coverage may not have renewed it, while others may have foregone insurance altogether in the face of higher premiums -- and those rates will likely increase in the future after the L.A. fires, said S&P Global. Two-thirds or more of L.A. fire victims will find they were underinsured, said Bach of United Policyholders. That means their insurance policy won't cover the full cost of rebuilding or repairing property. For example, 36% of victims who filed insurance claims after the 2021 Marshall Fire in Boulder County, Colorado, were "severely" underinsured, according to a recent study by researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder and University of Wisconsin-Madison. Their coverage was less than 75% of the actual cost to fix their home, the study found. That means policyholders rebuilding a $1 million home would need an extra $250,000 or more out of pocket, Tony Cookson, finance professor at the University of Colorado Boulder and a co-author of the study, said in a statement. State Farm, the state's largest insurer, dropped Kalvin, the L.A. resident and teacher, in July 2024. She switched to the California FAIR Plan. The policy has more meager coverage than her former policy, Kalvin said. She's filed an insurance claim but hasn't yet received any funds. As of Thursday, an insurance adjuster hadn't yet been assigned to her case. For now, her basic needs are being met. Kalvin is staying with a friend in Santa Monica and doesn't have a mortgage on her Palisades home. While her bills are limited -- largely for groceries, and health and auto insurance -- she feels stretched given it's been hard to get more than two days of work per week. She doesn't know what her future holds -- and whether it will be in the Palisades. "I probably would continue living there, because I have such love for the Palisades," she said. "It's home. But it's so changed now. And I don't know how I would feel." [HI] Maui's Post-Wildfire Housing Crisis Offers a Warning for Los Angeles (Capital & Main) - full text Capital & Main [1/28/2025 11:34 AM, Jack Ross, 16K] It wasn't the images of flames ripping through neighborhoods in Pacific Palisades and Altadena this month that really triggered Jordan Hocker's anxiety. It was the flood of social media posts about rent-gouging in nearby Los Angeles County communities that appeared in the days that followed. Hocker lived on Maui when wildfires destroyed as many as 4,000 housing units in August 2023, leveling the town of Lahaina. But as an organizer with the Maui Housing Hui, a tenant advocacy group, she has been dealing with the ensuing rental crisis ever since. After the fires, state officials moved swiftly to freeze most rents on the island and issued emergency orders halting evictions. But the measures failed to curb an alarming trend. 141 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022257 Maui residents who lived or worked in the burn zone have seen rent increases of roughly 50% in the months following the disaster, according to research from the University of Hawaii. Some landlords took advantage of the crisis, evicting tenants to make way for higher-paying renters. A year later, homelessness in Hawaii had nearly doubled. Hawaiian housing advocates and researchers say Maui's experience is a cautionary tale for L.A., highlighting the need to pass -- and then enforce -- renter protections after a natural disaster disrupts an already tight rental market. How Los Angeles leaders respond is still an open question, and a battle is currently being fought between activists and politicians over strengthening renter protections. L.A. tenant organizers, already skeptical of officials' ability to enforce the state's price-gouging law, have also begun cataloguing alleged violations themselves in a spreadsheet that now sports more than 1,400 entries. Hocker said the activists are right to be vigilant. "Unless there are aggressive teeth on price-gouging [laws], it will happen. People will do it," she said. The Palisades and Eaton fires, which broke out on Jan. 7, have caused hundreds of billions of dollars in damage, left at least 29 people dead and razed more than 10,000 homes in a county with a severe homelessness crisis. Rents in L.A. County have since increased an average of 20%, the Washington Post found, with rents in some neighborhoods closer to the burned areas more than doubling. For years, Mayor Karen Bass has said L.A. needed a "FEMA-style response" to the homelessness crisis; now it needs two. (Pacific Palisades is part of the city of Los Angeles, though Altadena is not.) The fires have spurred local leaders to protect L.A.'s renters. Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency the morning of the fires, activating a preexisting pricegouging law that imposes a 10% cap on most rent increases. The cap will remain in effect through March 8 unless it is extended. Landlords who break the law face up to a year in jail and fines of up to $10,000. They could also face civil penalties of up to $2,500 per violation. Attorney General Rob Bonta has already filed charges against an L.A. County landlord and sent warnings to 500 hotels and landlords accused of price-gouging. District Attorney Nathan Hochman, whose recent election campaign was backed by the real estate industry, has also pledged to prosecute violators and warned gougers that they would be "publicly shamed." In Hawaii, officials similarly promised to crack down on rent gougers. And in the wake of the fires, Gov. Josh Green took decisive action, freezing rents and prohibiting landlords from evicting Maui tenants for unpaid rent. Even threatening a renter with an illegal eviction could be a punishable offense, with civil penalties of up to $10,000 a day. (The Maui eviction moratorium is set to expire on Feb. 4.) But Green's emergency proclamations contained various loopholes. Tenants could not be evicted for nonpayment of rent, but landlords were not required to renew leases once they expired. Some tenants could also be evicted when an owner or their family member moved in, or if the property was sold. Meanwhile, landlords were free to raise rents as much as they wanted following an eviction. They could also pass "any additional 142 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022258 operating expenses" on to tenants as rent increases as long as they were documented, though what an operating expense might be was not specified. Rents have risen on Maui by 10% to 20% since the fires, according to University of Hawaii economist Justin Tyndall. The increases were even higher for people who lived, worked or owned a business in the burn zones, according to a survey conducted by researchers Trey Gordner and Daniela Bond-Smith, also with the University of Hawaii. New, unpublished data they shared with Capital & Main shows those rents rose by more than 50%. Like those who lived in the burn zone, people who worked there also experienced "substantial displacement" from their homes, Bond-Smith explained. Rent increases were even higher for fire-impacted families renting homes with three bedrooms or more, who saw increases of up to 80% or more, Gordner said. He attributed those increases to the pressure that the loss of so many single-family homes put on the rental market. A lot of single-family homes were also destroyed in the Palisades and Eaton fires, "so I would expect a similar pattern to occur" in Los Angeles, he said. Natural disasters that destroy homes often lead to increased rents. Researchers with the Brookings Institute surveyed rental trends in major markets following natural disasters and attributed increases of between 4% and 6% directly to the disasters -- an effect that "never fully went away," one of the authors wrote. Other research found permanent rent increases too. Evictions also tend to rise. Alan Lloyd and Alana Kay, who helped run a tenant complaint hotline after the fires with the Maui Tenants and Workers Association, said they received scores of calls from tenants whose landlords were using loopholes to raise rents or force them out and charge more to the next tenants. "When renters' leases would [end,] landlords would say, `Well if you want to continue living here, you have to pay me $600 more a month,- said Hocker of the Maui Housing Hui. "I call it `housing by extortion.- Some landlords even forced out tenants to instead rent to fire refugees, who could pay more because FEMA was covering the rent -- and dramatically overpaying, ProPublica and the Honolulu Civil Beat reported. It was not the first time FEMA has incentivized evictions this way, but it typically does so in rural areas or islands with even more limited rental markets than L.A., said Noah Patton, disaster recovery manager with the National Low Income Housing Coalition. While advocates raised the alarm about evictions and illegal increases, Hawaii Attorney General Anne Lopez "held property owners accountable in relatively few cases," ProPublica and the Civil Beat reported. The office still hasn't issued any penalties for landlords found to have broken the emergency proclamations, a spokesperson for the Attorney General's Office, Toni Schwartz, confirmed in an email. They received 247 complaints and found 35 violations, which were all corrected, she wrote. (Forty-one claims are still being investigated.) In Los Angeles, tenant advocates were already frustrated before the fires with government agencies tasked with enforcing renter protection laws. Prosecuting 143 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022259 hundreds of landlords for price-gouging "would be unprecedented," said Faizah Malik, a housing attorney with the pro bono firm Public Counsel. And protections from price-gouging are weaker in Los Angeles than they are in Hawaii. California's price-gouging law caps rent increases at 10/0 (with additional restrictions on new listings), while Hawaii officials froze rents. Furthermore, L.A. lawmakers have not halted evictions for nonpayment of rent. While Pacific Palisades and Altadena burned, L.A. County eviction courts stayed open. Meanwhile, the city's progressive organizers and politicians are trying to generate momentum for a rent freeze and an eviction moratorium. Last week, the L.A. Tenants Union disrupted a County Board of Supervisors meeting to demand the adoption of such measures. The City Council will vote Wednesday on a motion to freeze rents and halt nonpayment evictions for renters who claim financial or medical hardship from the fires. It's unclear if the motion has the votes to pass. L.A. tenants have one advantage that renters in Hawaii did not: a spreadsheet cataloging alleged incidents of price-gouging compiled by tenant activists with The Rent Brigade, a new collective organized by Chelsea Kirk and Philip Meyer. The document is a tool rarely available to agencies charged with enforcing price-gouging law, according to consumer protection attorney Marissa Roy. Roy worked on consumer protection lawsuits for the affirmative litigation division of the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office, which is one of the agencies tasked with enforcing the price-gouging law. "They're asking the right questions and compiling extraordinarily detailed and comprehensive information to build these cases in a way that lawyers don't necessarily have the capacity for," she said. For now, activists are operating under the assumption that the government won't come through. A study by The Rent Brigade found price-gouging across the county, from affluent Malibu to working-class Koreatown. "Frankly, I have no faith that all the landlords who have committed price-gouging are going to face consequences, because historically they never do," said Kirk. "I hope I'm wrong." [HI] Hawaii Supreme Court considers fate of $4B wildfire settlement (Honolulu Star-Advertiser, HI) - full text Honolulu Star-Advertiser [2/2/2025 5:05 AM, Andrew Gomes, 663K, HI] Answers to three questions posed to five justices could soon determine the fate of a stalled $4 billion settlement for close to 10, 000 Maui wildfire victims. On Thursday, the Hawaii Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments primarily from three groups of litigants with huge stakes in the outcome of more than 600 lawsuits seeking compensation from wildfires that destroyed most of Lahaina and properties in Upcountry Maui on Aug. 8, 2023. Written briefs have been filed in the proceeding, though the justices of the state's high court are being asked to weigh in on a few legal underpinnings of a ruling made almost six months ago by a state Circuit Court judge who barred insurance companies from pursuing compensation, through separate litigation, from the settlement payers. 144 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022260 At least 192 insurance companies have so far paid about $2.3 billion in claims to people and companies that lost property in the fires, which also killed 102 people. The insurers expect to pay over $1 billion in additional claims. The fires caused an estimated $5.5 billion in damage, and several entities including Hawaiian Electric, the state and Kamehameha Schools agreed in August to pay $4 billion over four years to settle all claims held by victims. However, the settlement proposed by independent mediators wasn't agreed to by the insurers despite their participation in mediation. Yet the settlement was conditioned upon insurers agreeing either to not pursue, or exhausting options to pursue, the settlement payers directly in court for reimbursement of sums insurers paid to policyholders. "As the insurers well know, their position is fatal to the settlement ... as the global settlement reasonably and expressly contemplates, no settlement is possible so long as the insurers' claims remain unresolved, " attorneys for the settlement payers wrote in their opening brief to the Supreme Court. The settlement payers, in their filing, suggest that the insurers are seeking to block the settlement to extract more money at the expense of fire victims. "This Court should not countenance that manifestly inequitable result," the brief by the settlement payers said. Attorneys representing fire victims in over 600 lawsuits also contend the August ruling by Maui Circuit Judge Peter Cahill approving terms of the deal did not run afoul of applicable state law. Their opening brief said insurers, if they prevail, could receive reimbursements without knowing if their policyholders are fully compensated for what they lost. "Where policyholders have paid the insurers to accept the risk of loss of a fire to their property, Hawaii law and principles of equity demand that the insurers avoid competing with their policyholders for recovery and bear the burden of under-compensation for any losses," the attorneys for fire victims wrote. Cahill's ruling doesn't prevent insurers from trying to claw back portions of settlement proceeds paid to policyholders if policyholder payouts exceed losses. "The settlement addresses insurers' claims, enabling them to recover so long as their insured has been made whole," the settlement payers said in their brief. The settlement payers also noted in their brief, "To be sure, it is impossible to know at this time whether the settlement will fully compensate every plaintiff; it may not, depending on the extent of damages each plaintiff has sustained." The insurers contend that under Hawaii law, they can't be barred from trying to obtain their own compensation in court from the entities regarded as being responsible for the fires. They also suggest that the settlement sum should have been bigger, and describe the settlement as a form of collusion between the settling parties. "In short, this case is before this Court because the Settling Parties are openly colluding with one another to destroy the (insurers') legal rights and enrich the (parties responsible for the fires)," attorneys for the insurers wrote in their brief. 145 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022261 Hawaiian Electric has agreed to cover the biggest piece of the settlement, at $1.99 billion. A company power line damaged in high wind was found to be the cause of a fire that raged through Lahaina after reigniting. The state and Kameha meha Schools, owners of land with vegetation that allowed the Lahaina fire to spread, agreed to pay $872.5 million each. Spectrum Oceanic LLC and Hawaiian Telcom, companies that share utility infrastructure with Hawaiian Electric, are to collectively pay about $300 million. The sums were determined by mediators as maximum fair and practicable amounts based on the facts and circumstances of the disaster. Each one of the roughly 40-page briefs filed in the Supreme Court case is heavily devoted to technical points and legal citations supporting preferred answers to three questions posed to the court. One question has to do with whether a prior Hawaii court decision in a health insurance case applies to property and casualty insurance carriers. On the second question, all three parties seek the same answer. The third question asks whether Hawaii law requires insured fire victims be made whole for all losses before their insurers can pursue reimbursement from those deemed responsible for the losses. In addition to the three main parties to the case, briefs were filed by two individual insurance companies, Hyundai Marine &Fire Insurance Co. and The Dentist Insurance Co. Supporting briefs also were filed by several insurance industry trade associations. The Supreme Court may not rule until some time after oral arguments are made. Under revised terms of the tentative settlement, the issue with the insurers must be resolved by May 19 for the deal to become effective. "In other words," the settlement payers said in their brief, "the fate of the global settlement hangs in the balance here." [HI] State official says community needs time to decide future of Lahaina's Historic District (Maui News, HI) - full text Maui News [1/31/2025 7:00 PM, Megan Moseley, 89K, HI] Jessica Puff leads the Hawai'i Department of Land and Natural Resources' State Historic Preservation Division where she's spent the past year learning about Lahaina's historic district from the community and what their hopes are moving forward. She said, after receiving community input, the message was clear -- residents want more protection for historic areas in West Maui. Lahaina was designated a National Historic Landmark District on Dec. 29, 1962, for having "exceptional value and of national significance in commemorating and illustrating the history of the United States." With significant artifacts and locations related to Hawaiian history and historic structures such as the Baldwin House, the oldest building standing on Maui prior to the fire on Aug. 8, 2023, the area symbolizes the uniqueness and significance of Maui's former capital. Puff said much damage was done from the fire, but the essence of the historic landmark district lives on. "There's a spirit," she said. "There's the feeling. There's the history. There's the land that's all still there and holds that same significance to us that hasn't 146 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022262 gone anywhere. It's just badly hurt." Puff said she and others involved in historic preservation were cautious when describing just how much damage was done from the wildfire. Their caution, she said, stemmed from fear of public misperception or even compromising the status of the area. "One of our big concerns in the days and the weeks after the fire, and immediately following that, is there were people from Hawaii, there were people from the continent, there were other preservation professionals on social media, everything from Facebook to Instagram to Linkedln making suggestions that the Lahaina National Historic Landmark District was gone," she said. But it's not gone, she said, just damaged, and now the state, county and various nonprofits and organizations such as the Lahaina Restoration Foundation and more are working to keep the rich history of Lahaina alive, heal the area and even expand on it. Currently, the district was recognized for the whaling era and the missionary period, Puff said, and there's a lot of history not included under the landmark district to date. She said that with the rebuild, they now have a chance to properly recognize the mo`olelo (story) of the place. "The nomination, when it's time, should not only include the history of the fire, but it should also be reassessed to include this other history," she said. According to Lahaina's Long-Term Recovery Plan, under the National Historic Landmark District Update, updating the district to include other important parts of the area's history was supported even before the fire. Now, that effort is becoming "increasingly important to determine the integrity status." The plan estimated that portion to cost around $500,000 to $1 million and be completed in one to two years. Theo Morrison, executive director of the Lahaina Restoration Foundation, said efforts are underway to bring the area back to life. "The idea is to rebuild it on the same footprint in the same style," she said. Morrison also said efforts are underway to make sure the rebuild is constructed in a safe manner. "The idea is to build back better," she said. Currently, there's funding for preservation that individuals and nonprofits may apply for called the historic preservation fund, Puff said. Puff added that the office is also looking for more funding. In the meantime, Puff said they are continuing to work with Maui residents to support their needs. "We needed to give the community time." she said. "What happens to the National Historic Landmark District is up to the community." Homelessness [VT] After hundreds of motel evictions, some Vermont lawmakers are hoping to set a different path (Vermont Public, VT) - full text Vermont Public [1/31/2025 5:47 PM, Carly Berlin, 148K, VT] After state leaders signed off on new restrictions to Vermont's motel voucher program 147 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022263 last year, over 1,500 people experiencing homelessness were pushed out of hotels and motels. The mass wave of evictions last fall left many Vermonters in precarious situations, some sleeping in tents -- including families with young children -- and prompted public outcry from service providers, municipal officials, and even some legislators who helped craft the law. Now that lawmakers have returned to Montpelier, they have their first chance to shift course. Without intervention, a replay of the fall is primed for this spring. That's because the motel program's rules are currently loosened for the winter months, allowing hundreds of people who had left the motels to reenter them. On April 1, however, the 80-night limit on motel stays and 1,100-room cap that prompted the recent evictions will kick in again. But key members of the House are seeking to halt that. Through a mid-year budget adjustment bill, the House Human Services Committee has moved to waive those limits through the end of June. It has pegged the cost at about $1.9 million. Rep. Theresa Wood, D-Waterbury, who chairs the committee, said the idea is to buy more time for lawmakers to advance a bill to reform the state's emergency shelter program. "We wanted to be able to focus on that, and not on, you know, an emerging crisis of people leaving the hotels on April 1," Wood said in a Thursday interview. Miranda Gray. the deputy commissioner of the Department for Children and Families' economic services division, said Friday that she was "not surprised" that lawmakers were seeking the extension. But she sees the move as running "contrary to the law" and to the goal of unwinding the program's pandemic-era expansion. The future of the motel program has become bitterly contentious since federal funding tied to COVID dried up in 2023 and the state began picking up the tab. All the while, Vermont's homeless population has grown exponentially. The proposed change is far from guaranteed -- the full House would need to agree to it over the coming weeks, as would the Senate and, ultimately, Gov. Phil Scott. But legislators are beginning to look beyond the next few months of the program's future. Among the decision points: how long people should be allowed to stay in motels and whether the program's rules should be up for debate every year. A legislatively-mandated task force recommended that lawmakers tie the program's time limits to how long it takes people experiencing homelessness to find housing. Right now, task force members said, the average housing search lasts well over a year. Meanwhile, vouchers are currently limited to 80 days per year, outside of the winter months. "As we build housing and can move people out of homelessness faster, that number will go down," said Frank Knaack, director of the Housing and Homelessness Alliance of Vermont and a member of the task force. "Hopefully the goal will be -- in five, 10 years, we'll be at a much smaller number. Maybe it is 80 days, maybe it is 50 days. But it needs to be based on actual data, and not just, you know, making the number up." The Department for Children and Families has pushed back on changing the motel voucher time limits, citing budgetary concerns and the lack of rooms available at participating hotels and motels. Instead, the department wants to maintain the program's status quo this year. 148 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022264 Gray said the department can do so even while lowering the appropriation for the program in the next fiscal year. The Scott administration's recommended budget, which the Republican governor rolled out earlier this week, contains about $38.5 million to continue the motel program -- down from about $44 million budgeted for the current fiscal year. That budget ask is lower based on a forecast of various factors, Gray said. Legislators are starting to dig into the task force's report, along with the administration's recommended budget, as they get to work on bills. Wood's committee has revived a bill from last year that would shift the motel program from a "benefit" negotiated through the budget process into a full-fledged program, a move she hopes will create more "defined expectations" of state government and increase transparency. With that bill as a starting point, Wood said she hopes to take a more global look at Vermont's shelter system this session. It isn't fair, she said, that chance decides whether someone ends up in a community-based shelter, where they stay for as long as they need without having to pay a dime, or in the motel program, with its strict time limits and income-contribution requirements. Wood wants to shift to a system that works more comprehensively to move people from homelessness into permanent housing. But, she acknowledged, boosting services could come at great expense. "We may have to help a smaller number of people each year," she said. "That's a trade-off. And then it'll be up to the body, and, you know, the Senate to decide whether that trade-off's worth it." [RI] Housing first as a catalyst for mental health recovery I Opinion (Providence Journal, RI) - full text Providence Journal [2/1/2025 6:22 AM, Kleckner Charles, 784K, RI] Last month, as darkness fell and temperatures dipped, dozens of volunteers and seasoned housing advocates navigated the streets, backroads and dense woods of Rhode Island for the annual Point-in-Time count. This federally mandated survey doesn't just count the number of individuals experiencing homelessness; it provides a vivid snapshot of a growing crisis. Behind every data point is a person - a mother seeking shelter for her children, a veteran grappling with PTSD or a young person battling substance use disorder without the stability of a home. Last year's survey revealed startling statistics: nearly 2,500 Rhode Islanders were homeless, marking a 35% increase from the previous year. Of these, 48% were chronically homeless, a troubling figure that places Rhode Island second in the nation. These numbers underscore a critical link between homelessness and behavioral health challenges. Mental health and substance use disorders don't just increase the risk of homelessness; the lack of stable housing amplifies these struggles, creating a difficult cycle to break. According to recent studies, two-thirds of homeless individuals experience some form of mental health disorder. But this crisis isn't just about numbers; it's about the lives behind them. Housing affordability remains a major obstacle, with limited stock of low-income units compounding the issue. For those in recovery from mental health or substance use disorders, reintegration challenges - from stigma to bureaucratic hurdles - can make it 149 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022265 nearly impossible to regain stability without intervention. Recognizing these connections, the annual count serves as a rallying cry for action. Efforts to bridge the gap between housing solutions and behavioral health services have shown success, but much remains to be done. Providing individuals with stable housing as a foundation for recovery paves the way for comprehensive care. For instance, a person battling untreated PTSD can secure safe housing, which then opens the door to trauma-informed therapy, medication management and vocational training. Without this foundational stability, many are unable to begin the recovery process. Rapid rehousing and crisis intervention programs are equally critical. These initiatives aim to quickly connect individuals and families to housing, often within weeks, while simultaneously addressing their immediate behavioral health needs. For example, a veteran with severe PTSD might first receive short-term housing and crisis counseling, followed by long-term support to transition to permanent housing and sustainable employment. There is progress to celebrate. In the first half of 2024, Rhode Island's overdose deaths dropped by 11%, a testament to increased access to treatment and harm reduction initiatives. Collaborative efforts between housing organizations and behavioral health providers play a significant role in this success. By simultaneously addressing housing and health needs, these organizations are not only saving lives but also helping individuals rebuild their futures. Statewide partnerships are essential to tackling this crisis. Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics are expanding access to care, ensuring that even the most underserved areas are reached. These clinics integrate housing, mental health and crisis services into a cohesive system, creating a safety net that helps individuals at every stage of their journey. By coordinating efforts, service providers can address immediate crises while laying the groundwork for lasting recovery and stability. The Point-in-Time survey serves as a stark reminder of the challenges ahead but also highlights the resilience of the people affected and the power of collective action. By combining innovative approaches, resources and shared expertise, Rhode Island is making strides to address homelessness and behavioral health challenges. Together, we can envision a future where every person has the opportunity to thrive in a safe, stable home and a supportive community. [CT] Rent spikes and chronic illness biggest cause of homelessness, advocates say (Norwalk Hour, CT) - full text Norwalk Hour [2/2/2025 5:00 AM, Mary Ellen Godin, 130K, CT] The elderly has become one of the steadiest growing homeless populations in the Meriden, Wallingford and Middletown region, said local housing advocates. "If they don't have pensions or 401Ks. and are relying solely on social security, it's very difficult to make ends meet," said Kelly Craft, director of the Meriden Middletown Wallingford Coordinated Access Network. The uptick in the numbers of unsheltered people of all ages rose about two years ago when the pandemic rent protections under the American Rescue Plan Act funds ended, 150 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022266 Craft said. Some landlords increased rents dramatically and squeezed lower and middleincome tenants. Some landlords raised prices above the fair market value on the unit, forcing a Section 8 tenant to make up the difference themselves. Other landlords stopped including utilities in the monthly rental, she said. Single parents in need of multiple bedrooms are struggling with food, utilities and transportation costs, while security deposits have increased from $1,500 to $3,000, Craft said. There are homeless people throughout Meriden, but they are more visible downtown and near the train station, Craft said. Craft and others began talking about what could be done last summer at a meeting hosted by the Community Health Center on State Street. Stakeholders began discussing the scope of the problem and possible roadblocks and solutions. Earlier this week, the City Council voted to send Mayor Kevin Scarpati's recommendation for a Coalition to End Homelessness to the Public Health and Human Services Committee for more study before final approval. Maria Harlow, the executive director of the United Way of Meriden-Wallingford, was at those meetings at the Community Health Center and said people are calling her agency because they think it's 211 I nfoline. Many of the calls are people who are on the verge of chronic illness and unable to work, and can't keep up with the rent. And all the places are at capacity. Harlow would like to see more state assistance with the problem and more programs to develop housing. "The state has to step up and help," Harlow said. "We are on call all the time with people who are on the verge of being evicted or forcelosed upon," Harlow said. "We no longer have an inventory to help. We have no places to go. It's definitely a crisis.". Craft is working on new solutions, such as providing case managers to help transition people who are unhoused from the shelter to apartments. The group is also working with a select number of landlords, who are flexible with rents and sometimes prohibitive circumstances, such as no credit or criminal records. They also want to involve the city's fair rent commission. Craft and Harlow look forward to round table discussions with stakeholders when the coalition gets up and running. City police will also be involved in the conversation. "We have less people on the Meriden Green because they have switched hours," said Lt. Hector Cardona. "The park closes sooner, but we are seeing it in other parts of the city. We are pretty aggressive with assisting the homeless.". Cardona and other officers often know the people they find asleep on the sidewalks, or parking lots and have a social worker affiliated with Rushford behavioral health center to help them find services. Cardona didn't have hard numbers, but the department has focused its patrols on the lower part of East Main Street, Pratt Street, State Street, and Willow Street near the homeless shelter. Officers often bring bags containing essentials a homeless person might need and the social worker makes a referral for further services. Scarpati envisions representatives from Shelter Now, New Opportunities for Meriden, 151 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022267 and other agencies to help address the problem. He said he wants it to have a variety of agencies. "We want it targeted to agencies best equipped to resolve these issues...not only what they know but how to get the necessary funding and resources." he said. "We want the subject matter experts around the table and pull in or lean on other agencies, city staff and state departments as needed.". [NY] New York saw homelessness `surge' in 2024. What it means in mid-Hudson Valley (Record Online, Middletown, NY) - full text Record Online [2/1/2025 5:09 AM, Nickie Hayes, 207K, NY] A report on homelessness released by the New York State Comptroller's Office shows an increasing number of state residents are facing housing insecurity, and there has been an "alarming increase" in homelessness in recent years. Most of the regional increases were driven by families with children, with the number of homeless people in families statewide reaching 95,457 in 2024 compared to 34,805 in 2022. In the Newburgh, Middletown and surrounding Orange County area in 2024, 779 people were homeless, a 130% increase from 2022, according to the report. In the Kingston and surrounding Ulster County area, 617 people were homeless, a 51% increase from 2022 to 2024. The Poughkeepsie and surrounding Dutchess County area saw the lowest increase in homelessness, at only 11%. As of 2024, 705 people in the area were homeless. Dutchess County Executive Sue Serino attributed the area's low increase to a proactive approach including street outreach, case management and the addition of two licensed social workers who began in December 2024. "Dutchess County has taken a multi-faceted approach to addressing homelessness, and the Comptroller's report confirms that our efforts are making a real impact," Serino said in a statement. "We are committed to strengthening our outreach system by expanding resources, enhancing coordination, and integrating mental health professionals to better serve those in need." In August 2024, the Dutchess County Department of Community & Family Services took over case management at the temporary shelter called the PODS on North Hamilton Street. The county said the number of people living at the PODS has decreased by 33% between December 2023 and December 2024. The department has an eight-person case management team who work with each person to assess their needs and develop independent living plans. Clients are offered mental health support, crisis intervention and personalized care, according to the county, and the management team helps address barriers to securing housing and benefits. Those in need of housing can contact DCFS at 845-486-3300 between 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays. After hours, people in need of housing should call 211 or local law enforcement for emergency placement. While the state comptroller's office said substantial resources are already devoted to affordable housing production and housing assistance in New York, it called for additional consideration given the "surge in homelessness" seen in 2024. 152 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022268 The state should consider policies that mitigate evictions and provide housing assistance to families with children, the report concluded, and should "greatly enhance reporting" around housing assistance resources, "to allow for a fuller understanding of the effectiveness of current programs and an informed discussion of where additional resources may be merited, particularly with respect to expanding rental assistance." [NY] Report: Dutchess County leads state in addressing homelessness (MidHudson News, NY) - full text Mid-Hudson News [1/31/2025 5:49 AM, Staff, 239K, NY] ALBANY -- A report from State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli's Office finds that Dutchess County had the lowest rate of increase in homelessness in the state with an 11 percent rise compared to the statewide average increase of 113 percent for 2022 to 2024. County Executive Sue Serino attributes that success to the county's multi-faceted approach. "Our mission this past year was to get people the services that they need, and when people are ready to be moved out of the homelessness and go into transitional, because we are working with them, that is such a great feeling for everybody. It's really showing great results," she said. Most of the homelessness in Dutchess is in Poughkeepsie. Serino said the effort of street outreach, extensive case management and addition of two licensed social workers has brought the number of homeless people down from 160 in the last survey to 100. [NY] New York State homeless population doubles in one year, influx focused in NYC (WGRZ TV, Buffalo, NY) - full text WGRZ TV [2/2/2025 11:05 AM, Sarah Russo and Rob Hackford, 796K, NY] Homelessness in New York State rose more than 50% from 2023 to 2024, more than four times the rest of the country, according to a new report released in January by the New York State Comptroller's Office. The increase was almost entirely focused in the New York City area which saw an influx of asylum seekers the report stated. Statewide the number of homeless children increased from 20,299 in 2022 to 50,773 in 2024 meaning one in three people experiencing homelessness in New York are kids; one of the highest rates in the nation. "New York has long had a housing affordability crisis, and more families are running out of options and ending up on the street or in shelters," Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said in a statement. "Many of the tens of thousands of asylum seekers that came to New York had no place to stay and drove up spending and a large portion of the growth of the homeless population. But let's be clear, this isn't just a New York City problem, it is impacting communities all over the state. New York needs to examine how it's using current housing resources while taking more action to address this urgent situation.". While NYC accounted for 93% of the state's total homeless increase, upstate regions also struggled to keep up with the number of families experiencing homelessness. The Jamestown, Dunkirk/Chautauqua County area saw its total number of homeless individuals double (103% increase). Homeless children and families went up by 141% and 150% between 2022 and 2024. According to the Comptroller's report, New York is not alone. Nationwide the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) found homelessness reached a new peak with 771,480 people experiencing 153 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022269 homelessness in 2024, 158,019 of those individuals were New Yorkers or about one in five (140,134 in New York City). New York's rate of homelessness, at about 8 per 1,000 people, was higher than all states except Hawaii and the District of Columbia. According to HUD, eviction proceedings, lack of affordable housing, increased rents, and the influx of asylum seekers were the leading causes of homelessness in New York. Other findings in the report, highlighted by the NYS Comptroller's Office, include: Homelessness decreased in New York between 2020 and 2022, but since 2022 and the end of pandemic era eviction moratoriums, it has increased faster than the rest of the nation, more than doubling between 2022 and 2024 compared to only 20.7% growth in the rest of the nation. Only Illinois had a higher increase at 180%. People who were homeless were disproportionately Hispanic or Black, and 10% suffered from severe mental illness or chronic substance abuse. Homelessness among veterans remains low, at less than 1%. New York also had among the lowest shares of senior homelessness (2.5%) and chronically homeless (3.6%) among other states. The Poughkeepsie/Dutchess County area saw the lowest overall increase in its homeless population at 11% while the Glens Falls and Saratoga Springs region saw the highest at 138%. [NY] Joseph's House and Shelter leading PIT census (Saratogian, NY) - full text Saratogian [2/1/2025 2:34 PM, Staff, 27K, NY] Albany and Rensselaer Counties. The count, which is mandated by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) of Continuum of Care programs annually, is a measure of housing insecurity. It took place Jan. 23 and 24, led by a team from Joseph's House & Shelter Outreach Services. Per the HUD website, "The Point-in-Time (PIT) Count is a count of sheltered and unsheltered people experiencing homelessness on a single night in January. HUD requires that Continuum of Care programs (CoCs) conduct an annual count of people experiencing homelessness who are sheltered in emergency shelter, transitional housing, and Safe Havens on a single night. CoCs also must conduct a count of unsheltered people experiencing homelessness every other year (odd numbered years). Each count is planned, coordinated, and carried out locally." This year's PIT Count effort included organizations such as: Joseph's House & Shelter CARES of NY, Inc. Unity House SoldierOn St Anne's Institute VA Outreach Team Local Police Departments The New York State Troopers Albany Medical Center St. Peter's Hospital 154 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022270 Samaritan Hospital The Albany Public Library "I am proud that our Outreach Services team is leading the local reporting of this important annual census of the homeless to HUD, and I thank the many staff members who will be working long hours to collect the most accurate and comprehensive information possible," Joseph's House & Shelter's Executive Director Amy LaFountain said in a news release. "We are closer than ever with our local partner agencies, which has allowed us to make a larger impact in the provision of non-judgmental homeless services and these partnerships are especially important in the context of this PIT Count." "As we work to expand homeless outreach services in the Capital Region, we must ensure we have an accurate understanding of the scope of local homelessness to best allocate resources and address community needswhich is why getting this count right is so important to me," Joseph's House & Shelter's Outreach Services Director Sara Dzembo said in the release. "I appreciate the work of our partners, who have been instrumental in expanding the reach and impact of our casework services." The data reported about neighbors experiencing homelessness included factors like their approximate age, gender identity, race/ethnicity, veteran status, approximate duration of homelessness, disability status, and other factors that could help the government and nonprofit service providers administer better services. Individuals were not identified by name, but by initials. The Outreach Services team prepared special backpacks for other agencies to use during the PIT Count, with sponsor support from CARES of NY and St. Anne's Institute. The Joseph's House & Shelter Outreach Services program provides non-judgmental homeless services 7 days per week, 365 days per year. [NJ] Atlantic City officials say they want to reduce homeless population by 20% this year (Press of Atlantic City, NJ) - full text Press of Atlantic City [1/31/2025 3:15 PM, John O'Connor, 151K, NJ] Although the homelessness issue in the resort isn't going to disappear overnight, the various stakeholders involved in confronting the problem are optimistic that change is on the horizon. "There are serious conversations going on," City Council Vice President Kaleem Shabazz said Friday during the city's Clean and Safe meeting. "We can't get into too much detail, but we've spoken with the DCA commissioner (Jacquelyn Suarez), and I think you're going to see some things happening that will make the problem better. It's going to be a step-by-step process, and we are hoping to bring it down by 20% this year." Homelessness was the major talking point throughout the hourlong meeting as many speakers voiced their concerns about it. Wednesday marked the annual Point-in-Time study conducted by Monarch Housing Associates, which counts the unhoused population in every county in the state with the goal of allocating services to prevent and 155 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022271 end homelessness. Last year's study found more than 420 people were homeless in Atlantic County, while in neighboring Cumberland and Cape May counties, more than 200 people said they were experiencing homelessness. Debra White, who was hired by the state Department of Community Affairs as a special adviser to the city on the issue, said getting an accurate count will help better allocate resources. "It's a countywide issue, but it's obvious here in the city," White said. "Regardless of where they are from, they wind up here. We're hoping to get more money to use for rental assistance to get them out of the street with a roof over their head." The city has "a financial commitment letter that's real" to develop Bader Field, Mayor Marty Small Sr. said during his State of the City address at Golden Nugget Atlantic City. Ken Mitchem, the city's director of social services, said his department has two teams that look for homeless people in hotspots throughout the city to offer services. Rental assistance of up to $2,500 is one of the services offered. The funds come from a federal Community Development Block Grant, Mitchem said. However, getting people to accept help has been one of the biggest challenges, White said. "You can't force people to move," White said. "The DCA has provided training to the city's outreach team to build relationships with the homeless to eventually get them to accept help. Substance abuse, mental illness and crime are the top reasons why people are homeless, so it can be difficult to get them off the street." The lack of transitional housing throughout the county is another hindrance the city is working to address. "We're currently looking at places to provide temporary housing," White said. [NJ] There's a way out': Morristown holds homeless outreach event (Morris County Daily Record, NJ) - full text Morris County Daily Record [2/1/2025 4:31 AM, William Westhoven, 96K, NJ] On his 59th birthday, Darrin Redding stood before a multitude of supportive strangers at St. Peter's Episcopal Church and shared his journey from alcoholism and homelessness to recovery with a roof over his head. "All I can say, for anybody that's struggling out there, there's a way out," said the U.S. Army veteran, a featured speaker at Friday's Morris County Project Homeless Connect event at the church. The health and outreach fair coincided with the annual Point-in-Time Count, a nationwide, federally mandated initiative that attempts to tally the number of Americans without permanent homes. The counts began on Wednesday at locations around New Jersey, which saw its homeless population soar by 24% in last year's census. The annual gathering at St. Peter's was part of the count, as homeless residents who showed up for help were encouraged to take the survey. Organized by the Mental Health Association of Essex and Morris, along with Morris County agencies, the event featured 40 community-based providers offering a range of free services, including health screenings, vaccinations, haircuts, clothing, food, backpacks, gift cards and personalcare products. Service providers also offered information and support regarding housing, employment, 156 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022272 mental health resources and more. Breakfast and lunch were served. Holding up the keys to the Dover apartment where he now lives, Redding recounted a difficult childhood that included drug and alcohol abuse. Raised in a group home in Newark, he graduated from high school, but "had no place to go" after aging out of childhood social service programs. He found a new home in the Army, but it was also a setting "where drinking was OK.". "That's what we did in there, and that's where I learned how to drink," he recalled. "And it just got out of hand, you know. So, mind you, I came home and again, to what? No family, nowhere to go.". Redding went on to marry and start a family, but substance abuse and mental health issues led to increasing behavioral problems, both at home and with the law. He eventually became homeless, "couch-surfing" on good nights for shelter, he told the audience. He stopped to smile at Morris County Sheriff James Gannon, who stood behind him with a grin as he spoke. "I'm looking at him," Redding joked. "I've had some legal issues that I've had to deal with over the years, because when you're living in that state of homelessness, you're at DEFCON 4 all the time.". He thanked the social service providers from several nonprofit and government organizations who helped him along the way. They were there at the church to applaud his speech. "These people didn't want nothing from me," Redding said. "They just wanted me to do better.". He has, and is eager to pay forward the life-saving support that got him into and through recovery. Clean and sober since July 2022, Redding is now an advocate for the at-risk populations he knows well. Already working as a volunteer, he used his speech Friday to announce he had been hired by the Mental Health Association of Essex and Morris as a "lived experienced wellness navigator.". Gannon's Hope One mobile outreach program has made contact with more than 55,000 at-risk individuals since 2017. Bringing services directly to those struggling with the intersecting challenges of mental health, addiction and homelessness is critical to addressing the problem, the sheriff added. "The problem is real, right?" Gannon said. "The problem is real. We're here to make the difference a difference.". The Hope One van was parked outside the church along with other support services, including a van from the nonprofit Edge NJ, where volunteers were offering free rapid HIV tests. Inside the church hall, other nonprofits manned tables to offer information, consultations and an array of essential needs, from clothing and blankets to Narcan kits and personal hygiene products. The event also included a table where individuals could fill out forms for the Point-inTime homeless count. Survey efforts, which include volunteers deploying to areas where homeless people are known to congregate, will continue through Feb. 4. Gannon said he was "saddened" by the results of last year's PIT count. In Morris County, the number of people living on the streets or in emergency housing almost doubled to 68O people. While some of that may reflect improved efforts to count the population, officials said it also represents spreading economic distress, a thin housing market and the lingering impacts on mental health of the COVID pandemic. 157 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022273 "I wasn't really surprised" by the homeless numbers, the sheriff said. While fatal drug overdoses are down in the county, he said, "Suicides are up. It's sad that people are struggling. We're working on it all the time, out in the streets, trying to make a difference in people's lives. But it's troubling.". Morris County volunteers began deploying to known homeless encampments between 5 and 10 a.m. on Wednesday for the PIT count and were scheduled to resume those efforts on Saturday night and Sunday. Statewide, volunteers recorded almost 13,000 sheltered and unsheltered New Jerseyans without permanent homes last year, a major increase over the previous year, when the state's homeless population exceeded 10,000 for the first time. "Unfortunately, it's becoming a pattern," said Kasey Vienckowski, homeless planning team leader for Monarch Associates, a Cranford-based group that will be leading the 2025 Point-in-Time Count in New Jersey, part of a nationwide census organized every January. Bergen. Passaic and Sussex counties also saw significant increases in their tallies last January, part of a national trend. "We anticipate another increase this year," said Vienckowski. "We know we have an affordable housing crisis." [Editorial note: consult source link for video] [PA] NEPA organizations struggle with rising rates of homelessness (WVIA, Jenkins Township, PA) - full text WVIA [2/2/2025 5:00 AM, Sarah Scinto, 51K, PA] Every night, Diana Delgado sees firsthand how the number of people in need of shelter keeps rising. She takes it as a challenge to learn the names of as many guests as she can at Keystone Mission in Wilkes-Barre. "I have bragging rights. Let's say I get 70 guests, I would say I know 60 names at least," she said. "I like to interact with each and every one of them.". Keystone Mission's 365 Overnight Shelter opened in summer 2024, a year when the federal housing department says rates of homelessness hit record levels for nearly every population. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development found the number of people experiencing homelessness in the US increased by more than 18% in 2024. In Pennsylvania, they reported a 12% increase, with more than 14,000 people experiencing homelessness during the 2024 point-in-time count. Former Keystone Mission CEO Danielle Keith-Alexandre says the results of the report are playing out in Northeastern Pennsylvania. "We're experiencing it here every single day," she said. The 2024 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development compiles nationwide results of a point-in-time survey completed in the last 10 days of January each year. WVIA News contacted the department to discuss how the 2025 count would be performed. That request had not been returned by this week. The 2024 report showed homelessness among people in families with children, individuals, individuals with chronic patterns of homelessness, people staying in unsheltered locations, people staying in sheltered locations, and unaccompanied youth all reached the highest recorded numbers in 2024. Veterans were the only population to show a continued 158 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022274 decline in homelessness. According to the report, the number of veterans experiencing homelessness declined by eight percent between 2023 and 2024. That's down 55 percent since data collection about veteran homelessness began in 2009. People in families with children had the largest single-year increase in homelessness, according to the report, with an increase of 39 percent from 2023 to 2024. In Pennsylvania, the total number of all people experiencing homelessness was 14,088, a 12.2% increase between 2023 and 2024. Keystone Mission opened the 365 Overnight shelter in the Wilkes-Barre Innovation Center for Homelessness and Poverty in June 2024. They can house around 70 people each night and offer daytime programs along with meals. In December 2024, Catholic Social Services of the Diocese of Scranton also opened a permanent location for its Mother Teresa's Haven Shelter in Wilkes-Barre. The formerly nomadic shelter provides beds for 20 men. The Wilkes-Barre Innovation Center for Homelessness and Poverty offers guests not only beds, but lunch during the day, access to showers and laundry machines, and the ability to use the location as an address while guests work toward stable housing, connect with other resources, or achieve basic things like getting a new ID. "Those are things that we like to address first," Keith-Alexandre said. "It may seem small or insignificant.. .but for someone who doesn't have it, that is something that we consider of greatest and utmost importance so that they can go and just get the things that they need.". In Scranton, the NEPA Youth Shelter runs up against housing costs frequently. The shelter has one apartment building in the city with three units. Founder and Executive Director Maureen Maher-Gray works to keep rent on those units affordable - around $900 per month. "If I had won that $1 billion tottery, I would buy as many apartment buildings as I could around here and turn them into lower-income housing," she said. "Our kids are working three jobs to try to make ends meet, and they need an apartment they can afford.". The NEPA Youth Shelter runs a teen center and after-school program for students at Scranton and West Scranton High Schools. Maher-Gray says many of the teens who come to the center become clients of the shelter's housing program. Outside of the apartment units, Maher-Gray works to find clients of the housing program an affordable place to live before they become homeless. Luis Torres was one of the first people in the housing program. When he was 17 and had "just moved to Scranton," his aunt kicked him out. He'd been coming to the teen center after school for some time and knew he could ask Maher-Gray for help. "It really did help me get on my feet," he said. "At that time, I had nobody to help me.". Torres does maintenance at the teen center now. They're preparing to move from a temporary space into a new, permanent home near Scranton High School. Torres said if he hadn't been familiar with the teen center, he may not have known where to go for help. "There's so many times that I didn't even have food and I was able to come here and grab snacks and food, or I didn't have clothes to wear and I would come here and grab some clothes," he said. "Whatever I needed...Miss Maureen (Maher-Gray) would make it happen for me, and she also does for the kids.". Since founding the NEPA Youth Shelter in 2017, Maher-Gray has seen plenty of 159 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022275 resistance to affordable housing in Scranton. "The common phrase is 'not in my backyard'. .. and I find that very disappointing," she said. "Low-income people have no less a right to housing, affordable housing, than other people.". Keith-Alexandre said Keystone Mission tries to look for apartments in the $700 per month range for its guests, but that has become increasingly difficult. A lack of affordable housing in the area, she says, is one of the reasons they've seen an "uptick" in guests seeking shelter at night. "There needs to be more affordable housing. You have individuals at this level where even if they do get a job, the job that they have is not enough to sustain...the monthly rent a lot of the landlords are asking for," she said. "That is what, at times, keeps them from getting into housing sooner.". It took some time, but Keith Giannotti said he was able to find an apartment with the help of Keystone Mission. He stopped by for lunch on one of his last days as a guest of the Wilkes-Barre center. "It was a rough road, real rough," he said. "They gave me... the courage, the power, the enlightenment to find myself again and, you know, lead me back to where I've got to go.". Delgado was also once a guest at Keystone Mission. She credits the organization with changing her life. "Unless you are there, you wouldn't understand," she said. "They provided support in every sense when other programs did not help me. They were there.". As housing costs and other prices continue to rise, Keith-Alexandre says organizations like Keystone Mission need the community's support - not only financially, but also to decrease stigmas that lead people to overlook those experiencing homelessness. "These individuals who are unsheltered or are homeless, they are members of the community as well," she said. "And from what we have seen, they are working really. really hard.". [PA] CSO, Northumberland County teams conduct annual Point-In-Time Count of homeless (Standard-Journal, PA) - full text Standard-Journal [2/2/2025 1:30 PM, Mackenzie Witt, 13K, PA] Area volunteers and Central Susquehanna Opportunities (CSO) staff recently split up into teams to canvass the county for homeless individuals or families as part of an annual Point-In-Time (PIT) Count. Multiple teams set out on the evening of Jan. 22 to comb through communities. Volunteers also traversed parts of Coal Township and Shamokin on the morning of Jan. 23 in an attempt to more accurately capture the number of homeless people in the area in this year's PIT Count, according to CSO CEO Megan Bair. Bair said that the cumulative but tentative statewide results of the annual PIT Count will be available by mid-February. This year, the local group tallied three people who were homeless. Volunteers came up empty-handed and reported zero homeless people on last year's PIT Count, but those results aren't out of the ordinary for CSO or local volunteers. "That's the frustrating thing -- we know that's not an accurate reflection of the need in the community," Bair said. The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) facilitates the PIT Count. The count tallies the number of sheltered or unsheltered people experiencing homelessness on a single night in January. PIT Count questionnaires record basic demographic information of the homeless person and 160 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022276 their history being sheltered or unsheltered. Unsheltered homeless people or families can be transported to hotels or shelters during the PIT Count, if they are willing to go. Then, caseworkers would complete an assessment to evaluate their level of need and connect them with a rapid rehousing case manager to continue their rehousing process. Volunteers ensure that homeless people who are not willing to receive that aid are equipped with hygiene products and food. CSO collaborates with the Northumberland County Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual and Developmental Services to recruit volunteers, collect data and report that data to the Pennsylvania Continuums of Care (COC). Then, that information is sent to and recorded by HUD. According to the COC's records, 2,262 homeless people from eastern Pennsylvania were tallied on the 2024 PIT Count, but only 33 of them hailed from Northumberland County. Lehigh County recorded the highest number of people experiencing homelessness last year with 361, followed by Northampton County with 328 people. The COC groups Tioga, Bradford, Susquehanna, Wayne, Fulton, Clinton, Lycoming, Centre, Monroe, Northampton, Lehigh, Pike, Carbon, Juniata, Schuylkill, Lebanon, Columbia, Montour, Northumberland, Sullivan, Union, Snyder, Mifflin, Huntingdon, Wyoming, Blair, Cambria, Somerset, Bedford, Franklin, Perry, Cumberland and Adams counties into its eastern sect. Reports from HUD show that Pennsylvania had 14,088 people experiencing homelessness in 2024, a 12.2% increase from the number tallied in 2023. Due to consistent, below-freezing temperatures, Refuge Church and the Northumberland County Area Agency on Aging and Veterans Affairs opened overnight and for extended hours during the day, respectively, to give people a place to stop in and warm up, if needed. CSO partnered with Refuge Church, Oasis Community Recovery Club, AGAPE: Love From Above and the Salvation Army to provide resources, a hot meal and drinks to those in need for three consecutive nights. There, CSO staff members offered resources and information to people needing housing, food, clothing or other necessities to overcome any challenges they're facing and get them to a place of self-sufficiency. "We're thankful that Refuge Church stepped up to offer that space," Bair said. "People are recognizing the need in the community and working with a lot of partners to address those needs.". She described those efforts as "encouraging," especially since there's been such an increase in need for housing recently. Those experiencing homelessness or know someone who is homeless are encouraged to call 211, or call CSO directly at 570-644-6575. More information about the PIT Count can be found online at >www.pennsylvaniacoc.org< [DE] Meyer, Henry join volunteers to tally population of people experiencing homelessness (Delaware Online, DE) - full text 161 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022277 Delaware Online [1/31/2025 4:24 PM, Shane Brennan, 1294K, DE] Stephen Metraux and Mike Lonergan were tasked with counting the population of people experiencing homelessness in Newark. Metraux, a Philadelphia resident and University of Delaware professor with expertise on housing issues, and Lonergan, a pastor and former town manager of Orwigsburg, Pennsylvania, made for an effective pair in talking to people around the city. They were a part of the annual Point-In-Time Count, one of the more popular nights for housing organizations around Delaware every year. Gov. Matt Meyer, Director of the Delaware State Housing Authority Matthew Heckles, New Castle County Executive Marcus Henry and Democratic State Sen. Elizabeth "Tizzy" Lockman were some of the notable figures among volunteers heading out into the cold and windy January night to survey the unhoused. Meyer said the event helps him understand housing needs in Delaware. He recalled a story where a member of his counting team found someone who needed urgent medical attention outside of the Joe Biden Railroad Station in Wilmington. "I learned from that to keep your eyes open, you never know what you'll see," he said. Housing Alliance Delaware leads the state's annual count. Last January, over 1,300 people experiencing homelessness were counted -- an increase from the prior year. People who are in shelters are counted along with unsheltered people. These counts are the primary method for accounting the homeless population of a given area. This information is used by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and they publish complete national findings at the end of the year. They count is usually done either late at night or early in the morning in the winter. Metruax said people are more likely to be in shelters in the colder months, making them easier to count. On Jan. 29, the night of the count, a Code Purple was in effect, which allows shelters to remain open overnight during cold temperatures. Metraux has been a part of the count several years. He said accuracy is imprecise, but because of the method's uniformity, people can still grasp trends in the population. "You do it year after year, more or less the same way, you can get an idea of whether or not homelessness is going up or it's going down little, like the unemployment rate or the homeless population," he said. "I mean, it kind of tells you, it kind of gives a steady metric that, again, has been going since 2007 so you can kind of track that.". For Lonergan, it's an important night to experience the problems of housing instability on the ground. "It's just the idea of experiencing the population that I normally don't experience in their setting, trying to understand what their lives are like, why they're in the situations they're in," he said. Metraux and Lonergan rode together with paper surveys and care packages to find people who are living in cars, on the street or other unhoused ways. The packages include a pair of socks, snacks, gloves and narcan. A list of convenience stores, large parking lots near highways and busy downtown districts were on the list of places to check out in Newark. The goal is to survey people who are willing to talk, and they didn't approach people who were asleep in cars, for example. The count is imperfect, but the groups taking off from the New Castle County Hope Center near New Castle were determined to leave no stone unturned, whether they were a high-ranking government official or a casual volunteer. Meyer and his new housing guru Heckles were very clear that housing was a complex and urgent need around Delaware. Meyer said there is an 162 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022278 affordable housing crisis in Delaware. "Housing is a human right," he said. "It's a human right for every individual we see tonight. It's a human right for individuals who are having mental health substance use challenges, for individuals having domestic violence challenges.". According to Zillow, the average price of rent in Delaware is over $1,900 per month, 3% lower than the national average. Heckles said the cost of rent is causing people to become homeless, especially families and elderly people. Heckles joined the Point-in-Time Count hours after he was confirmed as the director of the Delaware State Housing Authority. He said fixing statewide housing insecurity is complex, and the first step to ending homelessness is making sure people avoid evictions and helping people escape homelessness as soon as possible. "We know what works. It's avoiding homelessness. It's diverting people out of the system," he said. "The longer you stay in the homeless system, the harder it is to get out. So we can bounce people off the system and get them rehoused very quickly. That's what works over a long time.". As Matraux's car pulled into a parking spot alongside Main Street in Newark, he spotted a person outside one of the stores. After a brief conversation, another joined them. The two people were not aware of a Code Purple overnight shelter open down the street at the United Methodist Church. While Lonergan asked the survey questions, which included basic information like name, age, race, gender and where someone intended to sleep that night, Matraux patrolled Main Street looking for signs of life in the college town's shadows. On a Code Purple night, people are more likely to be within one of the shelters. Barbara Woody, originally from Oklahoma, was planning to stay overnight at a bus stop before returning to her job as a housekeeper at a Newark hotel. "When I get off work, I have to go, usually, bus riding, or go to Delaware Park, or I'm making an excuse to be seen by a doctor," she said. Woody has been unhoused for about a month. She is looking for a roof over her head before she can find permanent housing again. She said she gets paid weekly,. "Never say never," she said. Matraux and Lonergan led Woody and another person to the United Methodist Church after the surveys were finished and continued the search along Main Street and Delaware Avenue, which came up empty. [MD] Organizations on the Shore hosts count of people experiencing homelessness (Easton Star-Democrat, MD) - full text Easton Star-Democrat [1/31/2025 5:00 AM, Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado, 38K, MD] From Queen Anne's County to Dorchester County many churches, libraries and senior centers assisted as various organizations hosted a point-in-time, a count of all experiencing unsheltered and sheltered homelessness. In Caroline County alone, approximately 142 people were reported to be in attendance on Wednesday. Jimmy Morris, continuum of care housing specialist for Mid-Shore Behavioral Health, said the count in Dorchester County recorded its highest ever number of people experiencing homelessness. Finalized numbers for the Mid-Shore will not be available for several weeks. Morris said large efforts were made to reach this specific population, from media outreach to visiting encampments. He said this larger effort was made due to the growing population of homelessness on the Shore. Over the last few years, the 163 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022279 population of people experiencing homelessness has skyrocketed on the Eastern Shore, and organizations focused on assisting this population are working to have a proper count in order to better secure funds to provide resources. Ashley Kessinger, continuum care manager at Mid-Shore Behavioral Health, said this winter the organization's shelters were filled with people trying to stay warm. "It's been a crisis," Kessinger said. "Our shelters are completely full, and they stay full all the time. They're all working off of waitlists. They're all trying to find other ways so that people that come to them, don't have to turn them away. But they're just full and we don't have enough." According to Kessinger, the results of the data gathered by each jurisdiction will be submitted to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and can be used to secure grant funding. Yvette Robinson, grant manager at Neighborhood Service Center, was distributing information at the Fredrick Douglas room of the Talbot County Free Library in Easton, one of the locations for the county Wednesday. Robinson said homelessness on the Eastern Shore looks different in comparison to homelessness in major cities. One of those contributing factors, she said, is resources. "The numbers are growing, the resources are not," Robinson said. "We rely on community partners to try to collaborate so that we can see what's working, what may not be working . . .we're just trying to get the information out that there are variable resources." According to Robinson, since Nov. 24, 2024, Neighborhood Service Center has given out 9,000 pounds of food and served over 600 families, a majority of which were homeless. Kessinger said a contributing factor to the growing homeless population has been a lack of affordable housing on the shore. Many of the people served at Mid-Shore Behavioral Health either have no income or they receive funds from Social Security which can be about $900 a month. A lack of affordable housing has made the issue worse but it is the mark of homelessness that will make it difficult to get landlords to consider working on affordable housing alternatives. In her experience, there are some landlords that refuse to help customers that her organization works with because the customers have experienced homelessness. Kessinger said there is an assumption that the customers will be bad tenants or bad people in general. For Kessinger, everyone deserves help and people shouldn't treat those experiencing homelessness differently because of their circumstance because it can happen to anyone at any time. "People think homelessness looks a certain way and we have seen people from all walks of life and it does not look a certain way," Kessinger said. "There's a lot of stigma on the shore about homelessness and some people just don't want to see it. If they come across an encampment or something like that, they just want it to go away. ...everyone deserves a chance to have a home." [NC] Crisis in our community: ' Volunteers, local leaders take part in annual homeless count (News-Record, Greensboro, NC) - full text News-Record.com [1/31/2025 4:15 AM, Kevin Griffin, 258K, NC] About 160 volunteers took part in Guilford County's annual count of the homeless population starting Wednesday. A group of the volunteers, including some local officials such as Guilford County Commissioner Melvin "Skip" Alston and Greensboro Councilman Hugh Holston, gathered at Jamestown Presbyterian Church Wednesday evening. The volunteers broke off into teams and carried out boxes of sleeping bags and other donated supplies to give to homeless people during the process of talking with 164 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022280 them. Accompanied by law officers from Greensboro and High Point, the volunteers then went out to local shelters and other locations across the county to complete the count. The Interactive Resource Center in downtown Greensboro, which reverted from a 24-7 operating schedule back to day hours in December, stayed open overnight to help with the count. While the most intensive period of counting occurred late Wednesday into Thursday, community groups and others will continue counting for a week. Since the count is officially a point-in-time, all data collected will represent the number of people who were homeless on Jan. 29. The count was organized through the Continuum of Care, a coalition of groups around the county working to address homelessness. The annual count is a requirement of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and is used in the determination of federal funding. But local leaders also stressed that the count is an important means of gauging the extent of the area's homeless problem, which Commissioner Alston describes as "a crisis within our community.". "We have to do more and the city has to do more, the city of Greensboro and High Point has to do more," Alston said. "We have to do what it takes in order to solve this problem and stop putting a band-aid approach on it.". Alston highlighted some of the county's efforts to address the problem, including a new 52- to 60-bed substance-abuse treatment facility under development on Lees Chapel Road. He said the new center would provide long-term services for those in need. "Not three weeks. Not a month but for nine months to a year, 18 months to two years, until you get so that you can transition into permanent housing," Alston said. "That's what it's going to take but we need 10 more of those. Fifty-beds is not going to solve the problem when we've got 665 people that was on the streets that we counted last year.". Alston said the county is expecting to commit $6 million for the facility and that the Guilford County Board of Commissioners is set to consider a $4.5 million construction contract at their Feb. 6 meeting. Alston also spoke about his own expenses participating in the point in time -- this is his third year taking part -- and what he took away from his interactions with homeless people in the area. "They don't want to be there but their situation causes them to be there," Alston said. "A lot of them have a trade but they have a behavioral health problem -- drugs and alcohol, mental illness. They can't hold down a fulitime job.". He added that many people wanted help but encountered various barriers, including a lack of transportation and knowledge of where to access available resources. [GA] Atlanta rethinks clearing homeless camps after a man is crushed inside his tent (Associated Press) - full text Associated Press [1/31/2025 3:39 PM, Jeff Martin, 47097K] Atlanta leaders are reconsidering how they dismantle homeless camps after a man was crushed inside a tent as a bulldozer destroyed makeshift homes in preparation for Martin Luther King Jr. holiday events. Cornelius Taylor was living in the camp a few blocks from Ebenezer Baptist Church, the King family's congregation, where dignitaries gather for each year's commemorative service. A march was held from downtown to the church that same weekend. Now, Taylor's family is planning a Monday funeral at the same historic church, and then a horse-drawn 165 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022281 carriage will carry his coffin to City Hall so that people there "can see who they killed," said his sister, Darlene Chaney. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled last year that cities across the country can enforce bans on homeless camping. But clearing the camps -- as New Orleans did ahead of Taylor Swift's concerts there -- remains controversial. Solutions are scarce amid soaring rents, natural disasters and an influx of migrants that drove homelessness up 18%. The family's supporters hope his death can be a catalyst for change. "Atlanta is the leader in so much," said civil rights lawyer Mawuli Mel Davis, who is working with the family to investigate. "We're the leader in movies, we're the leader in music. We're the leader in civil rights and destinations. "Why can't we lead the rest of the country in how to treat the unhoused humanely?" Davis said. Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens met with family members and spoke of Taylor's death during the King Day service at Ebenezer. "Every life in this city matters to me," Dickens said on social media. Atlanta police officers were at the scene on Jan. 16, partly to provide protection because some of homeless people had attacked workers in the past, an officer wrote in a police report. As "the large earth-moving machine" moved through, a man who had been living at the camp waved down an officer, who found Taylor injured and bleeding. Taylor was able to tell the officer "that something had fallen on him" and to give his name after the officer pulled him out of the collapsed tent, the report states. Then, Taylor's breathing decreased. He was foaming at his mouth. He was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Taylor's pelvis was split apart, and his spleen and liver were crushed, said Harold Spence, another family lawyer. An autopsy report has not yet been released by the Fulton County Medical Examiner's Office. Taylor's death, the mayor said, "demonstrates the need to reevaluate and reassess our city's policies concerning homeless encampments, and how we can better serve our unhoused population.". The temporary moratorium being considered by the city council should lead to stronger policies and expanded outreach, Dickens said. The tent camp was one of Atlanta's largest, occupying a block where buildings were razed long ago and spilling out onto Old Wheat Street, alongside the interstate highways that separate downtown from the Old Fourth Ward. Although the area was being cleared in preparation for the King holiday events, as Public Works spokeswoman Kim Rankins confirmed, city officials said the plans were made months earlier and there was significant "outreach" to people living there beforehand. That process began in April 2024 and connected 21 people to shelter or housing, said Cathryn Vassell, CEO of Partners for HOME, which partners with the city on homeless issues. "These spaces are incredibly unsafe not only for those who shelter in them but also for the communities that surround them," Dickens said. Chaney said her brother was an artist -- he loved drawing -- and even when he was on the streets, he tried to take care of her. When someone broke into her car one time, "he had a fit and was ready to protect me because he was a protector," she said. "I don't 166 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022282 know how I'm going to go on," his sister added. "I listen to his voicemails, and I'm just grateful I have that.". [GA] Metro Atlanta veteran living in car helped after US Sens. secure $500K for homeless veterans (WSB-TV ABC 2 Atlanta, GA) - full text WSB-TV ABC 2 Atlanta [1/31/2025 4:06 PM, Staff, 3860K, GA] More than a week ago, U.S. Sens. Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff announced they'd secured more than $500,000 to help homeless veterans in the Atlanta area through a combination of rental assistance and services. Channel 2 Action News has learned the work that funding was intended for is already in motion. According to a representative from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, metro area Army veteran Rosalyn Martin was living out of her car and struggling with homelessness. The VA said that in the days since the funding was secured to help metro Atlanta's homeless veterans, Martin has been able to get help. Getting the support she needed started after Martin nearly skipped an appointment she tried to cancel. Instead, she went to the Fort McPherson VA Clinic, was helped by staff and offered the resources she needed but didn't know were available. "The care that was provided for me, I was just like thank you, God It was such a painless process," Martin said. "I was happy and floored at how quickly everything was provided for me." Martin said through the VA that her path to this point was filled with several different issues that impacted her. "Not having a solid foundation and mental health issues, (I knew) I needed to be stable mentally and emotionally," said Martin. "I found myself in a cycle of trying to get my life together just to have these toxic relationships stop me in my tracks. I didn't know what to do at one point. I started sleeping in my car and driving for Uber full-time.". In 2022, a car accident left her with a severe back injury, the VA said. "She started selfmedicating to deal with the physical and emotional pain of losing those who were closest to her. After toughing it out for a long time, she decided to try the Atlanta VA," according to the department. A case manager at Health Care for Homeless Veterans said they were able to get Martin the help she needed through VA partnerships. "Rosalyn Martin was connected to care through community partnerships VA Atlanta already had in place," Tina Lewis, the case manager, said. "We provide supportive living for women and women with children who have suffered from addiction and homelessness, offering a safe place to rebuild their lives. The goal of Community Transitional Housing is to allow participants the opportunity to save money and be independent in the community." After going to HCHV, Martin said she went to a women's shelter, which got her into a Veteran-focused program. She now has a place to live. "I was accepted into the VIP Program where I now share a condo with another person. I get to live in a nice, warm place, I don't have to pay for rent, and all I can just focus on me, getting on with my life, and focusing on my mental health," Martin said. "Losing my dad, friend and brother took its toll on me. I didn't have them to help anchor me to this world and the goals I have for my life." She told the VA that she has picked up where she left off, making body butters and 167 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022283 soaps for a small business and relaunching a beauty company. For other veterans experiencing homelessness or in need, the VA has the following resources available: If you are a veteran who is homeless or at imminent risk of homelessness, or someone who knows a veteran in this situation, call the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at 877-424-3838 for assistance. It is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors who can talk with you right now and connect you with your nearest VA for help. If you are a landlord or housing provider with housing units, and would like to rent to veterans participating in VA homeless programs. If you are a business owner and would like to hire homeless and formerly homeless veterans. [GA] Will Augusta's homeless count show increase in population? (WRDW, SC) full text WRDW [1/31/2025 5:17 PM, Sydney Hood, 507K, SC] VIDEO. Augusta's homeless population is growing. This month, more than 100 volunteers have been counting every person facing homelessness to get a better idea of the crisis in our community. It's called a "point in time" count, and directly affects how much federal funding our local nonprofits receive. Augusta's Homeless Task Force oversees this count, which is led by Nomi Stanton. Stanton says she worries that Hurricane Helene might have added to our homeless population. Augusta's Riverfront is officially named after the city's first Black mayor, Edward McIntyre. That's because, after Helene, so many were either dispersed or displaced. For the task force, it's not a question of if the hurricane impacts the count. It's more so how it will impact the count. We drive on roads as a means of transportation. "We are never going to eradicate homelessness. We are a city," said Stanton. But together, Stanton says, "We don't know what we don't know, but uncovering those things so that we can figure out our strategic plan on how we help people remove barriers.". She says it can create long-term fixes. The Richmond County Sheriffs Office releases stats that show what deputies have accomplished in the first month under a new boss. "We don't want to put a band-aid over things. If you're going to put all of the effort and the work into a point in time count so that we can identify barriers, we need to come up with solutions," she said. While the faces of homelessness change over the years, the numbers do as well. "We have not, in Augusta, experienced a natural disaster before. So, it would be, I think, ignorant to say, I wonder if this is going to impact us because there's no doubt that it already has," said Stanton. It's a matter of turning words into action. "There is no such thing as a perfect family. But what we can do, and even our community, like there's no such thing as a perfect community. But we have the most perfect partners willing to work together. That is from the nonprofit side as well as community leaders who work for our government and really want to help people. And that perfect marriage is what it's going to take. And we see that. We see the progress," she said. Aiken County is set to be on track to have more people without homes than in the past. The county is wrapping up its annual "point in time", or PIT, count. Stanton says getting the numbers is just the start. 168 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022284 "We know because we've been doing this for years now, and so now it's time to take those things and actually see progress," said Stanton. The task force is looking at getting community care tickets, because figuring out how to get people around town is still one of their biggest challenges right now. If you'd like to get involved with brainstorming possible solutions, the task force invites you to attend one of their meetings at the Kroc Center. Those dates include: February 27, 2025 at 3 p.m. September 25, 2025 at 3 p.m. October 23, 2025 at 3 p.m. November 20, 2025 at 3 p.m. December 18, 2025 at 3 p.m. [FL] Measuring Needs: Annual survey aims to assess homeless count in Collier County (Fox 4 Now, FL) - full text Fox 4 Now [1/31/2025 5:20 PM, Mahmoud Bennett, 348K, FL] Volunteers and outreach workers gathered at Sugden Regional Park on Friday as part of an annual effort to assess the state of homelessness in Collier County. The event, organized by the Southwest Florida Regional Coalition to End Homelessness, aims to provide a snapshot of the region's unhoused population while offering critical resources to those in need. "So today, we have folks here that are getting a haircut, we have healthcare, we have mental healthcare, we have domestic violence providers here today, and then we have teams that are out on the streets," said Michael Overway, the coalition's executive director. Alongside the coalition's outreach, Warrior Homes of Collier focused on locating and assisting homeless veterans. The organization's founder, Dale Mullin, said his team scoured the area, but found only a handful of empty tents by midday. "We want to locate them, find them help, whatever their needs are, and every veteran has a different need," Mullin said. According to Mullin, not all veterans are willing to seek shelter. "Every veteran doesn't want to be housed. About 10% of the veteran population chooses to remain homeless and live outside shelter," he said. "But those that have an interest in living in shelter--we try to scoop them up.". The homeless coalition says the region is seeing shifting trends in homelessness, largely driven by rising housing costs and a shortage of affordable rent. "Last year to this year, there's been a definite change in who was experiencing homelessness for the first time." Overway said. "We're seeing a lot more senior citizens out on the streets, and we have a lot more single parents, particularly living in their cars.". The 2024 count identified 660 homeless individuals in Collier County, including 96 veterans. The coalition expects updated numbers from this year's survey to be released in March. It's definitely a housing crisis, and the question we are asking is how to address it," Overway said. "These survey counts help us gather a lot of that information.". [KY] Advocates worry Louisville's annual homeless count may be low (Louisville Courier-Journal, KY) - full text 169 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022285 Louisville Courier-Journal [1/31/2025 5:05 AM, Keely Doll, 2485K, KY] Across Louisville, outreach workers and volunteers are hitting the streets to try and reach every member of the city's unhoused population. In between passing out hot meals, sweatshirts and flashlights, they're asking individuals one vital question: Where did you sleep Monday night? The question is part of the Point-in-Time count, a Housing and Urban Development mandated survey that occurs every year during the last week of January. It helps gather data on unhoused populations including how many people may be living outside, in shelters or in transitional housing around the country during a single night -- creating a snapshot of how many people are facing homelessness in a community. Though the count is federally mandated, it's conducted locally by several organizations that often work with those experiencing homelessness. The count is an imperfect system, local participants say, but it's one of the few ways they have to track demographics for a population that can be difficult to find concrete data on. Local advocates say they're especially worried the count may not be a valid representation of Louisville's unhoused population this year after the implementation of the Safer Kentucky Act. The sweeping crime bill, passed during the 2024 legislative session, makes unlawful street camping offenses a Class B misdemeanor. Since the law took effect in July, police have issued more than 40 unlawful camping citations in Louisville and its suburbs. Christen "Tiny" Herron, the director of housing services at the Arthur Street Hotel and founder of The Forgotten Louisville, said it's been harder and harder for homeless outreach organizations to connect with the people they serve. "Because the city continues to clear encampments like they are, it is very hard to find individuals, and that's because individuals aren't comfortable either sharing where their location is or they're moving day to day," Herron said. Last January, the Point-in-Time survey counted 1,728 unhoused people in Jefferson County, including 595 who were living unsheltered. Susan Buchino, executive director of the Arthur Street Hotel, said no matter the count, it will always be under representative of the actual unhoused population. Some people may not live in areas where organizations conduct the Point-in-Time counts, as resources for the unhoused are concentrated in the West End and downtown Louisville. Families and children are also historically underrepresented in data about the unhoused population. Last year, outreach workers counted 196 children under 18 experiencing homelessness, but Herron said that number may be higher. "People are fearful of the system, and many people believe because they are experiencing homelessness that CPS would be called, which is not true," Herron said. Why is it so important that the count be as accurate as possible? Buchino said it affects how much funding organizations that work with unhoused people can receive. If the count lowers artificially, funding could quickly disappear, which could exacerbate issues and remove resources from the community. "If we only report that we have 150 people sleeping outside, how do we tell the story that we have way more than that, and we need more funding?" Buchino said. Communities must submit their Point-in-Time counts and 170 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022286 housing inventory counts by April 30 to HUD. [Editorial note: consult source link for video] [LA] City of New Orleans approves new homeless shelter in Mid City (WDSU New Orleans, LA) - full text WDSU New Orleans [2/1/2025 1:26 PM, Jonah Gilmore, 1250K, LA] VIDEO. The City of New Orleans is planning to build a homeless shelter in MidCity at the old NOPD Crime Lab location. New Orleans Councilwoman Lesli Harris calls plans for a new non congregate shelter "a win for the city of New Orleans.". According to Harris, "a non congregate shelter is a homeless shelter with separate apartments rather than a large open space.". Thursday, the city approved a measure to build the facility on Tulane avenue between S Dupree and S Gayoso, the same location where the New Orleans Police Department's crime lab once sat. The city is promising $8 million in Housing and Urban Development funds, but the rest is unaccounted for. "We are very excited to see a homeless shelter coming together to support New Orleans' most vulnerable citizens," said New Orleans Director of Strategic Property Initiatives, Rochelle Juelich. Many people applaud the city for taking steps to address the unhoused, but people like Lynn Rivers question the conversations that took place before the approval. "I definitely would have wanted to go to a meeting to voice my concerns and my opinions with that," said Rivers. Rivers runs a day care directly across from the property. She said, she would like more details about the proposed facility including who will be there and the type of services that will be offered. "I don't think it's going to be a healthy and safe environment for our families and our children to have that across from us," said Rivers. Currently, there's no developer selected, and it's not clear on how many rooms will be in the facility. In a statement, President of Greater New Orleans Housing Alliance (GNOHA) Andreanecia Morris said, "we applaud the city for finally taking steps to disperse the dollars necessary to add to our shelter system and bring online a facility that can truly meet the moment. We're pleased this investment is closer to housing than simply shelter. It's imperative that the mayor and city council are moving to deploy these precious housing resources, especially given the fact that the Trump and Landry administrations' actions in recent weeks both wasted and jeopardized housing funding. This is also a sign that we are ready to build a system that cannot only deploy these dollars but also the dollars that the people of New Orleans entrusted to next year's leadership. Over the next few months, the people of New Orleans will be watching to ensure that leaders are ready, willing and able to put our needs first and #PutHousingFirst. [OH] Housing development makes way for second chances (Cincinnati - Spectrum News 1, OH) - full text Cincinnati - Spectrum News 1 [1/31/2025 5:25 AM, Aliah Keller, 684K, OH] The impact of a prison sentence can last far longer than the length of the sentence itself. According to the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, people who spend time in jail or prison are 13 times more likely to end up homeless, but a new village made up of tiny homes is trying to reverse that trend. After being incarcerated for 19 years, Detra 171 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022287 March moved into an apartment at Vista Village to start fresh. Vista Village is a tiny housing development that houses people coming out of homelessness and others who are at risk of it. Vista Village helps people transition before entering back into society. Detra March is one resident living at Vista Village in Columbus. She moved in after being incarcerated for 19 years. "I became addicted to crack cocaine at a young age and I was 18 years old. And unfortunately, somebody lost their life, and I was responsible. You know, hurt people hurt people," said March. March knows she can't rewrite the past, but she's trying to make a better life for herself here at Vista Village where they house people either transitioning out of homelessness and others who are at risk of it. "One of the biggest risk factors for recidivism is a lack of safe housing," said Vista Village executive director Lexi Rogers. "Another group would be youth who are aging out the foster care system who basically are emancipated with nowhere to move into, and veterans experiencing homelessness.". Rogers said the goal for these residents is to live here a couple of years before they can live independently, making it possible for people like March to achieve their dreams. "I am going to put my culinary background to use some way, so pastry, cake, cooking in some way, and I can't wait." March said. While on parole, she's trying to make the most of her newfound freedom. "I work. I'm saving money. I give back to my community the best way that I can. In Vista Village, I help do maintenance," said March. "I help wherever I'm needed.". March hopes, by sharing her story, she inspires. "I could've given up in prison," she said. "I could've quit, but I didn't, and for that, I'm grateful.". [IN] New program helps homeless people with incomes lease apartments (JournalGazette, IN) - full text Journal-Gazette [1/31/2025 11:30 PM, Sherry Slater, 53K, IN] Philip Budd radiates gratitude these days -- but life wasn't always this good for the 81year-old Fort Wayne native. Last week, Budd was homeless. After spending two or three weeks sleeping outside in the bitter cold, Budd crossed paths with a local pastor. Four days later, Budd and his wife were moving into an apartment outfitted with donated furniture. "It's like being in heaven," he said of having their own place. Pastor Donnie Foster, of Misfits Ministry Inc.. had known Philip and Patricia Budd for a couple of years. He knew they were good people who had fallen on hard times, so he called someone he knew could help: Mary Ann Mings, executive director of Inasmuch Ministry. "People think that if you're homeless, you're either high or crazy, but that's not true," Mings said. More than half of the homeless people she encounters through her work receive a reliable income from a job or Social Security. The major obstacle for them to get into an apartment, Mings said, is the need for an established rental history and enough cash for a security deposit and the first three months' rent. Three months' rent for the Budds was $2,250 -- or $750 a month -- and the security deposit was $925. Mings paid the full $3,175 to get the Budds into their new apartment. Since Oct. 1, Mings has helped eight homeless people lease apartments. That number will be 12 by the end 172 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022288 of February, she said. The effort has been funded by money earmarked for emergency rental assistance. The city of Fort Wayne received a federal grant from funds designated for coronavirus relief. City officials offered Mings $173,000 to continue her efforts to help the local homeless population. "They believe in what we're doing," Mings said of the city's Community Development Division. Jim Atz, a city community development administrator, confirmed that description. "We wholeheartedly believe in what Mary Ann's doing," he said. He confirmed that some homeless people need help applying for the documents they need to receive government checks. Others don't have a bank account where they could cash or deposit those checks. And not having a permanent address presents a significant hurdle, Atz said. Mings organizes volunteers to help the program's recipients take those necessary steps. In the Budds' case, Foster's wife, Kelly Foster, drove the couple to the bank and government offices. "It makes a lot of sense," Atz said of Mings' approach to the local homeless problem. "Mary Ann has a very unique perspective." Mings welcomes in people who seek help from Inasmuch Ministry at Broadway Christian Church, which pays her salary. "She has conversations and builds relationships with these people," Atz said of those living on the streets and in shelters. Getting to know who people are and what they need allows Mings to decide whom to help. "Our lane, at least for right now, isn't addiction or mental health issues," she said. "There are people who do that." The federal money won't last forever, however. Mings is already searching for more funding sources. She estimated the program can help 20 more people find housing before it runs out of money. At the suggestion of a volunteer, Mings has named the program Forgotten Stones. The idea is that society is a foundation. But the needy, the people without homes, are like stones that have rolled away from that foundation and been forgotten. Lance Hypes, 42, has worked at General Motors' local assembly plant for five months. No one there had any idea he was recently homeless. "I try to keep stuff private," said Hypes, who lived in his car on and off for five or 10 years. Despite Hypes' steady paycheck, he couldn't find anyone willing to rent to him without a verifiable rental history. He had lived with family and friends over the years -- his own name had never appeared on a lease. Combine that with a nonviolent felony conviction 10 years ago and a drug addiction until five years ago, and Hypes wasn't able to qualify for an apartment. "I've seen this so much in my life that it wasn't surprising to me," he said of being rejected as a tenant. "What did surprise me was the care and compassion that Mary Ann has for people who need things." Hypes met Mings when he was directed to Inasmuch Ministry for financial help two years ago. In exchange for the assistance, Hypes had to agree to volunteer to help others. "That was a life-changer for me. Once I did it just a couple of times, I never stopped," he said. "I feel like the Lord is working through Mary Ann. What she does is amazing. She is a godsend." In the Budds' case, a tree fell through the roof of the house they were 173 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022289 renting. "The landlord wouldn't fix it, and we lost all our furniture and stuff," Philip Budd said Furniture for the Budds' new apartment came from a local retailer that donated last year's models to Misfits Ministry to make room for new merchandise. Mings said various people have contacted her with furniture and other housewares to donate. She finds homes for those items in the apartments occupied by program participants. Forgotten Stones has placed tenants in Chase Manor, Memorial Park Estates and Kaufmann properties. Shannon Greene, Memorial Park Estates' property manager, has tremendous empathy for the people Mings sends her way. "I've been homeless. I know what it is," she said, referring to the year when she and her husband lived in their car and then in a rented motel room. "It was hard.". Greene, who manages three apartment buildings, is grateful that she's now in a position to help others struggling the way she did seven years ago. "That just made me feel really good," she said. Applicants still need to meet landlords' rental requirements, including proof of a steady income, photo ID, Social Security card, birth certificate and bank statement. They also must pass a background check that ensures the applicant hasn't had a past eviction with an outstanding balance due and isn't a convicted sex offender. Landlords also review other felony convictions for the severity of the crime, Greene said. Candace Lewman, Chase Manor's property manager, has leased two apartments to formerly homeless people through Mings' program. Pre-payment of three months' rent removes a lot of the risk of leasing to people without a financial cushion, she said. "It's a huge help for these people," Lewman said of the recipients of Forgotten Stones' financial assistance. Once tenants are placed in an apartment, they have to be self-sustaining beginning with the fourth month, Mings said. She works to place them in apartments they can reasonably afford. But if a tenant fails to pay the rent going forward, Mings won't intervene when they are evicted. She works to give people a fighting chance in life, but she won't support them indefinitely. Foster, of Misfits Ministry, agrees with that approach. "We are dedicated to giving people a hand up, not a hand out," he said. "Have we been burnt? Yes, I've been burnt. Does it stop me from helping the next person? Absolutely not.". The financial assistance is limited, but the caring isn't. Mings knows that being homeless is a traumatic experience. So she and volunteers regularly reach out to people the program has helped to keep them connected to a caring community. She understands people could feel unmoored when they suddenly don't need to spend most of their waking hours searching for food, bathroom facilities and a place to sleep that night. The GM worker recently called Mings to tell her how grateful he was to be standing in his own kitchen and drinking a cup of coffee. Budd was so grateful for their apartment that within days of moving in, he made a declaration: "Once I got into the apartment, I said the only way I leave is if the undertaker takes me out." He wants people to know that they can find help at Forgotten Stones if they reach out and ask for it. "I can't find anybody any better than them," Budd said of Mings, Foster and their volunteers. "I want people to see what they do for you." Foster, who operates a 174 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022290 food pantry, serves a hot meal to local homeless people every Sunday evening. In the winter, the crowd typically numbers 50 to 75, he said. In summer, the number swells to 250 to 300 people living on local streets. Mings approaches the homeless problem in a way Foster has never before seen in his 21 years of working with that population. "I love her program 100%," he said. "It is so cool to be a part of. It's more than a dream. It's a vision." "People think that if you're homeless, you're either high or crazy, but that's not true." -- Mary Ann Mings, executive director of Inasmuch Ministry. [MN] Brooks: For this homeless Hennepin County family, a home of their own (Minneapolis Star Tribune, MN) - full text Minneapolis Star Tribune [1/31/2025 5:02 PM, Jennifer Brooks, 2679K, MN] Last year, Frankey and Robert were one of 500 families in Hennepin County without a home. This year, they're home. Music filled their two-bedroom apartment and a big smile spread across 3-year-old Robert's face as his mother checked the laundry, then cued up one of their favorite songs. You know it's alright, it's OK, the Bee Gees assured them, I'll live to see another day. They didn't have much furniture for the apartment yet, which just meant more room for dancing. Outside, the skies were gray and snow was just starting to fall on Hopkins. Inside, Franchesca Smith, who goes by Frankey, laughed and watched her little boy boogie. Safe and warm and home at last. Staying alive. Staying alive. "Sometimes I'd get really, really down," Frankey said. On the bad days, when they were sleeping in shelters or temporary hotel rooms, she held on to Robert -- and he held tight to her. "'Mommy can't get up. Mommy can't get off of the couch or out of the door without a magic big hug,- she would tell her son. "So every morning, he'd climb onto the couch with me and say 'It's time for the magic big hug so you can get up.- She looked out for Robert, Robert looked out for her, and their community looked out for them both. If it feels like nothing good is happening in the world right now, know this: More than half the families who were homeless in and around Minneapolis at the start of 2024 were housed by the start of 2025. "Everyone deserves housing," said Danielle Werder, senior department administrator for Hennepin County Housing Stability. "We believe everyone can move into housing, and we believe that it is our job to help them get there in a way that works for them." The county operates a shelter-all policy for families, meaning that any eligible family that asks the county for help should be under a roof by that evening -- a policy sorely tested in the past few years as pandemic assistance dried up just as Minneapolis ended its moratorium on evictions. "We got really creative with the resources we had," Werder said. Some families just needed a little extra money so they could chip in for groceries while they stayed with a 175 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022291 relative. Some needed help finding affordable housing near family, work or child care. Some needed wraparound support and on-site social workers to help as they settled in. "We asked people what they wanted. We asked people what their barriers were," Werder said. "We're trying to make the experience of homelessness very brief and nonrecurring." Homes for half the families who need them isn't enough, but it's not nothing. And for 11 of the past 12 months, Werder said, more families have moved out of Hennepin County shelters than into them. Including Frankey, 37, who left a home that no longer felt safe two years ago with little more than Robert's teddy bear and the clothes and paperwork she could carry. "I think he likes his home," Frankey said. Soon, the family would visit the county's Bridging warehouse to pick out furniture for the apartment -- maybe a couch, maybe a table and chairs, maybe some bed frames for their new mattresses. "It was journey and I wanted to give up so many different times," Frankey said. "But the fact that I had him and I couldn't give up is what kept me going." As one family was making a home, dozens of Hennepin County staff were out in the cold on Jan. 22 for the annual Point In Time count, trying to determine how many more people will need their help this year. "There's a lot of national news right now that homelessness is hopeless, it's on the rise, there's no solution, things are bad," Werder said. "We don't really highlight that there are things that work. .. . And yes, it's hard, and it's not a magic bullet, and it's a slog, and it's complicated. But it's happening and it's working." [MN] Housing program dogged with complaints of wait times, potential fraud (Minneapolis Star Tribune, MN) - full text Minneapolis Star Tribune [2/2/2025 9:30 PM, Susan Du, Jessie Van Berkel, 2679K, MN] Minnesota's rollout of one of the nation's first Medicaid-funded programs to help people find and keep housing has been deeply flawed, some providers warn. They say issues with the program have made it harder for them to house people and created conditions ripe for fraud. In meetings across the state, housing organizations have been comparing similar stories of how difficult it has been to work with the Housing Stabilization Services program since it started four years ago. Among their complaints: the monthslong process for participants to sign up, Medicaid's complicated billing process, homeless people left to languish in the streets. Multiple service providers interviewed by the Minnesota Star Tribune also described predatory enrollers approaching vulnerable people around emergency shelters and promising housing. In some cases, according to a report by the housing advocacy organization Hearth Connection, these enrollers have "fraudulently" worn nametags to impersonate staff from a trusted organization. Once enrolled, some say they get little follow-up communication and no help. Julie Quiroz, who is homeless in Minneapolis and was recently living out of her car, said she submitted paperwork to enroll in Housing Stabilization Services over a year ago. "They 176 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022292 have not done one thing for me, not one thing, like nothing," she said. It takes more than three months to enroll someone who needs help in Housing Stabilization Services, according to the state. A seven-person team at the Department of Human Services reviews about 2,000 applications a month but can't keep up with demand. Gov. Tim Walz proposed adding three housing stabilization employees in his recently released budget. For providers, a funding restructuring that came with the launch of Housing Stabilization Services has been particularly unworkable. Last year, dozens of organizations sent a letter to legislators warning that the funding system "will lead to fewer housing options for Minnesotans experiencing or at-risk of homelessness, providers reducing or eliminating services altogether, and the state failing to leverage Medicaid funds to advance essential housing services." Some of the largest and most well-known service providers in town -- including Simpson Housing and Catholic Charities -- say they are finding Housing Stabilization Services too difficult to use and are reluctant to accept new clients. Meanwhile, the number of people signed up for the new service and organizations providing it have skyrocketed. More than 14,100 people are enrolled in the benefit, nearly twice as many as the state projected. And some 1,500 providers have flooded the industry since 2020, with almost half billing for services last year. Some are run by wellknown providers; others are new on the scene. Housing Stabilization Services providers collectively billed for about $248 million from July 2020 through the end of last year, according to DHS data. For-profit companies are the biggest recipients. "I'm kind of baffled by the fact that there could be [more than] 1,400 agencies," said Patrick Harrington, executive director of Bemidji nonprofit Housing Matters. "If every agency worked with 10 people, we would end homelessness. Where are all these agencies?" DHS has heard extensive complaints that Housing Stabilization Services isn't living up to its potential. The agency surveyed recipients and providers this summer, and officials are trying to address concerns with billing and wait times. "Housing Stabilization Services meet a vital community need, and program integrity is critical to its ability to continue to do so," DHS Assistant Commissioner Eric Grumdahl said in a statement. "DHS takes our dual responsibilities seriously as we provide ongoing oversight of HSS providers and provide the supports, education, and technical assistance to set these providers up for success." Providers say there's an established strategy for helping chronically homeless people: subsidized rent paired with individualized support with whatever it takes to keep them from getting evicted, such as applying for jobs and keeping up with the utility bills. The state-funded Housing Support program has long provided these "wrap-around" services. 177 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022293 When Minnesota launched the Housing Stabilization Services Medicaid benefit in 2020 to serve low-income seniors and people with disabilities, it offered an opportunity to draw millions of dollars from the federal government. The new program reimburses providers that help people find and retain housing. To avoid duplication of services between the state-funded program and the new Medicaid benefit -- which DHS said would violate federal requirements -- the Legislature cut the state's reimbursement rates for the Housing Support wrap-around services in half. But since then, officials with nonprofits said Housing Stabilization Services has become more of a barrier than a benefit to their work. Simpson Housing Services Associate Director Wendy Wiegmann said they've had numerous experiences of moving someone into one of its supportive housing programs, only to discover that person has been signed up for Housing Stabilization Services without their knowledge. "So now we turn people back from our housing if they've been signed up for Housing Stabilization [Services], because we can't make it work," Wiegmann said. "This whole rate cut really keeps people homeless." Catholic Charities Twin Cities has a supportive housing complex in the Elliot Park neighborhood in Minneapolis with a county health clinic. Catholic Charities Housing Director Kristen Brown said there have been concerns with unfamiliar Housing Stabilization Services enrollers approaching homeless people in the adjacent park and bringing them into the clinic to get a medical document required for the benefit. "It's all people who are living on very low incomes, if any at all, and any offer of assistance is usually received positively," she said. "Unfortunately, what we see is our population is also quite vulnerable to people who want to take advantage of that." Hennepin County declined to make clinic personnel available for interviews, instead providing a statement from Housing Stability Director David Hewitt. "While many agencies are already leveraging Medicaid Housing Stabilization Services for this purpose, we are also aware of concerns about structure, implementation and oversight of the program," Hewitt said. "We have shared those with the state Department of Human Services." Former employees at two of the largest Housing Stabilization Services providers told the Minnesota Star Tribune that fast growth and insufficient oversight of the program is allowing companies to overbill Medicaid and prioritize profits over people. Owners of those businesses denied breaking the rules, urging DHS to improve billing, wait times, oversight and training for providers. Start Today Hennepin has billed more than $8 million since 2020, the most of any Housing Stabilization Services provider. Three former employees said case managers were encouraged to "bill up" to ensure they always met a quota of 105 billable hours a month. "These are vulnerable adults, these are people that need more intensive services, that are being taken advantage of by these HSS providers," said Fern Snedeker, a former case manager at Start Today Hennepin in Minneapolis. 178 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022294 Start Today CEO Jennifer Porter called the claims "one thousand percent not true." The quota helps ensure that clients get adequate case management, she said. Yet Porter acknowledged that gutting the state-funded Housing Support rate "really hurt us." When Start Today enrolled clients in Housing Stabilization Services four years ago, they found that the program forces providers to laboriously document billable hours to stay afloat, contributing to employee burnout. "It's not to put pressure on the staff and it's not to overbill or anything. It's the only way that we can get paid," she said. Former staff at Oakdale-based Opportunity Community Services, another major recipient of Housing Stabilization Services dollars, also said case managers were encouraged to pad their hours - something CEO Rose Kukwa disputed. Former employees Natasha Rosario Wylie and Ashley Wolf alleged that Kukwa is connected to different businesses that pass clients to each other in violation of conflict of interest rules. "It does not seem to be ethical or legal," Wylie wrote in a letter to DHS two years ago. Kukwa owns Opportunity Community Services and Integrity Care Services -- both companies that utilize Housing Stabilization Services -- but denied wrongdoing and said she's the "number one provider" when it comes to following procedures. Kukwa said she gathers providers at her office monthly to discuss Housing Stabilization issues, from DHS wait times to the lack of training. "It's a very new program that the oversight -- on the level of DHS -- they have not gotten their stuff together," Kukwa said. "If I were DHS, I would have paused on accepting new applications for providers for HSS and figured out what is going on with what we currently have." If there are even minor errors in the paperwork to enroll in Housing Stabilization Services, it can take longer than the usual three months. Brian Bozeman, who spent decades working for larger human service agencies in the metro, saw Housing Stabilization Services as an opportunity to create his own business: Person Centered Housing Consultants, which helps people enroll in the program. It hasn't been easy. Bozeman has 4OO clients waiting in DHS' queue, he said. They are constantly filling his voicemail with pleas for updates. By the time an application is finally processed, the client might have fallen off the map. "Folks are a bit transient. People lose their phones," Bozeman said. "I'm assuming there's quite a few folks who do get approved for services that aren't able to receive services because they can't find them." Walz's recent budget proposal would add two staff to review applications and one to help with provider training and technical assistance. Providers have been offering their own solutions to improve housing stability for Minnesotans, such as reinstating the full Housing Support reimbursement rates. Hearth Connection estimates that would take $1.5 million a year. Another intermediary organization, Corporation for Supportive Housing, suggests that DHS take on Medicaid billing responsibilities from providers who don't have the administrative capacity to do it. 179 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022295 A DHS spokesman said the department is studying the rate cut issue and will report on it to the Legislature in 2026. During a recent presentation to legislators on fraud prevention, DHS Commissioner Jodi Harpstead highlighted Housing Stabilization Services as one of several fast-growing unlicensed Medicaid programs that have "fuzzier regulation" and are harder to monitor. "We need to work together to build the oversight structure around those services that have been growing so we have the ability to keep them well in order," she said. [TX] `Not just a number': How annual Point-in-Time Count snapshots homelessness in North Texas (Dallas Morning News, TX) - full text Dallas Morning News [2/1/2025 8:00 AM, Lilly Kersh, 3419K, TX] In the parking lot of an Outback Steakhouse in Collin County, Shorty, 51, has his belongings laid out to dry. It rained this morning, and some of his clothes are draped over a tarp. He's wearing a bandana and sunglasses, playing music from his phone and answering questions for the Point-in-Time Count survey, a cigarette dangling from his mouth. The survey is an annual census of individuals and families experiencing homelessness across Dallas and Collin counties. It's organized and conducted by Housing Forward, the lead agency in the region's homeless response system. Hundreds of volunteers helped conduct the survey Thursday night, which is a requirement to qualify for funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. They gathered in Dallas, Plano, McKinney and in other cities after sunset to find people without shelter, gather information and provide them with resources. The count provides a snapshot, not a comprehensive measure. of homelessness in the region. While it doesn't tell the full story of homelessness, agencies use the number to track progress reducing homelessness from year to year. Last year, Housing Forward counted 3,718 people experiencing homelessness on the single night of the count. That's down from 4,570 in 2021, the year Housing Forward began a transformation of its response system, specifically to target unsheltered homelessness. "Our job as a system is to have enough resources so that as people become homeless, we can help them quickly exit with the support that they need so that they don't return," said Housing Forward CEO Sarah Kahn. "[The Point-in-Time Count] is a measure of whether or not those investments were sufficient to meet that annual need over the course of the year." Shorty is happy to answer the questions as volunteers seek to learn more about what contributes to homelessness in Plano. Not everyone experiencing homelessness agrees to participate, but many do so enthusiastically. Shorty will gladly share his story and show off his socks, which have a South Park character printed on. The Collin County Homeless Coalition is a group of more than 150 member organizations working to address homelessness, according to group president Rick 180 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022296 Grady. He encouraged volunteers in Plano on Thursday to show kindness to unhoused neighbors. "Our job tonight is to be able to find those people, show them some compassion and care, show them that we really are interested in what is happening in their life and see if we can't take those numbers back and be able to do something with them through the funding to the federal government and through the agencies that we use," Grady said to volunteers. The Point-in-Time Count isn't comprehensive; it doesn't capture people experiencing unstable housing, like those living in extended stay hotels or couch surfing with friends or families while they can't afford permanent housing. "This number tonight is only a snapshot," said Danielle Davis, Plano's homeless services coordinator. "It's not the full picture." It's still widely used by agencies to determine if efforts are working. Across Dallas and Collin counties, about 1,000 volunteers are needed to conduct the count, Kahn said. Volunteers keep track of unsheltered people, while homeless shelters and transitional housing providers conduct a count of sheltered people staying at their facilities. A person is unsheltered if they are living in places not meant for human habitation, like cars, abandoned buildings or on the street. The count is conducted similarly across the whole country. It's usually done on a Thursday in the winter, when people tend to huddle together and are easier to count, Grady said. Volunteers search the city after sundown, splitting into groups to cover the entire region. About 70 volunteers were out in Plano on Thursday night in neon vests conducting the city's count. From 8 p.m. to midnight, they scoured the streets with maps that pinpoint where they've successfully conducted the survey in the past and where outreach workers have identified homelessness. Each group of volunteers is assigned an area of the city and a police officer. They check behind buildings, in parking lots and in wooded areas. Volunteers use an app to keep track and record survey responses. They look for people carrying all their belongings, wearing lots of layers and sleeping outside. They check for tents and at underpasses, foggy car windows and abandoned lots. They look at the edges of parking lots and behind gas stations, for cars with bags or blankets draped over. In Plano on Thursday, a couple from Florida participated in the survey. They live in a station wagon, their dashboard filled with their belongings. Carts and baskets surround the car with more of their things. A lost job led them to lose their home. It doesn't take much to become homeless, Grady said. A natural disaster, medical crisis or lost job can wipe someone's savings. Curtis Howard, Plano's neighborhood services director, sees people experiencing chronic homelessness due to mental health conditions or substance abuse issues. 181 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022297 Others have just fallen on hard times. They lose a spouse or experience domestic violence. They've been kicked out or evicted. An eviction or foreclosure makes it "next to impossible" to secure housing, Grady said. During Plano's count, one woman living in her car said a lack of affordable housing and limited income from social security drove her to homelessness. She was a business analyst in information technology before. Now, her social security check is her only income. She parks her car in a lot and drapes blankets to block out the glaring streetlights, which make it hard to sleep. One man surveyed Thursday said a car accident drove him to homelessness. Another said rents were too high, and he had a major surgery recently. Volunteers ask where the survey respondent plans to sleep that night. They ask for demographic information, then ask about their history of homelessness. They ask if they are experiencing a substance abuse disorder, chronic health condition, a mental health diagnosis or a physical or developmental disability. They ask if they are escaping domestic violence and if they're a veteran. Volunteers also pass out a bag with food, hygiene items and a list of resources and aid organizations in the area. In Piano, shelters like City House and Hope Restored Missions are "hot spots" for those seeking shelter, Davis said. Before experiencing homelessness, they might have had a successful career, a good degree and a stable family. About 30% of unhoused in Plano are employed, according to Sandra Ottinger, a grant administrator for community services in Plano. Many survey respondents are happy to help, enthusiastic to participate in a count that will contribute to funding solutions to homelessness. They gladly accept an invitation to connect with city services and other resources. Others choose not to take part. Some distrust the police joining volunteers in the count. It's important community members feel "seen and heard" as the count is conducted, said Rebecca Hickom, a director at Housing Forward. Grady encourages volunteers to use the survey respondent's name frequently, to respectfully address them as a neighbor. Housing Forward has seen homelessness trend downward in the past few years, back to pre-pandemic levels, Kahn said. In 2024, Plano's Point-in-Time Count tallied 183 people, 135 with shelter and 45 unsheltered. This was a 29% decrease in homelessness and a 6% decrease in unsheltered homelessness since 2023, according to data presented by the City of Plano, when the city tallied 261 people. In 2020, Plano counted 253 people experiencing homelessness. Amber Allen does street outreach for Metro Relief, a nonprofit serving unhoused people in North Texas. She helps people get their documents, connect with sober living communities or reconnect with family members. Allen joined in Piano's Point-in-Time Count Thursday and appreciates how Plano and Garland, especially, have invested in addressing homelessness. "I'm very impressed with how both the police and the city employees really build relationships and really do look for solutions," Allen said. "You don't see that 182 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022298 everywhere." The region receives tens of millions of dollars from the federal government to address homelessness. In 2023, Dallas and Collin counties were awarded a three-year, $22.8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. In the 2024 fiscal year, the region was awarded $37 million from the department. That federal funding was thrown into question earlier this week when President Donald Trump's administration announced plans to suspend grants and loans issued by the federal government. Kahn said Housing Forward did not have clear information on whether or not homeless assistance programs would be impacted. On Wednesday, the White House rescinded the memo freezing spending on federal grants. "Agencies are feeling a lot of uncertainty," Kahn said Wednesday before the memo was rescinded. "I'm sure some are fearful because we just don't have information about what this means or the implications." Amid the uncertainty, volunteers, nonprofit organizations and city governments came together to complete the survey that will determine what the next year of homelessness response will look like in Dallas and Collin counties. The data from this year's count will be released in the spring, Kahn said. No matter the metrics that return, Ottinger reminded Plano's volunteers Thursday that the focus is on the neighbors in need. "It's not just a number," Ottinger said. "Every single interaction, someone that you meet that's an unhoused neighbor or someone in need, this is another person. It's a human, it's a member of our community." [TX] One challenge in Austin's fight against homelessness? The cost of land (KXAN-TV NBC 36 Austin, TX) - full text KXAN-TV NBC 36 Austin [1/31/2025 6:21 PM, Grace Reader, 1849K, TX] A new report from the Ending Community Homelessness Coalition (ECHO) showed even though Austin's capacity to shelter and house people experiencing homelessness has grown significantly over the past five years, it's still far from enough to meet the need. Thursday, as Central Texas leaders talked about how they may come together to fund shelter and housing for people experiencing homelessness over the next decade, one obstacle was hard to ignore. Council Member Natasha Harper-Madison aptly put it: "It's not the houses that are expensive y'all, it's the dirt underneath 'em." That's something Texas Sen. Sarah Eckhardt, D-Austin, has teased she's trying to tackle at the state level. Her staff said the state owns nearly 200 parcels of land in Travis County. "In addition to state dollars to assist with this, I also believe that we should look at all state properties within the city of Austin and within Travis County that would be appropriate for re-purposing or co-locating deeply affordable housing so that we can continue to expand our affordable housing and most especially our supportive housing stock," Eckhardt said. It wouldn't be the first time the state has pitched in land to help people at risk of, or 183 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022299 already experiencing homelessness in Austin. Camp Esperanza -- a non-congregate shelter of tiny homes run by The Other Ones Foundation (TOOF) -- was built on Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) land. TxDOT recently purchased additional acreage next door to help the operation expand, something Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said at the time was "one of those examples, I think, of where government works.". But barring additional help from the state, the city of Austin may have to continue to rely on its own residents. You're already paying for land acquisition through Austin's affordable housing bonds. Austin voters have approved multiple housing bonds over the past decade: one for $55 million in 2006, another for $65 million in 2013, then for $250 million in 2018 and most recently $350 million in 2022. KXAN has previously reported the largest chunk of funding from the 2018 bond went to purchasing land. Of that $250 million, $100 million was set aside for land acquisition. The city told us it's been able to buy nearly 60 acres of undeveloped land and three hotels with that money. As for the most recent bond in 2022, the city of Austin has told us that even though they have less strict buckets for how they'll allocate that money, it will largely be used the same way as the 2018 bond, and large chunks will go toward land acquisition. "I think it might be one of the most important components to addressing affordability in the city of Austin is using our assets and comprehensively taking an assessment of our assets and allocating those resources," Harper-Madison said. [Editorial note: consult source link for video] [TX] Local nonprofit is tallying data from San Antonio and Bexar County's homeless count (San Antonio Express-News, TX) - full text San Antonio Express-News [1/31/2025 7:00 AM, Raul Trey Lopez, 59K, TX] To get a snapshot of many people in San Antonio don't have a place to call home, hundreds of volunteers set out to count them this week. Known as the Point-in-Time Count, the effort is led by the nonprofit Close to Home. The survey happens in cities across the country every year in late January. Close to Home's staff is now gathering the data to submit to Department of Housing & Urban Development. The nonprofit plans to publish a "State of Homelessness Report," which is set to be released in May. More than 400 volunteers assembled into 75 teams to canvass areas in Bexar County and downtown San Antonio Tuesday evening. On Wednesday, volunteers counted people living in encampments. As the count kicked off Tuesday night with a press event, San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg thanked volunteers for their help. "The Point-in-Time Count is a crucial moment of awareness for our entire community that helps align our City, County, and partner priorities to ensure we are appropriately addressing the needs of our community," Nirenberg said. Katie Hubble. director of communications and development at Close to Home, said the count goes beyond collecting data. "It's about shining a light on the lives of those who too often go unseen and unheard," Hubble said. "There's perhaps no better example of 184 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022300 the level of collaboration in our work than our annual PIT Count." Washington Moscoso, San Antonio Police Department public information officer, said 86 officers were assigned to help keep volunteers safe during the PIT count. "We want to make sure that they (volunteers) are safe," Moscoso said. "It's a partnership. We're trying to get the homeless population down.. . and get them the resources they need to get off the streets." Nirenberg said the factors that push people into homelessness are a complex combination of socioeconomic hardship and a lack of healthcare access and supportive services. "I have one simple message for everyone... let our collective presence serve as a reminder that homelessness is a priority for San Antonio and Bexar County," Nirenberg said. San Antonio's 2025 budget allocated $44.2 million to homeless services, which focus on expanding housing options and enhancing access to healthcare, domestic violence support services and services for youth and young adults. According to HUD data, homelessness increased nationally by 18% -- the highest ever recorded -- from 2023 to 2024. During that same period, homelessness in San Antonio/Bexar County increased by 6.8%. Over the last several years, there's been a decreasing trend in the number of homeless people in San Antonio area. "Unsheltered homelessness in San Antonio and Bexar County has decreased by 25% in the last 5 years," Hubble said. "Amongst all major Texas cities, San Antonio ranked the lowest in the unsheltered count in 2024 -- and 73% of those experiencing homelessness in San Antonio reside in shelters." She said the 2025 Strategic Action Plan, a collaboration between several is focusing on eight priorities: Prevent homelessness and reduce inflow Expand housing options and accelerate housing placements Strengthen homeless response & services for youth and young adults Improve coordination and access to domestic violence services Improve access to healthcare services Strengthen street outreach coordination Effectively address opportunities to access resources Strengthen system and program capacity. organizations, [Editorial note: consult source link for video] [TX] City of Amarillo conducts annual Point-in-Time count to measure homelessness and provide services (MyHighPlains.com, TX) - full text MyHighPlains.com [1/31/2025 9:54 PM, Blass Guerrero, 101K, TX] The City of Amarillo conducted its annual Point-in-Time Count with the goal of measuring homelessness in the community. According to officials, over 100 volunteers were surveying unsheltered individuals to collect data on the number of people experiencing homelessness. 185 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022301 "This is really important for us to gather good data so that we know kind of what we're working with, as far as what resources we need to put out there to help people that are experiencing homelessness," said Jason Riddlespurger, Director of Community Development for the City of Amarillo. "We also give that data to HUD, and also we get it to our members of Congress so that they know what we're as a community that we're dealing with, and that why we would need more funding or different funding, and what our programs are actually doing to make a difference in our community.". Organizers hope the count will be more accurate this year than last year when cold temperatures caused lower counts. However, some individuals may not be counted, as those who stay with friends or in hotels are not included in the count. A resource fair was also hosted at the Amarillo Civic Center to connect homeless individuals with essential services. The resource fair offered meals, vaccinations, domestic violence support, and childcare. "We're actually doing on site services today for those to reduce those barriers. We know people experiencing homelessness, there are many barriers, whether it be transportation and it just be access to knowledge or understanding, or not having a cell phone to make an appointment," said Dr. Shannon James, Vice Chair of the Amarillo Continuum of Care. "So we have collaborated with over 25 different agencies to come out today to provide direct services to get them connected based on what they may need.". Another need for the homeless community is identification services, as people experiencing homelessness need proper identification to access benefits, housing, jobs, and other resources. "We've had record numbers of people needing help with that identification work to re-establish their identity," said Virginia Williams Trice, Executive Director at Amarillo Housing First. "I know that there are other entities that are helping with that as well. The Resource Center is able to help as well with it but it's just the need is so incredible.". The City of Amarillo is planning to open Transformation Park in April. The park will provide a safe space for homeless individuals to access food, showers and other vital services to help them regain stability. Once the count is complete, the data will be analyzed, cleaned and presented to the city council and the community to inform future efforts and resource allocation. [Editorial note: consult source link for video] [ND] Fargo Mayor speaks on $211 million dollar bill to fund homelessness solutions (KVLY-TV 11 Fargo, ND) - full text KVLY-TV 11 Fargo [1/31/2025 5:43 PM, Anna Ballweber, 323K, ND] VIDEO. Fargo Mayor, Tim Mahoney, weighed in and gave his support for the newlyproposed bill aimed to help fund homelessness solutions across the state of North Dakota. "In the state of North Dakota, I think this is the highest we've ever done." Mayor Mahoney said. A first of it's kind that could shape the future of our state, Senate Bill 2030 is a $211 million dollar proposal looking to address the rising epidemic of homelessness. Fighting homelessness, and the issues that come with it, has been a major focus in 186 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022302 Fargo recently. From a no-camping ordinance, to creating a winter warming center, and the housing-first initiative, solutions to these problems cost money. Senate Bill 2030 would provide $200 million dollars to the state's Housing Incentive Fund which would be distributed over four years. $10 million of that would specifically go to the Housing Finance Agency for grants to address homelessness. For Fargo, Mayor Mahoney said that means tackling several 'in the works' projects. He explained, "It could be used for our plan to move the Downtown Engagement Center to a service center. We think, in talking with the Governor, we could use some of that money to cover the capital costs." He said the bill could also help with the shortage of lowincome housing options the Fargo community fights daily. "A lot of times, people can't afford to be in the City of Fargo and they can't afford to stay, so low-income housing really helps fill the need of that gap in every community," Mahoney explained. "We know we need, in this community, 17,000 houses of units over the next 10 years. We know if we can chip away at low-income housing, that will help us out.". A committee hearing was held on Tuesday, January 21, in Bismarck, where several citizens and local organizations gave their input on the bill. Chandler Esslinger, Executive Director of the FM Coalition to End Homelessness, spoke in favor of Bill 2030 and said, "Unfortunately, for many households in North Dakota, the zip code in which you live determines what types of resources you have access to." The CEO of YWCA Cass Clay, Erin Prochnow, added, "Many others before me have indicated they're begging you. I'm not begging you. I'm asking you to make a very strategic decision in investments to all North Dakotans by providing safe, affordable housing." Bill 2030 also has proposed allocated funds for "homelessness liasion services" in schools, and money available for a lengthy, statewide study on homelessness. As of today, Friday, January 31, the bill is still in the very early stages, but if passed, funds could be available to the state by July of 2025. [IA] Cedar Rapids metro counts its homeless population (KCRG-TV ABC 9 Cedar Rapids, IA) - full text KCRG-TV ABC 9 Cedar Rapids [1/30/2025 11:22 PM, Jackson Valenti, 683K, IA] Early Thursday morning several teams combed through Linn County to count how many people are living outside. It's part of what's called the point in time count. The data helps inform decision makers locally and at the federal level to direct funding and action. The goal of the point in time count is to get a snapshot of the state of homelessness in the region. With that data, homeless services get a better idea of they types of resources they need to help people. Kelsey Culver leads one of many teams scattered across the Cedar Rapids Metro early Thursday morning. Her group was in Marion, looking for what's called the 'unsheltered homeless' population. That could mean people living in cars, tents, under bridges, or anywhere not meant for living. Then, the teams fill out paperwork detailing everything they find. "We do our best to have people on our teams who know the people we are out talking to at night," Culver said. 187 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022303 Most of Culver's night is spent checking truck stops, gas stations, and campsites. The count is run by Waypoint, a homeless services nonprofit, but data from the count is crucial for homeless services throughout the region. That's because funding from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development and various other sources is dependent on data from the point in time count. "So to be able to have these numbers for us and our community partners to share when we are seeking funding and talking to people about the need for our services is really great," Culver said. While Waypoint's teams move throughout the city, Cedar Rapids winter weather shelter also documents info about its clients. People who stay at shelters are considered `sheltered homeless'. The numbers for sheltered and unsheltered homeless are added up to give a full snapshot of homelessness in the area. It's a key moment to connect homeless services with people who might need them. "Our community partners are able to go to the locations where people are at night and really make that connection of 'I see you where you are. here I am too'," Culver said. [Editorial note: consult source link for video] [NE] Omaha's unsheltered homelessness rising at fastest rate of any US city (Flatwater Free Press, NE) - full text Flatwater Free Press [01/30/25 8:47 AM, Chris Bowling, NE] The freezing wind swept across the asphalt. People clutching their coats hustled inside the midtown Omaha Target, scurrying past a shopping cart piled with blankets. Inside, Jonathan Martin sipped his Starbucks as he listened to the questions. "What's your birthday?" asked Todd Fleischer. "Dec. 5," replied Martin, his face hidden behind a knit cap, tan hoodie and frizzy beard. "Oh, happy belated birthday. Let's see here," Fleischer said as he looked over the survey, "where are you sleeping tonight?". That conversation was repeated again and again in late January. In the woods, under bridges and behind buildings, people like Fleischer searched for people like Martin living unsheltered and homeless for a nationwide count done annually to better understand homelessness. In Omaha, the data paints a stark picture. Since 2013, unsheltered homelessness has grown more in the Omaha-Council Bluffs area than any other major U.S. metro area served by a federally funded homeless aid organization, according to Department of Housing and Urban Development data. (The data doesn't include cities without one of those organizations, such as New Orleans and St. Louis.). At the same time, the Omaha metro has added some of the fewest housing options specifically for homeless people. It also has one of the highest rates of people experiencing homelessness again within two years of leaving it, data shows. There are also good signs in Omaha. Overall homelessness -- which includes homeless people staying in shelters - is actually down in the past dozen years. And Omaha's unsheltered homeless population is one of the smallest per capita, according to a 188 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022304 Flatwater Free Press analysis. Still, the rise in unsheltered homelessness has stretched resources thin, advocates said. A decade ago Pete Miller, one of the first people to do street outreach in Omaha, could find someone an apartment within a month or two of meeting them through a program called Rapid Rehousing -- a quick fix with subsidized rent while someone looks for a long-term solution. Now, he said, that list is hopelessly backlogged. "We tell people it's called Rapid Rehousing, but there's nothing rapid about it," said the street outreach manager with Threshold Continuum of Care, which oversees homelessness services in Douglas, Sarpy and Pottawattamie counties. Omaha's homeless population has also changed, said Tamara Dwyer, the city's homeless services coordinator. There's limited shelter for homeless families and kids, both demographics on the rise. Many couples choose to live unsheltered rather than split into separate men's and women's shelters, Dwyer said. In 2007 the city had a nearly identical number of people living unsheltered and homeless as today. The city responded by upping services and building housing, which brought the number down, she said. That was the first year that HUD required the now more than 400 homeless aid organizations it funds to tally up homeless people every January during what's called a Point-in-Time Count. But as the years went by, funding and services seemed to stagnate as the homeless population in Omaha again began to climb, Dwyer said. In some cases, no one from the Omaha metro even applied for certain federal funds because the area lacked programs to spend them on. Dwyer said. Advocates are now playing catch up as demand continues to increase. "The need has outpaced capacity," Dwyer said. Those needs were apparent during the Jan. 21 Point-InTime count. Martin had been homeless for years. He'd given up getting a job after so many applications ended in rejection, he said. Chronic homelessness can be a hard cycle to break, said Melissa Neuenfeldt, director of HEAL Omaha, which brings medicine and health care to people living outside. Last summer she started working with a man named Paul Duis. In August he was living in his GMC van among broken down cars parked behind a mechanic's shop off Maple Street. His heart was also failing. In late December he'd gotten so sick he had to go into hospice care, Neuenfeldt said. Now that he's getting treatment, he's much better, she said. He can't reverse the damage he's done to his heart, but he has more time to spend with his family. "It's amazing how much housing can change things," she said. On Jan. 21 Neuenfeldt gave instructions on spotting frostbite to the 50 or so volunteers who gathered at the Stephen Center in South Omaha ahead of the count. Look for waxy skin, she told the volunteers from organizations like Heartland Family Services, Together Inc., the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and others. Check people's noses. The team had hand warmers to give out along with naloxone, a drug commonly referred to as Narcan that reverses the effect of an overdose, and condoms. The counters wore 189 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022305 extra socks, snow boots and insulated overalls. Neuenfeldt's team went up and down the Keystone Trail along the Little Papillion Creek. They ran into Allison, a woman living unsheltered and homeless that Neuenfeldt knew. Allison was on her way to a motel that she and several others were sharing to get out of the cold. The homeless count process isn't perfect and the figures vary depending on the day or weather. On Jan. 21, a lot of people who normally slept outside were sleeping on the floors of local shelters or in hotel rooms to avoid a cold front that had brought nearly -30 degree temperatures with wind chill the previous night. "It's a snapshot of a blur," said Miller, the outreach manager. Neuenfeldt wasn't too worried that the weather would affect Omaha's understanding of its homeless population. And the count itself can actually last longer than a day. Street outreach workers had been logging people in the weeks leading up to the count and would continue to do so after that night. Dwyer. the city's homeless services coordinator, said the area has really refined its count strategy and each year's data is better and better. Still, the final product will always be an undercount. It's impossible to find everyone sleeping outside. People sleeping on a friend's couch or in a hotel also can't be counted because they don't meet HUD's standards for homelessness. But over time it does provide insight. It shows the area has made some progress. The overall homeless population has decreased and remains one of the smallest in the country -- though its size is a bit above average when adjusted for population. The data also helps inform solutions, said Jason Feldhaus, the director of Threshold CoC. People tend to stay in housing meant to be a temporary solution to homelessness a little longer, he said. The system could do better about connecting those people with their next step. But that's easier said than done. Last year, Omaha was the ninth hardest place to rent, according to RentCafe, an apartment search website that also releases market analyses. Demand is driving rents up and people who used to scrape by are now being pushed into a homelessness system already stretched to its limits, Feldhaus said. "We've reached our threshold," Feldhaus said. "The homeless system can only do so much". Money for homeless services or prevention has been getting thin in recent years, Dwyer said. COVID-19 relief money, millions of which funded housing, emergency rent assistance and street outreach, expired. Of the $3.6 billion the federal government sent to cities and states this year. Omaha received about $7 million, or about $4,400 per person experiencing homelessness. While that amount has grown in recent years, it's still below average for per capita spending: Detroit gets about $23,000 per person while New York City gets only $1,200. 190 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022306 City officials and philanthropists have also invested more in building housing after an Omaha Community Foundation report showed Omaha desperately needed more. But Feldhaus said the same investments haven't been made for the most vulnerable people. "If the community is uncomfortable with what they're seeing with homelessness, then we have to have a serious conversation," Feldhaus said. "'What are our core values? What are we willing to invest in?". Martin is also at a bit of a crossroads. For about nine months he's panhandled outside the Target on 72nd and Dodge streets. He's slept behind the nearby Petco. But lately people have been calling the police on him and he's had to find somewhere else to rest. He can't go too far, though. He can't take his shopping cart with blankets and other supplies on the bus. When asked how he feels about the volunteers counting him and others -- about how it feels to be part of a national effort to understand homeless -- Martin just shrugs. He's been counted before. He might be counted again next year. Right now he's got other concerns. He wants to avoid the police and make enough money to eat. He wants to finish his tall, hot coffee and warm up a bit before heading back outside to survive another cold night in Omaha. [OK] OU Motel closure may raise homeless count (Enid News and Eagle, OK) - full text Enid News and Eagle [2/1/2025 1:45 PM, Sam Royka, 65K, OK] A developer under contract to buy the OU Motel said he only recently learned that people were being forced to move out and possibly being made homeless. Saturday was to be the deadline that residents at the motel were given to vacate the property, but a few have been given 10-day extensions. Homeless advocates suggest that the number of homeless in Norman may increase by about a third when the hotel finally closes. It is to be replaced by luxury student housing, complete with a lazy river and infinity pool. This news comes even as Norman is embroiled in controversy over the closure of--and pending sale of-its city-run homeless shelter on Gray Street. "There's a chance it could increase that number (of homeless) by close to 100 people," said April Doshier, executive director of Food and Shelter, Inc. She early data from the 2025 Point-In-Time count conducted in late January shows there are 249 homeless people in Norman. Developer Terry Moore of the Garrett Moore Company is under contract to buy the aging motel, where families and roommates share units to afford rent in Norman's increasingly steep rental market. Moore told the Transcript he is bewildered by the situation. "We are under contract to purchase the property," Moore said. "Other than that, we don't have anything to do with it. We can't even mow the yard. You can't do anything with it until you own it." Moore said he has had ''a lot" of people call him about the situation and says he doesn't 191 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022307 know how to address the problem. He said he visited the property once and walked around, looking it over. He saw no people at the time, just a few cars in the parking lot. "This is a first. Quite honestly, I don't like it," Moore said. "I don't have any idea how many people are affected. I knew there were people living there... ) thought it was ready to be torn down when we put in the contract." Moore said he is worried about the people who will be made homeless once the property is torn down. "I feel for it as well. I hate to see something line that happen, especially in 15 degree weather," he said. His company plans to build what they call "The Resort" -- an 8-story, 600-bed student housing unit made of concrete that would have apartments in the top and retail stores in the lower half, according to the developer's website. But, Moore said, he doesn't know what to do about the current residents. "I am fortunate that I've never experienced what they are going through. I hope I never do," he said. However, he noted a positive aspect of Norman is that "It's all very obvious that people care. Seth Houston, father of three, said he was at a loss for words. His family has been trying to find a stable place to live for a year. After his wife got out of rehab in November, they moved to the motel in Dec. 2024. The family is waiting to hear back from another apartment complex. Mathews said the motel would only let people stay until Feb. 10. Houston asked why they needed to build luxury apartments and get rid of affordable housing. "Don't they got enough student housing? They got too much student housing. Yeah, hell every f--ing house from here to Robinson people rent out," Houston said. Doshier at Food and Shelter wants everyone at the motel to know they can reach out for support. So far, nine households are receiving help. Houston said the organization had not called them back yet. Mathews, a long-time resident of the motel, is moving in with her neighbors. They successfully received help from Food and Shelter. "They helped us with our deposit and holding fee -- They saved us about $700," Mathews said. "Those costs range from $300 to sometimes close to $1,000 depending on circumstances," Doshier said. Doshier said another obstacle comes where the available apartments are also more expensive than the motel was, so residents have to figure out how to pay for their new homes. In a recent electoral forum, a councilmember said that the motel did not count as affordable housing. "OU motel is not affordable housing. OU motel is a private business that had cheap rooms," said Austin Ball, Ward 1 city councilmember. He said that the city should not be involved in regulating private business. Mathews said that, luckily, the motel was not forcing everyone out on Feb. 1. "They're leaving the electric on and water and stuff like that. They're giving us another extra week or so. I know we're moving next Saturday, so we'll be out," Mathews said. As for the student housing, she said affordable housing should be far more of a priority. "This place was a lot more important. I mean, not that student housing isn't important, it's 192 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022308 just this place has been a fixture," Mathews said. The Moore Company bought the motel itself and the surrounding land. "It was the only place like this in Norman, the most affordable housing. So it just would have been nice if they could have built it on a different site," Mathews said. Houston said it was the most affordable place for people who needed it. "This was actually the cheapest place to turn you back on your feet," he said. If demolition plans proceed as expected, the motel will soon exist only in old photo albums. "People really were on Social Security, trying to figure out what to do, but nobody gives a s- -- anymore," Houston said. [MT] Billings community gathers data on homelessness for Point in Time Count (KULR-TV NBC 8 Billings, MT) - full text KULR-TV NBC 8 Billings [1/30/2025 11:38 PM, Justin Dabail, 79K, MT] The annual Point in Time Count is underway in Billings, where volunteers are working to survey the homeless population. Throughout the night, volunteers will gather data to determine how many people are experiencing homelessness in the city. This information will help the federal government decide how much funding to allocate to Montana for homeless assistance. Kody Christensen, Community Resource Director for the Downtown Billings Association, said that over 50 people signed up to participate in the count this year. Volunteers are given maps and routes to locate and survey those living on the streets or in places not meant for human habitation, such as cars or transitional housing. Christensen emphasized the importance of including every homeless shelter in Billings in the count to ensure accuracy and to assess the availability of beds for the homeless. The collected data will be submitted to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for verification. "When we do the surveys, we don't have any personal information on it other than their initials and that is how HUD weeds out duplications in the surveys," Christensen said. "We just collect as many surveys as we can because that will determine how many people are on our streets in one night." Volunteers are driven by a desire to understand the stories of those they are helping. "You know they want to know the stories of these people, they want to know what got them to this point and a lot of it is very relatable stories," Christensen added. Volunteer Joe Rhodes shared his experience, saying, "Talking to them is no different than talking to someone in the grocery store, and a lot of them have had circumstances that are really devastating and they need a hand." Mehmet Casey, a Downtown Billings Association employee and volunteer, found the experience enlightening. "I thought it was very eye opening into that issue that we have in the community and got to get closer to the individuals and get to hear a little bit about their personal story," he said. Christensen expressed gratitude to all who volunteered their time. Volunteers will continue collecting surveys until midnight, and the data from this year's count is expected to be available in a couple of months. 193 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022309 [UT] Record number of volunteers search for homeless individuals in 2025 local Point-in-Time Count (Herald Journal, UT) - full text Herald Journal [2/1/2025 7:00 AM, Amanda Goddard, 94K, UT] A record number of volunteers searched for unhoused individuals Wednesday, Thursday and Friday night during this year's local Point-in-Time Count. Organized locally by the Bear River Local Homeless Council, volunteer teams searched more than 20 locations across Cache County. Box Elder County and Rich County from midnight to 2 a.m., surveying unhoused individuals and connecting them with local resources. Required by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, the annual count identifies people experiencing homelessness on a single night in January. Co-leads Jess Lucero and Chris Runhaar organized this year's PIT count. Lucero said 173 volunteers signed up across the three nights, a record turnout for the Bear River area. Lucero said Thursday the first night of the count went great. 'We were able to survey or observe about 23 unhoused individuals, some who were not aware of resources like the Warming Center, so connecting them to local resources during this cold stretch of weather is crucial," Lucero said. Additionally, Lucero said the PIT Count is important because it helps get a more accurate view of the issue of homelessness in our communities. "If we don't know where we are, how will we know where to go?" Lucero said. PIT Count data is also an important component of government funding formulas. Wednesday, as the teams left for their assigned areas toting supplies like blankets, sleeping mats and hygiene kits for those they find, Runhaar reminded everyone that they might not find anyone. "And that's a good thing," Runhaar said. Haley Brewster and Emma Taylor Jewkes were on the team that searched Wellsville. Brewster is a caseworker in the Bear River Association of Government's short-term rental assistance program. Jewkes is studying social work at Utah State University. The group made their way through Wellsville, searching "hot spots" like church parking lots, parks and gas stations for signs of people living in their cars or other locations not meant for human habitation. While they didn't end up finding anyone Wednesday, the two volunteers said it was an eye-opening experience. "I've been thinking a lot about how lucky we are that we have warm beds at home and a warm car," Brewster said. "It's freezing outside, and some people don't have that luxury." Brewster said before working with homeless services through BRAG, she didn't really notice homelessness in the community. "Now I see it everywhere," Brewster said. "I feel fortunate for the privilege of an education, and a roof over my head. Some people are less fortunate. I want to do what I can to alleviate the inequality and help others." Jewkes said growing up in Cache County, youth homelessness was a big problem, particularly due to LGBTQ kids coming out to their parents and getting kicked out. 194 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022310 "I think it has gotten a little better, but it is still a problem," Jewkes said. "Sometimes tonight, I felt very scared walking out there. It made me feel compassion but also wonder how impactful that can be on a person, to live in a constant state of fear. I don't think that is how we are meant to live. I think we as humanity can do better." In 2024, the PIT count found 92 unhoused individuals in 2024 in the Bear River Local Homeless Council area, according to Utah Workforce Services. According to the annual data report on homelessness, in 2023 the PIT Count identified 170 homeless individuals in the BRLHC area, compared to 180 in 2022 and 165 in 2021. "I've been heartened to see a growing community interest in this issue along with community support for organizations that are working so hard to address this challenge," Lucero said. She said homelessness is often stigmatized in communities, and she thinks it is important for everyone to humanize this issue. "Those who are unhoused in our community are our neighbors," Lucero said. "And many in our community could experience homelessness with just one major financial catastrophe (job loss or major medical catastrophe for example)." She encouraged anyone wanting to be part of solution building on this issue to get involved with the Bear River Local Homeless Council or volunteer at agencies like the WAB Warming Center, BRAG, CAPSA, New Hope Crisis Center, Utah Families Feeding Families and Four Helping Hearts. [UT] Voices: Voters are concerned about the failures of our current approach to homelessness. Utah could lead the way. (Salt Lake Tribune, UT) - full text Salt Lake Tribune [1/31/2025 8:05 AM, Devon Kurtz, 1582K, UT] After more than a decade of consensus among Democrat and Republican policymakers on how the nation should approach homelessness, a reckoning is underway. A recent report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development indicates that the homelessness crisis is at its worst level on record despite billions of dollars in programs that promised to house every person who demonstrated need. Those programs are likely to undergo substantial revision in the coming months as President Donald Trump takes office. The specific changes to the various HUD homelessness programs are not yet known, but the policies before the Utah Legislature this year may offer some insight into what is in store for the rest of the country. Rep. Tyler Clancy (R-Provo) is spearheading an effort alongside other lawmakers and state officials to shift the state's focus from ineffective housing programs to much-needed services that treat the underlying behavioral health needs of homeless individuals. Other states like Florida and Georgia took similar steps this past year. Utah is unique, however, among conservative states. Like other states in the western U.S. that have seen unprecedented increases in homelessness, Utah's homelessness rate has soared to nearly 25% higher than that of states with similar populations, like Arkansas and Connecticut. In response, Utah leaned into the HUD-recommended Housing First model. Utah is one of the only Republican-led states to create a statewide homelessness office and devote tens of millions of state funds to support housing programs that most states leave cities and HUD to fund. 195 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022311 A decade ago, homelessness advocates nationwide praised Utah as a Housing First model for other states like California, which has invested billions of dollars into the same ineffective approach. Now, more than 1 in 4 homeless people in Utah lives on the street, nearly double the 13% figure in 2013. For the most vulnerable subsets of the homeless population -- those with mental illness -- the situation is even worse. Unsheltered homelessness among those with mental illness has nearly quadrupled. Homeless people addicted to drugs, about one-third of whom are also unsheltered, face similar challenges navigating the Housing First system, which promises them housing once they get on the long waiting list and then offers little support to keep them in it once they qualify. Voters in Utah and across the country are increasingly concerned about the failures of the current approach to homelessness. A recent national poll of 1,117 likely voters found broad bipartisan support for reform, with 71% of Democrats and 70% of Republicans in favor of requiring homeless people to participate in treatment, work programs or stay sober as a condition of receiving publicly funded housing. Seventy-eight percent of Democrats and 69% of Republicans called for moving homeless people out of street camps and into shelters. Both policies are in stark opposition to the current Housing First model. Lawmakers in Utah are moving quickly to coalesce around a new set of policies that are oriented around treating and supporting the most vulnerable parts of the homeless population that are underserved by Housing First. These policies include creating drugfree zones that enhance penalties for drug dealers targeting homeless people in or near shelters. The new laws would also reform syringe exchanges and pilot a new, more assertive, case management system. Lawmakers are also expected to call on the federal government to give the state more control over HUD-funded programs and end Housing First mandates that limit states' ability to require mental health treatment or sobriety programs. As the Trump administration considers alternatives to the status quo at HUD, it should look to Utah as an example of a state leading the way towards a new approach to homelessness that takes seriously the crisis unfolding on the streets of America's once-great cities. [AZ] Glendale, nonprofit to break ground on tiny homes project for homeless veterans (AZCentral.com, AZ) - full text AZCentral.com [1/31/2025 8:01 AM, Shawn Raymundo, 6018K, AZ] A groundbreaking ceremony in Glendale on Saturday morning will celebrate the next phase of a much-anticipated housing project to support homeless veterans. The city's nonprofit partner, Veterans Community Project, will host the event, gathering highranking dignitaries and elected officials, including Gov. Katie Hobbs, at the site of the development off of Grand and 63rd avenues. It's there that the organization is leading the effort to create a community, or "village," of 50 tiny homes that will serve as transitional units for service members experiencing homelessness. "It's a really significant milestone in the process," Veterans Community Project co-founder and CEO Bryan Meyer told The Arizona Republic on Thursday. The nonprofit has spent about two years working with the city to secure the land and raise the initial funds to jump-start the $14 million project. State and county investments 196 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022312 have contributed about $6 million so far. In December, Glendale leaders unanimously voted to sell the roughly 8 acres of city-owned land to the nonprofit for $10. "Even getting to this point has taken quite a while, and then from the time of groundbreaking to full completion, it could be another full two years," Meyer explained. "But it is a very significant milestone for us.". Based out of Missouri, Veterans Community Project has delivered similar projects to other cities in the U.S. It has created villages and continues to offer on-site supportive services in Kansas City, Missouri; Sioux Falls, South Dakota; and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to name a few. Those living in the villages are assigned case managers tasked with helping the veteran find stable, long-term housing. Getting the veteran ready to be self-sufficient and transition out of the village has, on average, taken about 15 to 18 months, according to Meyer. "That being said, sometimes we have people that only need a few months to get back on their feet, and sometimes we have people that need much longer than that," he noted. "We don't put a hard cut-off on it. Our goal is to be here so long as the person is engaging in our program, in our case management. We're going to stick with them as long as it takes.". The new Glendale VCP Village will have units between 260 and 320 square feet. Eight will be reserved for families, and two will house veterans with disabilities. Each of the units, which are essentially stand-alone studio apartments, will be fully furnished with a new bed, linens, television, pots, pans, a recliner and other personal items. "We'll have it completely stocked for them," Meyer said. "And one of our favorite things about the project is from the day they walk in that door, they own everything. So, when they make their transition out, they get to take it all with them.". He added that after a veteran leaves, the nonprofit flips the unit, cleaning and restocking everything "so that the next veteran gets that same dignity of walking into their own front door with all brand new stuff.". "It's really a transformative moment for these veterans to enter the program," Meyer added. Ahead of Saturday's ceremony, volunteers with the nonprofit and members of the neighboring Sandy Coor Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1433 office worked to clear the space. "I'm just grateful for the support that we've received in this community," said Ben Hendershot, the nonprofit's vice president of national expansion. "I have to say that I've been very humbled, especially in the last 12 months, just by the people in this community and their willingness to take this issue on, and their willingness to support.". The design for the project, he explained, is already complete. The next step after the groundbreaking is getting the project's permits approved by the city. Once it has gotten the permits, the group can put out a call for contractors to get construction going. That will include work to install the infrastructure, like sewer, water and power lines, and then the buildout of the homes and offices for case managers. However, veterans in need of housing won't have to wait until the nonprofit has built all 50 homes, Meyer said. The project will open in two phases, starting with the completion of the first 25 units. "Once we have the first 25 homes in place, we'll go ahead and start filling those," Meyer said, noting that the nonprofit will continue fundraising locally to complete the project. "I hope this community is excited to have this here," he later added. "And to know that they 197 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022313 are making a meaningful impact for not only veterans now but veterans in the future.". Saturday's groundbreaking ceremony is open to the public and scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. at 7618 N. 63rd Ave. in Glendale. [AZ] Catholic Charities and Flagstaff Shelter Services lead annual Point-in-Time Count to assess homelessness in Coconino County (Arizona Daily Sun, AZ) - full text Arizona Daily Sun [2/2/2025 8:00 AM, Abigail Kessler, 58K, AZ] The annual Point-in-Time Count was executed in Flagstaff and across Coconino County this week, with volunteers conducting a survey to learn more about the area's unsheltered population. This year's Point-in-Time Count (PIT) took place Jan. 23-29, with respondents being asked where they slept the night of Jan. 22. It was led by Flagstaff Shelter Services (FSS) and Catholic Charities in both Flagstaff and areas throughout Coconino County such as Tusayan, Page and Tuba City. The local count is part of a national effort that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires of its grantees, according to Taylor Cochran, a homelessness services program manager with Catholic Charities. The idea is to gain an understanding of what is happening with homeless populations -- both sheltered and unsheltered -- across the country at a single point in time. The results of the count are compiled by state before being sent to the national HUD. Locally, Flagstaff's continuum of care, which coordinates housing and services for unsheltered individuals, will also review the results to "come together with additional funding and programming that will address the unique barriers and needs that our unsheltered community faces here.". Organizations such as FSS, Catholic Charities, Sunshine Rescue Mission, Hope Cottage, the Northland Family Help Center and others are part of that continuum, and use the surveys to identify populations or trends that might need focused programming. "I think the survey results from PIT help us be better advocates at a higher level where we can really speak to the needs of our population and the barriers that we see specifically," Cochran said. Homelessness services at Catholic Charities include the PATH team (Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness), which provides street outreach, a veterans program, the Front Door of Coconino County alongside FSS, which connects people experiencing or at risk of homelessness with a variety of local services that best meet their needs, a community re-entry program for those involved in the criminal justice system and both rapid rehousing and permanent supportive housing programs. It's too early to know the full results of this year's Point in Time count, but Cochran said the volunteers had surveyed about 100 people by the last day of the survey -- which is a typical outcome for the area. "It was very, very cold this past week, so that definitely resulted in a little bit of lower survey participation," she said, adding that "we've seen that trend for years.". She said Flagstaff's weather usually affects its results in the PIT count, which takes place each year in January, when more people are seeking shelter from the cold and 198 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022314 snow. This year, Catholic Charities and FSS are planning to conduct a second PIT count for Coconino County in the summer. The tentative plan is to do so in August in the hopes of getting more accurate results. "We do know that the numbers are not always 100% accurate for our county, because most people are doing everything in their power to find shelter in January," she said. Cochran said the results from this second survey would be used to raise awareness of housing barriers and advocate for funding at a local level as well as more broadly. Volunteers for this January's survey had to deal with "freezing-cold wind." Cochran said on the first three days, between 20 and 30 volunteers were working on the survey, with a "handful" continuing through the rest of the week. Those conducting surveys in Flagstaff and Coconino County included community members, Northern Arizona University students and faculty, as well as those from organizations such as FSS, Catholic Charities, Nation's Finest, Victim Witness Services and Sunshine Rescue Mission. In addition to the mobile teams driving to locations throughout the county to find participants, they also partnered with North Country HealthCare, the library and the Flagstaff Family Food Center to set up locations where the volunteers could survey those visiting the sites. Cochran said questions in this year's survey focused on gathering information about veterans, youth and members of the LGBTQIA+ community who are unsheltered. Survey participants were given incentives in the forms of donated hygiene kits, snack packs and better bucks. Hope Cottage, Flagstaff Family Food Center, Coconino County, City of Flagstaff, Thrivent Financial, Shadows Foundation and the Art Flores Memorial Foundation all contributed donations for the incentives. "It's definitely been a huge effort," Cochran said. "I'm very proud of our community and our donors, our volunteers, everyone that has gone into making this past week successful.". [AZ] Leslie hopes to help homeless and veterans (Pinal Central, AZ) - full text Final Central [2/1/2025 1:45 AM, Melissa St Aude, 53K, AZ] As a new member of the board for St. Vincent de Paul of Casa Grande, Robson Ranch resident Ken Leslie said he brings an unusual background and perspective to the organization. He understands the St. Vincent de Paul clientele, he said, because he once was homeless and in need of assistance. "One of the things I love about St. Vincent de Paul's board and volunteers is that it's a bunch of good souls who believe that our job as humans is to take care of those in need," Leslie said. "As board members, we hope to do whatever we are called to do. We are servants." Leslie and his wife, Norma, are among the four new members on the St. Vincent de Paul of Casa Grande board. He hopes to focus on helping to manage the organization's data and start a program to help veterans. "The powerful thing about SVDP is that it's a compassion distribution center. It's a beautiful and powerful thing," he said. 199 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022315 He brings a background of founding veteran assistance programs in Toledo, Ohio, and working with the homeless. And as a former stand-up comedian who toured the country performing, he brings a sense of humor to the board. But Leslie said he also brings reallife experience. He was homeless for a time in the 1980s. "I'm 68 now," he said. "I was an alcoholic and addict in the 1980s; I was un-housed. God helped me turn my life around after I had been living in my car."Leslie has been sober since 1990. Learning that a high percentage of the homeless were children, he said, prompted him to dedicate his life to helping the homeless. "I wanted to do something," he said. "I had been an alcoholic and an addict. I had been abused as a child and told I was bad. I had that classic battle with myself, then decided I was good. So I ran to AA." He became an advocate for the homeless in Ohio and in 2012, he founded Veterans Matter, a program that worked to provide financial aid for homeless veterans. The program helped thousands and grew, eventually spreading to other states. He also founded 1Matters. In 2021, he stepped down from his homeless advocacy work after allegations of sexual harassment. "I had to step down eventually because I was metoo'd," he said. "After that, I went behind the scenes. I had been a comedian. I said crazy things, and it was the age of Me Too, I didn't lose any support. All the same people continued to work for us and I stayed behind the scenes." Leslie and his wife moved to Arizona in 2024. He said he's hoping to make a good impact, working with the homeless in the area. He and his wife recently took part in the Point-in-Time Homeless Count in Casa Grande. "I love the environment here in Arizona," he said. "I've been out talking with the homeless here, and one of the beautiful things I see is that the homeless here are treated with love and respect. In other communities they are harassed. And I love that the people on the St. Vincent de Paul board have these beautiful hearts of compassion." The St. Vincent de Paul conference board president is Jerry Scheiber. His wife, Pat Scheiber, runs the organization's thrift store on Second Street. St. Vincent de Paul is a Catholic charitable organization that serves clients of all faiths and race with a mission to promote fellowship through services and provide opportunities for people to make a meaningful impact in the lives of those in need. The Casa Grande Conference serves individuals in Casa Grande, Arizona City and Stanfield, offering food to those in need as well as clothing, furniture and household items as well as other items. In Casa Grande, the organization maintains a food bank, serves as a hydration station for those in need of water, provides back-to-school supply assistance and offers other assistance. The organization also maintains a thrift store on Second Street to help its clients with basic needs, including furniture, shoes, bedding, clothing and other items. In 2024, St. Vincent de Paul of Casa Grande served 2,577 households that included 6,990 individuals. Of those, 999 were first-time clients, according to information provided by the organization. The three other new board members for St. Vincent de Paul are Mary Lou Rosales, Norma Leslie and Eduardo Chavez. 200 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022316 [AZ] Veteran's housing project breaks ground in Glendale (ABC15.com, Phoenix, AZ) - full text ABC15.com [2/2/2025 4:09 PM, Adam Klepp, 1014K, AZ] VIDEO. A project years in the making to house homeless veterans broke ground in Glendale on Saturday. The groundbreaking comes after years of planning by federal, state, and local lawmakers to bring the 50-home veteran village to the Valley. Arizona veterans from across the state, and across generations came out for the ceremony, hailing it as a step to make sure those who served our country have a place to call home. "The veterans that were getting out during Vietnam, Korea, or World War Two, were pushed off on the streets," Don Nelson, an Arizona veteran said. "They said thanks for your service and have a nice life." Glendale Mayor Jerry Weiers, and his council, helped bring this village to the Valley by going around and getting the necessary funding and land so the Veterans Community Project could be built. The work is now paving the way for homeless veterans in Arizona to get another chance. "It helps give them a place to grow, a place to start," Ken Kovach said. The Department of Housing and Urban Development estimates there are nearly 1,000 homeless veterans in Arizona. Vets say this groundbreaking should be just the beginning of helping their community. "This is a great start forward for helping veterans today," Nelson said. [WA] Crosswalk homeless youth shelter to move out of downtown core and into residential area in Spokane (KXLY, WA) - full text KXLY [1/31/2025 6:46 PM, Alexandra Coenjaerts, 169K, WA] Eastern Washington's only licensed youth shelter is moving out of the downtown core and into a neighborhood. A move it says is needed to create a safer place for the teens it serves. "The beauty of this location is that it is next door to our young adult shelter," Said Fawn Schott, president of Volunteers of America Eastern Washington, the organization that runs the Crosswalk shelter. "It's also co-located with Chas. We partnered with Chas to build a clinic right on the space.". Crosswalk serves around 700 youths a year and has outgrown its current space. Wendy Alderson, who oversees the shelter, has seen firsthand the need for this relocation. "They're so on top of each other right now," said Alderson. "It's so small. This is going to be, I can't even describe how wonderful it's going to be for them to have separate spaces. We have a quiet space. We have a TV room. We have dedicated study areas.". This new building will also have 18 emergency beds as well as 18 college dorms for teens who are engaged and embedded in education or employment programs. "This is the answer we have to make sure that our youth and young adults have never entered the adult homeless system. If we can divert them from that by giving them the resources they need to focus on education and the job training skills that they need to build livable wage jobs, they're not going to be homeless," said Schott. VOA has been 201 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022317 working on bringing this new facility for more than 5 years. The hope is for teens to officially live in the new facility this fall. [Editorial note: consult video at source link] [WA] `People are so quick to judge us' I Annual homeless survey examines homeless population in Chelan, Douglas counties (Tacoma News Tribune, WA) full text Tacoma News Tribune [2/1/2025 12:29 PM, Oscar Rodriguez, 473K, WA] Three volunteers searched much of North Wenatchee searching for and looking to connect homeless people in the area to resources - a yearly endeavor for the Wenatchee Valley. The team poked around several parking lots in North Wenatchee and bus stops along North Wenatchee Avenue as well as Walla State Park and Confluence State Park, a matter of due diligence in documenting the homeless in the area as their search for homeless people turned up few results. A statewide survey, called the Point in Time Count, is conducted each January and required by the state and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to survey and count the number of unsheltered and sheltered homeless individuals. Cafe Recovery navigator specialist Madeleine Ramos, left, Chelan Douglas Community Action Council Housing Program Director Paige Sires, center left, and Chelan Douglas County Volunteer attorney service housing justice project coordinator Gloria Garibay, right, speak with Tim McCormick about his homeless situation during the Point-in-Time Count Thursday at a bus stop on Maiden Lane in Wenatchee. Doing the survey at around the same time of the year helps get accurate trends on any changes to homelessness, as opposed changing the time of year, each year, according to Madison Calloway, Chelan County Homeless Program Coordinator. "The numbers that we get from it help inform us well, the numbers and the data that we get from it help inform us of services that might be lacking in the community, that people need," she said. Thursday was Calloway's first time leading the Point in Time Count, which is led by Chelan County. She said she felt it went smoothly but noted that volunteers did not see a lot of homeless people out in the community. Kent Stanifer, left, and Amy Moro, center, take a survey about their homeless situation as Cafe Recovery navigator specialist Madeleine Ramos, center right, and Chelan Douglas County Volunteer Attorney Service housing justice project coordinator Gloria Garibay record information during the Point-in-Time Count Thursday at a bus stop on Chelan Avenue. Cafe Recovery navigator specialist Madeleine Ramos, center, and Chelan Douglas Community Action Council Housing Program Director Paige Sires, left, speak with someone experiencing a homeless situation during the Point-in-Time Count Thursday next to North Wenatchee Avenue. The low temperatures Thursday morning, below 20 degrees, brought several people into 202 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022318 Lighthouse Ministries seeking shelter from the cold, Calloway said. Amber Hallberg, the county's previous homeless coordinator and now its housing program manager, said that anecdotally it seemed like there are fewer unsheltered homeless than previously. This would be a change from the results of last year's PIT Count that showed an increase in unsheltered people in Chelan and Douglas counties. Kent Stanifer, left, signs a survey about his homeless situation as Cafe Recovery navigator specialist Madeleine Ramos, center, holds the clipboard for him during the Point-in-Time Count Thursday at a bus stop on Chelan Avenue. Chelan Douglas County Volunteer Attorney Service housing justice project coordinator Gloria Garibay, right, is seen helping (Not Pictured: Amy Moro) with a survey. Final results from the survey are expected in mid-February. The findings will influence how the Chelan-Douglas Homeless Housing Taskforce approaches an update to its fiveyear plan strategic plan, which needs to be completed by the end of the year. "One of the things that the task force had noted last year was that they were very interested in how many people who are a part of the aging population, so like 60-plus, that we had seen last year," Hallberg said. "And we did see that there was quite a few people the last year.". The search began Thursday early morning where more than two dozen volunteers from several nonprofits and public agencies were briefed at Lighthouse Ministries before heading out for the day. Chelan Douglas County Volunteer Attorney Service housing justice project coordinator Gloria Garibay waves to an occupant of an RV while attempting to conduct a survey with Chelan Douglas Community Action Council Housing Program Director Paige Sires, left, Cafe Recovery navigator specialist Madeleine Ramos, center left, during the Point-in-Time Count Thursday at a bus stop on Maiden Lane in Wenatchee. Gloria Garibay, attorney with Chelan-Douglas County Volunteer Attorney Services, Madeleine Ramos, CAFE Recovery navigator, and Paige Sires, Chelan-Douglas Community Action Council program coordinator explored the Zone 2 of the Wenatchee Valley. The valley was partitioned into zones with Zone 2 going from Fifth Street north to Highway 2. The first person the group interviewed for the survey was waiting for a bus at the stop located right outside Walmart. Amy Moro holds her dog tank in her coat as she takes a survey about her homeless situation as Cafe Recovery during the Point-in-Time Count Thursday at a bus stop on Chelan Avenue. Tim McCormick said he'd been homeless for more than five years. A goal of the survey is to help connect homeless people to resources, but McCormick said he'd had poor experiences in several places like Lighthouse Ministries. "I don't do drugs," he said. "Not all of us are the same, but there are bad ones out there.". He supports himself partially using Social Security benefits due to a disability, but he's unable to find affordable housing. "It's a financial problem because everything is so high ... everything's too expensive," McCormick said. The Zone 2 volunteers found a pair of people at a bus stop across from 203 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022319 the McDonald's in Wenatchee Joshua Mathena, Wenatchee homeless response administrator, and Chyvonna Torres, Chelan-Douglas Community Action Council director of housing and employment services, participated in Thursday's Point in Time Count, surveying homeless people in our area. Amy Moro, of Chelan, said she became homeless about six months ago while escaping domestic abuse by her family in Seattle. Moro said she's a trained nursing assistant but right now finds it very difficult to get a job without a car. Moro's front teeth are damaged due to an incident with her mother. She said people treat her differently because of it. "People are so quick to judge us," she said. "I'm really a sweetheart and stuff and like since my mom busted out my teeth, they'll be totally cool with me and then when they notice I don't have any teeth they freak out.". But right now, she has her dog, Tank, who gives her comfort. [WA] Annual effort underway to count those who are homeless (GoSkagit.com, WA) - full text GoSkagit.com [1/31/2025 10:00 PM, Emma Fletcher, 87K, WA] A weeklong effort to count the number of Skagit County residents who lack full housing is underway. The Point in Time Count is an annual event that attempts to accurately estimate homelessness within individual counties, including situations such as living in a shed without utilities or in a car. The Skagit County count was organized by Volunteers of America Western Washington, which took over the county's Coordinated Entry program in February 2024. The count's data is key to determining how much federal funding each county is to receive. "We do have a reliance on federal funds to make change," Skagit Coordinated Entry Program Manager Chuck Messinger said. "And we want to make sure that we have as close to an accurate and reflective count as possible to present to the federal government, so we can drag those funds here.". Last year, the count found 512 people experiencing homelessness. That's likely lower than the actual homeless population. "We knew that we weren't capturing everything," said Messinger. Since last year, Volunteers of America Western Washington has expanded the Point in Time Count effort -- creating a focus team, training volunteers and connecting community groups. This week, about 180 volunteers took part at 14 locations throughout the county. Many came from community organizations. About 50 volunteers were unaffiliated. And some unhoused residents also lent a hand. Locations range from Marblemount to Anacortes, and included food banks and shelters. The sites also included such items as tents, sleeping bags and warm clothes. On Thursday afternoon, the Helping Hands Solution Center had three people fill out the form attesting to their lack of housing. Another five people would have likely qualified, but declined to fill it out. "It's a hard conversation," Helping Hands Solution Center CEO Rebecca Skrinde said. Messinger said those who made need help are particularly fearful this year. 204 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022320 "We've got a lot of demographics that are scared ... not just housing, but whether or not they can continue to stay, or whether or not they can continue to be acknowledged for the gender that they've chosen.". Some residents are scared to fill out paperwork for fear they may lose their children if authorities learn the family is homeless, said Skrinde. The count is able to use just initials and birthdates for those concerned about sharing private information. There's also other limitations to the count. The federal Department of Housing and Urban Development's definition for homelessness doesn't fully include unaccompanied minors, those who are couch surfing, or those that live with 20 others in a two-bedroom apartment, said Messinger. This year's effort focused on reaching those who are homeless at locations that provide resources to those in need, instead of volunteers drifting throughout the county. Organizations such as Helping Hands that already have relationships with those who may need help, can more easily reach those who would qualify to be counted in the survey, said Skrinde. Helping Hands staff underwent training for the count, and all staff members went out this week to take a shift. Skrinde volunteered at another location close to her home. Helping Hands staff also provided food bags for those who participated in the count. The bags included high-protein foods. The goal is that the community groups "might be able to get to most people" who are homeless in the county, said Skrinde. Those who are unhoused often do not have a voice in how homelessness is solved, said Skrinde. "They aren't seen, aren't heard," said Skrinde. While the data from the county is not perfect, it can help show the stories of those that are homeless and can represent their needs to legislators, said Skrinde. Despite the challenges, it's likely that the expanded effort has improved the count's accuracy. Messinger said the data from first night of the count surpassed the entire combined number for last year. The count will continue through Wednesday. [WA] In focus: Homeless Connect provides services during annual count of Lewis County homeless population (Tacoma News Tribune, WA) - full text Tacoma News Tribune [2/1/2025 11:38 AM, Staff, 473K, WA] The Lewis County Homeless Connect event was held in the Blue Pavilion at the Southwest Washington Fairgrounds on Friday, Jan. 31. Lewis County will hold two Homeless Connect events in 2025. The next one is in East Lewis County on Monday, Feb. 3. The East Lewis County event is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 3, at the Bob Lyle Community Center at 700 Main Ave., Morton. Homeless Connect is held during the annual point-in-time (PIT) count to bring housing and homeless service providers to a central location for easy access for those needing their services. "These events will be 'One Stop' events for supportive services, with multiple community service providers offered together, including veteran services, domestic violence 205 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022321 providers, behavioral health providers and community-based organizations. Lunch and haircuts will be provided," Lewis County said in a news release. The Salvation Army, as the lead agency for Lewis County, is responsible for planning and conducting a PIT count of unsheltered persons who meet the definition established by the Washington state Department of Commerce of "unsheltered homeless person," defined as a "person residing in a place not meant for human habitation such as cars, parks, sidewalks, abandoned buildings (or) on the street," Lewis County said in the news release. The Salvation Army is responsible for submitting PIT count data as required by the Washington state Department of Commerce. In 2024, the PIT counted 130 homeless residents in Lewis County, down from 153 in 2023 but still up from 120 in 2022. Of the 130 homeless residents counted in the 2024 PIT, 40 were unsheltered and 90 were sheltered in an emergency shelter, transitional housing or Safe Haven supportive housing, according to the report published by the Washington state Department of Commerce. [WA] Keeping our kids safe - Addressing dangerous homeless encampments in Washington state I Opinion (Tacoma News Tribune, WA) - full text Tacoma News Tribune [2/2/2025 3:00 AM, Rep. Cyndy Jacobsen, 473K, WA] Our kids deserve to be safe in their neighborhoods. It's time to remove dangerous encampments. Homeless encampments are sadly becoming a mundane fact of life in Washington. Our state has the third-highest number of homeless individuals in the nation, trailing only New York and California. This crisis remains a top issue in Washington, and there is no shortage of ideas on how solve it. In the last four years, Washington spent over $4.2 billion on homelessness and housing programs, a dramatic increase from previous spending. From 2015 to 2023, Pierce County spent $177 million to address homelessness. Just one cleanup in Pierce County generated 30 tons of waste and cost $70,000. Despite our ever-increasing spending, HUD reports a 12.5% increase in homelessness over the past year. Several years ago, in my geographically small city of Puyallup, a homeless drop-in center opened in a neighborhood near an elementary school where 53% of the students were eligible for free and reduced-price lunches. In its first year, this center attracted over 500 new homeless individuals from around the region. An adjacent business and the Puyallup library had to hire security guards to protect their clients. The elementary school had to install alarms and a six-foot fence. Public restrooms were outfitted with needle boxes; tons of garbage littered the streets, trails, and riverbanks; tents went up in the surrounding area; and crime spiked near the center. The city insisted on safety and accountability measures. In response, the media denigrated that decision, while publicly funded organizations sued Puyallup numerous times. In all, the city incurred approximately a million dollars in legal expenses. This money would have gone a long way toward helping people, but instead, it went to litigation. 206 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022322 Make no mistake, Pierce County localities all want to do the right thing. In Puyallup, we have a network of service organizations to help. In addition to rented shelter beds, we have even allowed our local police to rent hotel rooms for those who are in emergent circumstances. We all want to be kind. But homeless encampments are a risk to the public and to those who live there. A list of recent events at these sites includes murder, sexual assault, human trafficking, kidnapping, fires, explosions and substance abuse. Nearby retailers struggle with theft, scared customers and vandalism. I introduced House Bill 1255 to help localities who are struggling with cleanup. This legislation would mandate and help fund the removal of dangerous camps within 500 feet of several locations, including schools, parks, and child day care centers. Children deserve to play in safe parks and walk to school without fear. There have been instances in my town where parents have personally confronted homeless individuals and asked them to move. This is not a good idea. Parents should be able to live without constant fear and vigilance, but localities are notoriously strapped for cash. Let's help them remedy this situation. The government should handle this problem appropriately so citizens can live their lives in less fear. It's time to act and truly help people experiencing homelessness, not leave them to languish in unsafe camps. [WA] Point-in-Time Count workers collect data, offer resources to Clark County's homeless (Columbian.com, WA) - full text Columbian.com [1/31/2025 2:01 PM. Mia Ryder-Marks, 399K, WA] A team of outreach workers moved through an east Vancouver homeless camp Thursday as dawn's first light touched the horizon. Among them was Jason Paggett, who, after overcoming homelessness and addiction, now works to help others. As part of the annual Point-in-Time Count, which tallies the number of people homeless on a single day, the Council for the Homeless team went from tent to tent, distributing supplies and quietly gathering data. Their voices blended with the hum of nearby Interstate 205, and their breath hung in the chilly air. Paggett said the Point-in-Time Count helps homeless services providers understand not only who is homeless in the community but also their needs. "I give them a little of my experience," he said, "but it may not be what works for them. I just know my life is better than I ever imagined.". The Clark County data they collect will feed into a national database that's meant to capture a snapshot of American homelessness in one day. Outreach workers, including those from Vancouver-based Council for the Homeless, fan out across the county asking people demographic-specific questions and where they will be sleeping that night. "A large data count like this is really important for us to be able to know who's out here and also what people need," program manager Maya Handin said. The Point-in-Time Count helps connect people to resources and build trust with providers. As outreach 207 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022323 workers engaged with people Thursday morning, they also told them about Project Homeless Connect, a one-stop shop for services later that day that can help people work toward their goals, including getting a driver's license or moving into housing. By late morning, the doors of New Life Friends Church in central Vancouver were filled with a mix of residents and service providers. Stay informed on what is happening in Clark County, WA and beyond for only. While the event is called Project Homeless Connect, it offers assistance to a range of community members. Service providers from organizations such as Sea Mar, Veterans Affairs and the Washington State Department of Licensing were on hand. Visitors could also enjoy a meal, get a haircut or pick up a new coat from the clothing drive. A longtime crowd favorite was the Humane Society for Southwest Washington. Christina Loy waited for her number to be called so she could take her dog in for a checkup. "Events like this are critical because a lot of people can't afford to take their pets to the veterinarian, and these (pets) are our lifelines," she said as her 10-year-old Chihuahua, Rosie, nestled deeper into her neck. After Rosie's checkup, Loy planned to explore some of the housing resources available inside. Couve Collective organized the event for the second year in a row. As Clark County's needs evolve, the organizers of Project Homeless Connect strive to tailor the vendors to meet the needs of everyone who walks through the door. Felicia Hubach, co-founder of Couve Collective, said it focused on providing services for all age groups this year. "We really tried to make sure that we had services for youth to veterans to seniors. ... As a lot of people that work in nonprofits, we're middle-aged, so that's our natural inclination -- what we think about and we might gear our services to 20- to 40-year-olds," Hubach said. "With this one, we tried to make sure we hit the full demographics.". Kristy Salt attended the resource fair to continue working toward her goal of getting into permanent housing. The Columbian met Salt in September after a warming fire scorched part of her encampment nestled on a rolling hill. She now lives in her car with her dog, Gracie. She's collecting Social Security payments and working with a case manager. At Project Homeless Connect, she was exploring other housing options and potentially a part-time job. "I've made some good connections here. Everything is falling together for me," Salt said. "It will take time, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel now.". This story was made possible by Community Funded Journalism, a project from The Columbian and the Local Media Foundation. Top donors include the Ed and Dollie Lynch Fund, Patricia, David and Jacob Nierenberg, Connie and Lee Kearney, Steve and Jan Oliva, The Cowlitz Tribal Foundation and the Mason E. Nolan Charitable Fund. The Columbian controls all content. For more information, visit columbian.com/cfj. [OR] City That's the Face of the US Homeless Crisis Is Sued (Newser) - full text Newser [1/31/2025 3:54 PM, Staff, 986K] The small Oregon city at the heart of a major Supreme Court ruling last year that allowed cities across the country to enforce homeless camping bans is facing a fresh lawsuit 208 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022324 over its camping rules as advocates find new ways to challenge them. Disability Rights Oregon sued Grants Pass on Thursday, reports the AP, accusing it of violating a state law requiring cities' camping regulations to be "objectively reasonable." Last June's Supreme Court ruling made the town of 40,000 the unlikely face of the nation's homelessness crisis. It ushered in a new era of homeless policy by allowing cities across the US to ban sleeping outside and fine people for doing so, even when there aren't enough shelter beds. In Grants Pass--where officials have struggled for years to address a homelessness crisis that has divided residents--the decision paved the way for the new mayor and City Council members elected in November to crack down on camping upon taking office. The high court decision overturned a ruling from a California-based appeals court that found camping bans when shelter space is lacking amounted to cruel and unusual punishment under the Eighth Amendment. It enabled Grants Pass to enforce local ordinances barring camping on city property such as parks and sidewalks. Grants Pass has just one overnight shelter for adults--the Gospel Rescue Mission--and its rules requiring attendance at religious services and barring pets, alcohol, drugs, and smoking mean many won't stay there. After the ruling, City Council designated two city-owned properties as areas where hundreds of homeless could stay. But last week, the new council closed the larger of the two campsites--which housed roughly 120 tents--and made the smaller one only open from 5pm to 7am, forcing people to pack up their belongings every morning and carry them all day with no place to legally set down their things. "It wants to make being homeless in Grants Pass so unpleasant that people go elsewhere," Disability Rights Oregon said of the city in its complaint. "Despite the presence of numerous elderly, ill, and disabled people on site, the city increased its draconian restrictions in the dead of winter leaving hundreds of people with no legal option for their continued survival." [OR] Portland Mayor Keith Wilson on ending unsheltered homelessness and protecting residents from federal overreach (Oregon Public Broadcasting, OR) Oregon Public Broadcasting [1/31/2025 7:38 PM, Allison Frost, 741K, OR] Portland Mayor Keith Wilson campaigned on ending unsheltered homelessness in the city. He recently released a detailed "blueprint" for achieving that goal, adding thousands of shelter beds in the coming year. The city is also facing a $100 million budget shortfall. Wilson joins us to share his thoughts on the budget crunch, the details of the expanded shelter capacity, and how he's thinking about the rights and well-being of city residents in light of recent executive orders from the president. [OR] Counting the unseen: Lane County homelessness count focuses on youth (Eugene Register-Guard, OR) - full text Eugene Register-Guard [2/2/2025 3:45 AM, Hannarose McGuinness, 259K, OR] In 2024, hundreds of young people were counted in the county's homelessness Point In Time count. With nowhere to call home, they sleep in cars and tents, hidden in shadows and oftentimes tucked away from the systems meant to help them get stabilized. 209 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022325 This week, outreach groups, nonprofit organizations and support specialists dedicated to ending youth homelessness gathered to ensure these youth are counted and connected to resource providers. Lane County Human Services is working with community partners to conduct the annual PIT count and this year, organizations are putting a focus on youth experiencing homelessness with a resource fair hosted Thursday at Youth Era. Lane County was selected by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as a Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program Community. This means the county has been chosen as a location to test and implement a coordinated community plan aimed at ending youth homelessness. Thursday's resource fair acted as a space for impacted youth to engage with support services and complete a survey. The PIT count is annually conducted on the last night of January and provides a snapshot of homelessness in the county. The count includes people sleeping in emergency shelters, transitional housing programs, using food pantries, day and night access centers, churches and those sleeping in tents, cars, parks or other outdoor spaces not intended to be housing. The primary data source for this count will be the Homeless By Name List, which is a report counting individuals experiencing homelessness who have been in contact with support services in the county. Street outreach teams will conduct specialized outreach in rural parts of Lane County to connect with individuals who are the least likely to engage with services. Jack Frederick, Youth Era program manager, said the program's Eugene Drop space has always been for all youth in the community. All staff members are certified peer support specialists. He said in the year he's lived in the area that he has only seen the number of unhoused youth increase. Because of this, he said providing a safe space full of community and resources is priceless for those who utilize it. The resource fair allowed Youth Era to host its regular partners such as 15th Night, C.O.R.E., Looking Glass, HOOTS and more to make it easier for youth to connect with resources and participate in the PIT count. Frederick said that from his experience, youth need to be incentivized to participate in surveys and this event helped partner important resources with the HUD-mandated survey. "I think that when you can put together a lot of different things that meet the needs of youth all in one space and then also utilize this very important tool like the PIT count at the same time, it really helps you to touch on every youth that's coming in," Frederick said, noting that youth attending the event for resource assistance may have never known about the PIT count otherwise. "This allows for a count that in the past has been smaller or done through mostly community outreach and searching through the community to potentially reach more (people) just by having it at a hub where a lot of things are happening at the same time.". Lake Castagna, director of Queer Eugene, said being able to offer free clothes through the clothing closet and supporting youth regardless of their financial situations helps serve populations that are often left feeling voiceless or forgotten. They said now is a 210 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022326 great time for people to get tied into their communities and that partnerships across organizations help weave a strong regional support network by facilitating familiarity with a variety of systems. "Frequently, we'll do an event at Looking Glass New Roads or Station 7 and then a week or two later, there's an event here and we come here and there's crossover and we get to chat because we saw each other at the last event," Castagna said. "I think developing long-term relationships that begin at a one-off event is how the long-term support happens.". For those looking for housing resources, Alejandro Salas Hernandez, youth housing and health navigator for DevNW, offered options - something he said not a lot of people know they have. He said DevNW is helping support local housing needs in two ways: by providing rapid re-housing services through the county's centralized waitlist and by hosting a class focused on educating young adults on financial foundations. He said DevNW is committed to providing people with choices but that the work to stabilize takes time and patience. "We are asking clients that go into our programs to learn what it took us 20 years to learn, what it took us to be grown adults living in relative normalcy. It takes knowing people are going to stumble and we're going to help them out and give them choices that they didn't even know they had," Salas Hernandez said. "Most people don't know how to access OHP, how to access SNAP benefits. So that's what we're here to provide -- support systems -- but that takes time.". The National Alliance to End Homelessness emphasizes the gap in PIT counts accounting for unaccompanied youth, noting that youth do not typically engage with traditional homelessness assistance programs and are often unwilling to participate in surveys. This makes unhoused youth more difficult to include in the count. An undercount of unhoused youth could lead to a continued lack of service for those community members. While the work to support youth in need continues, Frederick said he is ecstatic to see organizations band together to uplift community members. "It really warms your heart to see how connected the community and the organizations within this community are to work toward the same goals for our youth in Eugene and the greater Eugene area," Frederick said. "I know that even if the numbers aren't as big as we hope that they are today, we're still providing so much great service to these youth in ways that I never would have imagined otherwise.". Full PIT count results will be made available in May after HUD submission. Youth Era's Eugene Drop location at 44 W. 7th Ave. is open to youth and young adults ages 14-21 on Mondays through Fridays from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. [CA] Hundreds of volunteers went looking for thousands of homeless people. Here's what they found. (San Diego Union Tribune, CA) - full text San Diego Union Tribune [1/31/2025 12:04 PM, Blake Nelson, et al., 2212K, CA] During the years Yarisbeth Levya lived in a Ford Explorer with her husband and son, she hid from anyone who was out counting the local homeless population. The whole thing 211 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022327 seemed fishy. Who were these people handing out 7-Eleven gift cards and asking personal questions? "I thought it was a government experiment," the 35-year-old said. Levya has since changed her mind. Not only is she now under a roof -- the family moved into an affordable housing complex in San Marcos three months ago -- Levya was one of scores of volunteers countywide who awoke before sunrise Thursday to tally every homeless man, woman and child they could find, part of an annual census that's used by both the federal government to dole out aid and local leaders creating homelessness policies. This point-in-time count comes at a particularly unstable moment for the thousands of people living on sidewalks and in shelters. Cities around the region have recently passed camping bans that boosted penalties for sleeping outside while elected leaders up and down California are facing budget deficits that threaten many existing programs. Just this week, President Donald Trump, who previously voiced a desire to crack down on encampments, issued a vague order freezing a significant amount of federal funding, leaving local shelters wondering if they were affected. Trump's directive was soon pulled back. But service providers are still reeling. "These programs serve people in red and blue states alike," Ann Oliva, CEO of the National Alliance to End Homelessness, said in a statement, "and the potential impact to individuals assisted by these programs would have been catastrophic." There are signs that homelessness in San Diego County may be starting to contract. The riverbed, however, has been a different story. The San Diego River Park Foundation reported growing numbers of people in waterways after the city of San Diego passed its camping ban, and on Thursday a team had no trouble finding rows upon rows of tents in the bushes near Fashion Valley. One volunteer who first joined the count a decade ago said she'd never found so many individuals so easily. A middle-aged woman shuffled by with a black eye. A girl carrying a Baby Yoda tote looked young enough to be in high school. Jennifer Capps, 48, stood near a red shopping cart filled with backpacks. Capps said she began sleeping outside years ago after leaving an abusive relationship, and the riverbed offered more privacy from police than, say, downtown. Yet a piece of paper taped to a nearby wall ("Notice to vacate campsite") reminded everyone that cleanups were always a possibility. Another woman in her 4Os, Joy Dauda, said she once ran down a city truck that was driving off with her suitcase, climbed aboard and began flinging belongings to the ground. The riverbed's dry foliage has been getting drier and outreach workers have been warning people against building fires for cooking. Nobody wants a blaze to accidentally spread. But everywhere volunteers turned there were signs of fire, from blackened concrete to ash-filled holes. One man in a shack made of wood and tarp reclined next to a roaring bonfire with flames several feet high. Officials are using a state grant to shrink this population. The Encampment Resolution Funding Program, which pays for extensive outreach, medical care and mental health support, has already contributed to drops in riverbed camps around Santee and near SeaWorld, and a similar effort in Mission Valley began in December. Preliminary results from Thursday's count do show overall numbers for area waterways going down. In Oceanside, near the Buena Vista Creek, police Lt. Nate Brazelton 212 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022328 approached a nylon tent. "Who is that?" a voice called out. "We're not here for enforcement," Brazelton responded. Officers were only supporting the census. A thin man in jeans soon appeared and volunteers handed over clean socks. The team continued on. One man sleeping in a Mercedes was interested in shelter. Another man on a sidewalk outside Chick-fil-A said he was "home-free, not homeless." Three women living in a 20-year-old Toyota Camry revealed that they represented multiple generations of the same family: Daughter, mother and grandmother. The trio was accompanied by a pet rooster that crowed throughout the conversation. Service providers have said they're seeing more parents and kids in the wake of the pandemic. More than 500 homeless families were found in last year's count, although that was actually an improvement over 2023. At one point, as the group was wrapping up an encampment, a volunteer mentioned the name of a woman who'd just been interviewed. Assistant Police Chief John McKean immediately turned back. "Hey, Flaco!" the chief called out. "I didn't know that was you, come out here and say hi." A woman stepped outside. It turned out that McKean had known her since she was a child. The two spoke for a few moments. The chief said help was still available and that he hadn't forgotten her. Then the woman went back in the tent. Some sites were surprisingly bare. A reporter didn't spot any tents in Escondido, which has taken a harder line against sleeping outside and cleared one large riverbed encampment late last year. In National City, an outreach worker similarly found parts of Sweetwater River that were once packed with tents to be empty. "You can't just go anywhere anymore," Jeff Clemente, a homeless man, said in reference to National City's camping ban. Some people had traded city property for state land, including freeway onand off-ramps overseen by the California Department of Transportation, although that agency also clears out tents. "When Caltrans does the sweeps, everyone moves," Clemente added. "I don't know where they go." Volunteers kept looking. Carla Vanegas, the Rescue Mission's director of outreach, spotted some bedding along an embankment. She trekked over. Nobody was around. Vanegas nonetheless set down a gray blanket, some clothes and a paperback copy of "Living Through Personal Crisis." Complicating all outreach work is the fact that shelters are often full. "In years past when I've done this count, I've been able to say, `Hey, we have a 49-bed shelter, you should come on over and talk to us,- said Greg Anglea, CEO of Interfaith Community Services in North County. "Now our shelter beds are far fewer, so I have to preface it by saying, `We may not have a place for you right now, but come on over and talk to us and let's see what resources we can provide.- Final results from the count take months to calculate and are expected to be released over the summer. More than 10,600 people were found last year, an almost certain undercount. The total has steadily risen since 2020. Levya, the formerly homeless woman who was once suspicious of the census, spent about two years sleeping in her SUV. Sometimes, she, her husband and son, who is now 8, would park in Escondido. Other times, they would try Chula Vista. The family's first break came when they were able to move their vehicle to a safe parking lot run by Jewish Family Service. Then a spot opened at Interfaith's family shelter. "I'll never forget that day," Levya said. "It was our time to heal." After six months at the shelter and two at a hotel, their current 213 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022329 apartment was ready. Levya made a point this week of bringing up her experience with people on the street. She'd watch as their eyes lit up, as if to say, "you understand." [CA] Congressman Ken Calvert reintroduces bill to improve treatments for homeless (KESQ, Thousand Palms, CA) KESQ [2/1/2025 2:42 AM, Peter Daut, 217K, CA] Valley Congressman Ken Calvert has reintroduced a bill to improve mental health and drug abuse treatment for homeless Americans. The bill is called the "Treatment and Homelessness Housing Integration Act." The Act would synchronize federally funded housing programs with federally funded behavioral health services. People who receive free or affordable housing would be required to receive mental health and substance abuse treatment if needed. News Channel 3's Peter Daut spoke in depth with Congressman Calvert, who says the Act is "...just common sense. We should tie these housing programs to the healthcare that these individuals need. And the new homeless center in Palm Springs, for instance, is providing these types of services. And I think that's the right thing to do." The Congressman adds there is a lot of support for the bill, which he is hoping will soon make its way to the Senate. [Editorial note: consult video at source link] [CA] County of San Luis Obispo launches quarterly homelessness database dashboard (KEYT3, CA) - full text KEYT3 [2/1/2025 3:26 PM, Staff, 220K, CA] The County of SLO Homeless Services Division launched its first-ever quarterly homelessness database dashboard to help the community. Below is a press release on the announcement: The County of San Luis Obispo Homeless Services Division has launched its first-ever Quarterly Homelessness Database Dashboard, providing the community with a detailed look at local homelessness trends, services, and outcomes. The dashboard offers critical insights into the County's homelessness response system, reflecting data collected through the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS). This new resource aims to foster a deeper understanding of the dynamics surrounding homelessness in San Luis Obispo County. Unlike the annual Point-in-Time Count, which provides a snapshot of local homelessness on a single night, the dashboard shares the number of people served, including program outcomes, over a three-month period. "The dashboard is a major step toward making data accessible and actionable," said Dawn OrtizLegg, Board Chair for the San Luis Obispo Board of Supervisors. "This tool will empower community members, providers, and decision-makers to better understand the challenges and progress in addressing homelessness across the County." Key features of the dashboard include demographics about the populations and people participating in homeless services in San Luis Obispo County, the inflows and outflows within the system of care, and the outcomes of different program types offered by local providers. All information included in the dashboard is aggregated to safeguard the privacy of those being served in San Luis Obispo County and shared with their full 214 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022330 consent. "The data in this dashboard isn't just numbers-it represents individuals finding pathways to stable housing," shared Mark Lamore, the former Data & Performance Chair for the San Luis Obispo County Homeless Services Oversight Council. "By visualizing the outcomes of local programs, we can clearly see the dedication of service providers working to connect people with the resources they need. This tool enables us to measure our impact, refine strategies, and ensure resources are directed where they're needed most." Developed with input from the Homeless Services Oversight Council, the County's Department of Information Technology, and technical assistance from the Institute of Community Alliances, the release of this dashboard marks a key milestone in the San Luis Obispo Countywide Plan to Address Homelessness. The Department of Social Services also collected feedback from people with lived experience of homelessness and current participants in shelter programs to ensure the dashboard accurately and compassionately represented their perspectives. "Our team is very proud of the work we've done collaboratively to present this dashboard," added Kate Bourne, Business Systems Analyst with the County of San Luis Obispo's Homeless Services Division. "Over the last several months, the team carefully reviewed data from the entire system to develop a set of visualizations that will provide meaningful insights. It is the launch of our ongoing trend analysis to improve local access to housing and services." [Editorial note: consult video at source link] [CA] San Bernardino offers federal grants for housing, addressing homelessness (Hey SoCal, CA) - full text Hey SoCal [2/1/2025 3:45 PM, Staff, 13K, CA] The city of San Bernardino is seeking grant applicants for around $3 million in funding for housing and homelessness projects, officials announced Tuesday. Money from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Community Development Block Grants, Emergency Solutions Grants and Owner-Occupied Rehabilitation Programs seeks to bolster local housing supplies and efforts to address homelessness. San Bernardino officials said the city anticipates receiving approximately $2.7 million in CDBG funds and $270,000 in ESGs. San Bernardino's CDBG program can finance "eligible community and economic development activities and fair housing," according to a city statement. Eligible projects are required to fulfill one of the three "national objectives," according to city officials: "1) principally benefit low- and moderate-income people, 2) eliminate slums and blight, and 3) meet an urgent need. The types of projects and programs that may be considered for funding, subject to national objectives compliance, are . . . construction and rehabilitation of publicly owned facilities: improvements to public and private buildings to make them accessible to people with disabilities; and infrastructure improvements to include sidewalks, street, drainage, and water and sewer systems.". 215 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022331 Emergency Solutions Grants aim to help individuals and families quickly regain stability in permanent housing after experiencing homelessness or crises, officials said. ESGeligible efforts include street outreach, emergency shelter, homelessness prevention, rapid rehousing assistance and data collection via the Homeless Management Information System. The Owner-Occupied Rehabilitation is a forgivable loan program designed to assist lowincome residents with home repairs and improvements that meet the city's health and safety code regulations. "This may include administration of the program and/or undertaking rehabilitation efforts," the city statement said. Qualified OORP applicants include community housing development organizations, forprofit and nonprofit developers and construction companies. Additional information is available on the city's website sbcity.org. Applications are due no later than Feb. 28 at 3 p.m. Officials instructed applicants to apply using the Participant Portal at the Neighborly website, portal.neighborlysoftware.com/ sanbernardinoca/Participant. [CA] Volunteers hit the streets for annual homeless count (Turlock Journal, CA) full text Turlock Journal [2/1/2025 8:37 PM, Joe Cortez, 36K, CA] Corey Mai, Herbert Yanez, Caden Laudel and Grace Mauldin were ready to hit the streets of Turlock on Thursday, just as the sun was beginning to break through the thick morning fog. The Stanislaus Community System of Care had begun its point-in-time count of the region's homeless population the previous night at local shelters. Thursday morning marked the more difficult part of the event: roaming through assigned quadrants looking for uncounted homeless people. The four were among nearly three dozen volunteers that took part in Thursday's leg. They drove through their assigned sector of the city -- a two-square mile rectangle dubbed Quadrant 4 that was bordered by Monte Vista Avenue, and Geer, Hawkeye and Waring roads -- in search of Turlock's homeless. Mai, Yanez and Laudel are co-workers at Turlock's We Care Program. Mauldin, who works for the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department, was the newcomer to the group, more quiet and reserved than the others. For her, the PIT count touches close to home. "My sister is homeless," said Mauldin, whose twin sister Tracy and nephew Moses live on the streets of Turlock. "We've tried and tried to help her, but she's chosen this life.". Last year, the count showed there were 2,052 unhoused citizens in Stanislaus County, with 201 of those living in Turlock. That was down slightly from 2023 (2,091/233). The Department of Housing and Urban Development estimates that more than 770,000 people in the U.S. experienced homelessness during a single night in January 2024, with about a quarter of those -- nearly 190,000 -- residing in California. The results of this year's count won't be available for several months. 216 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022332 Mauldin hoped that she would encounter her sister, but wasn't sure where in Turlock she likes to hang out. Near lunchtime, the Quadrant 4 unit reported back to city hall and conferred with Marta Lujan, Housing Program Specialist for the city of Turlock. Mai and Lujan decided that the Q4 team would swing by the area behind the United Samaritans Foundation office at 220 S. Broadway -- a well-known homeless hangout. The team once again piled into Mai's 2016 Subaru Crosstrek -- Mai's "office on wheels" -- with Mauldin wedged between Yanez and Laudel in the back seat. Mai stopped the car and Mauldin nearly crawled over Laudel to get out of the car. Tracy saw her sister exit the vehicle and was visibly moved. The sisters embraced, long and hard, for several moments. Mauldin made small talk with her twin, younger by one minute, but she was clearly in evaluation mode, assessing her sister's health and the company she keeps. "I've told her, 'You could stay with me. You could get a part-time job, and maybe save some money,- said Mauldin. "But I've told our dad that I can't be after her like a child.". Tracy -- as children they were referred to as Gracy and Tracy -- seemed reluctant to speak with the media, giving mostly one-word answers or shrugs. "Yeah," she said, when asked whether she was happy to see her sister, and "I forget," when asked how long she's been on the streets. Tracy did reveal that she had been staying at the Turlock Gospel Mission shelter but was suspended for one week after an altercation with another resident. Mauldin struggled to explain what happened to her sister. "I feel like maybe it's her selfesteem, or perhaps a mental disability," said Mauldin, after saying goodbye to her sister. "But I just feel so sad. I feel sadness in my heart. She doesn't belong out here. [CA] Annual point-in-time count sees Pajaro River levee homeless encampments shift from Watsonville to Monterey County (Lookout Santa Cruz, CA) - full text Lookout Santa Cruz [1/31/2025 8:33 AM, Tania Ortiz, 745K, CA] Santa Cruz County's annual homelessness count revealed a dramatic shift, with one group of volunteers spotting only three people along a stretch of the Pajaro River levee in Watsonville after most residents moved to the Monterey County side following a July sweep. In a striking reversal from last year, a group of volunteers conducting Santa Cruz County's annual homelessness census Thursday morning counted just three people living along a stretch of the Pajaro River levee in Watsonville, an area that was brimming with tents a year earlier. In contrast, tents were packed together on the Monterey County side of the levee, a dramatic change from 2024 that appears to be the result of a July cleanup operation by the City of Watsonville. The cleanup, which the city said was for "serious health, welfare and safety risks," has effectively pushed most of the encampment into Monterey County, some homeless advocates say, highlighting the complex challenges of addressing homelessness across county lines. 217 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022333 As soon as Robert Ratner, director of Santa Cruz County's Housing for Health Division, found out he would be part of one of three groups walking along the Pajaro River levee Thursday morning, he wondered what he would find. "I was like, 'Oh, I've heard there's anywhere between 100 to 200 people out there,- he said. "So, part of me was wondering if we would see that many, or if they would be on the Monterey County side.". The point-in-time count is an annual federally designated effort meant to provide a picture of the state of homelessness in the county. Last year's PIT count showed a 60% increase in the number of people experiencing homelessness in Watsonville, while the city of Santa Cruz saw a 36% decrease. The group that surveyed the entire stretch of the levee counted more than 200 tents on the Watsonville side last year. Roxanne Wilson, director of homelessness services for Monterey County, acknowledged the migration pattern among the area's unhoused. Cleanups along the river -- from either side -- cause unhoused individuals to go back and forth, she said. At the time of Watsonville's cleanup in July, several unhoused residents told Lookout they planned to move over to the Monterey County side of the levee. Monterey County has not yet scheduled its own cleanup operation, Wilson added, but she believes one could happen in the future due to the influx of people camping there. "Since they did all the sweeps, it seems like there's been less" people, said Dan Hoffman, pastor of Westview Presbyterian Church, which is involved in efforts to feed and house homeless residents in Watsonville. "It's a little harder since they knocked down all the vegetation. People couldn't find their space there. So I think it seems like there's less [people] living down there.". The apparent shift across county lines comes as both Santa Cruz and Monterey counties grapple with solutions to the region's homeless crisis. Watsonville city leaders are searching for possible ways to address last year's sudden increase in homelessness, recently forming a homelessness task force to help. Mayor Maria Orozco told Lookout earlier this month that the city council wants to create a homelessness strategic plan based on information provided by the task force. Along the Watsonville side of the Pajaro River levee during the 2024 point-in-time count (left) and during the 2025 count (right). A joint 34-unit "tiny village" project to house the homeless, funded by an $8 million state grant, is also proposed to be built at Westview Presbyterian Church. Half of the funding will go to the construction of the tiny village and the other half will go toward supportive services. The project has caused controversy among some Watsonville residents, who strongly oppose the location of the "tiny village" near a residential neighborhood and have safety concerns. Resident Catalina Torres has filed a second appeal asking the city council to rescind the project's zoning approval. A hearing is scheduled for next month. Thursday's annual point-in-time-count deployed about 120 volunteers across Santa Cruz County -- 40 in Watsonville and parts of rural Aptos and Corralitos and 80 in Santa Cruz. There were 17 teams dispersed around South County, said James Connery, vice president of research and assessment for Applied Survey Research, the local nonprofit research consulting firm that helps collect data for the county's point-in-time count. 218 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022334 Ratner's team, which included Watsonville residents Gavin Lopez and Pablo De Leon, counted just three unhoused people on a section of the levee near Pajaro River Park on Front Street around 7 a.m. Thursday. At least in that stretch of the area, most people were on the Monterey side. Ratner's team wasn't the only one tallying unhoused residents along the river. This year's count had multiple teams on the levee, a change from last year, when there was only one team. Ratner said it's possible that other teams surveying the levee might have seen more people Thursday morning than his team did. Ratner's team was in charge of surveying areas of downtown Watsonville spanning East 5th Street, Rodriguez Street, East Front Street, all the streets in between and parts of the Pajaro River levee. By 5:45 a.m., Ratner, Lopez and De Leon hit the streets, trying to spot unhoused people in parks, parking lots or hiding behind storefronts. Lopez, who participated in last year's count, helped identify people living in their cars, pointing out fogged windows in vehicles parked along Front Street. Volunteers do not interact with people they spot, as the count is merely observational. Whenever Lopez or De Leon identified people -- some who were walking around the city, while others were bundled up with either sleeping bags or blankets -- Ratner added them to a running tally. Each team had a designated recorder, who kept track of the number of people on an app developed for the count, said Connery. Teams had to collect basic information, like age, gender and location, based on what they can see, since volunteers aren't interacting with members of the unhoused community. Ratner said he was surprised at the demographics in the area he was counting. Most of the people he and his team were identifying were men, he said. Another surprise in the downtown Watsonville area was that most people were alone, and not in groups. "Where we saw [groups] more was on the Monterey County side of the levee," said Ratner. He wondered if his observation of fewer people camping together in his tract reflected a possible trend in the county. Point-in-time counts can help the county appropriately address the needs of the unhoused community and measure progress in decreasing homelessness or identify an area where it's increased. A decrease, even if it's caused by people moving across jurisdictional lines, can have financial implications. When numbers decrease, funding for services that help the unhoused often get cut, Ratner said. Ratner said he expects to release preliminary findings from the count in late spring, with a complete report due by summer's end. Have something to say? Lookout welcomes letters to the editor, within our policies, from readers. Guidelines here. [HI] Kokua Line: Did crews clear homeless camps along streams? (Honolulu StarAdvertiser, HI) - full text Honolulu Star-Advertiser [1/31/2025 5:05 AM, Christine Donnelly, 663K, HI] Question : Auwe ! Letting homeless people get away with living in the drainage canals and under bridges has got to stop. Every time it rains hard, their stuff goes downstream, 219 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022335 and then heavy resources are spent cleaning it up. Not to mention the flooding risk when streams are blocked with tents, tarps, shopping carts, etc. Not to mention there's only so many hours a day crews can work, and there's other stuff they need to do. It's a vicious cycle and it's got to stop. Answer City and state crews tried to get ahead of this chronic problem before Thursday's thunderstorms, by clearing out numerous areas on Oahu where homeless people live under bridges, in drainage canals and culverts and along streams. By Wednesday evening state Department of Transportation crews had cleared more than 20 areas, including along waterways that feed into the Ala Wai Canal--a choke point for storm debris runoff--as well as a viaduct in Kaimuki /Kahala known to carry a lot of manmade debris to Kahala Beach. Those are two areas you mentioned later in your Auwe and about which Kokua Line receives frequent complaints. DOT crews also cleared multiple culverts under Nimitz Highway, along Nuuanu Stream at the H-1 freeway, and at Waipahu Canal Bridge, among other areas. Go to read the full list of homeless sites DOT crews cleared ahead of the storm. Likewise, city crews cleared areas under their jurisdiction, especially in the urban core and including along Makiki Stream, where homeless encampments generate continuous complaints from nearby residents and businesses worried about flooding, crime and litter--some also express concern for the people living outside in inhumane conditions. Besides clearing health and safety hazards from that stream on Wednesday, city crews "were also at places like the Manoa Stream and the Hausten Drainage Ditch near Kapiolani. I was personally at the Manoa Stream near Kaimuki High School with our crews yesterday and can attest to the amount of trash and debris they cleared away, " Ian Scheuring, a spokesperson for the Honolulu mayor's office, said Thursday in an email . City crews clear Ma kiki Stream of debris multiple times a year, he said. Meanwhile on Wednesday, a contractor installed a second debris trap in the Ala Wai Canal as a temporary measure to divert debris into the permanent trap on the opposite side of the Ala Moana Bridge, according to a news release from the state Department of Land and Natural Resources. The permanent trap, which catches only about a quarter of the debris flowing downstream, was cleaned out. Officials hope these measures will reduce the amount of storm debris runoff that reaches the Ala Wai Small Boat Harbor and the Pacific Ocean. Although all the debris that sullies the canal and harbor after big storms doesn't come from homeless encampments upstream, some of it does, along with green waste and other rubbish dumped in or near waterways--all of which gets swept downstream in high winds and heavy rain. As for your broader complaint, most of the people on Oahu who don't have a home live outside, rather than in homeless shelters, and the problem has gotten worse, according to the most recent census of the homeless population. Of the 4, 494 homeless people counted in Oahu's 2024 Point in Time survey, 2, 766 were unsheltered, meaning they 220 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022336 were living in streets, parks, beaches, cars and other places not meant for human habitation, including under bridges and in or along streams, culverts and drainage ditches. The number of unsheltered people was up 17 % from the year before. [HI] Hawaii kauhale `villages' for homeless go far beyond tiny homes (Kauai Garden Island News, HI) - full text Kauai Garden Island News [2/2/2025 12:05 AM, Andrew Gomes, 50K, HI] Hawaii could see its biggest one-time investment ever from state leaders this year to house the homeless. Gov. Josh Green has asked the Legislature to include $100 million in the state budget over the next two fiscal years to fund the development and operation of communal housing, or kauhale, and many lawmakers are buying in. All 42 Democrats in the 51-member House of Representatives have introduced a bill proposing the same amount of money for what is described as the "kauhale initiative." Green said $100 million would fund a dozen new kauhale, including support services, and realize a goal he's set to cut the size of Hawaii's homeless population in half during his current four-year term as governor, which runs through the end of 2026. Such a goal, according to the Statewide Office on Homelessness and Housing Solutions, has never been achieved by any state and would be a big accomplishment for Hawaii, which has one of the highest per capita rates of homelessness among states. "The state of Hawaii can be great in this space," Green said Thursday at a blessing ceremony for a transitional shelter and long-term housing project for the homeless in Waianae that he described as the 18th kauhale produced since 2018, when he began championing the initiative as lieutenant governor. Green describes his goal, which also includes having 30 kauhale villages representing more than 1,500 housing units by the end of 2026, as ambitious. But he also said he has no doubt that it will be met. The most recent Point in Time Count from 2024 showed that 6,389 people were experiencing homelessness in Hawaii. Green said his administration so far has opened or provided funding for 18 kauhale with 835 beds. Some of these projects were led by the state, though most have been led by nonprofit organizations or the city with contributions from the state. Also, only about half the projects are clusters of small, single-occupancy units with shared kitchen and bathroom facilities typically referred to as kauhale. The original concept of what constituted a kauhale has been broadened in recent years to describe almost any kind of housing for the homeless, including single-family homes with multiple tenants, apartment buildings and even temporary tents used as emergency shelters. Kauhale origins Green's kauhale initiative was inspired by a visit in 2018 he made as lieutenant governor to a village of tiny homes to house the homeless in Austin, Texas. The project called Community First! served more than 200 formerly homeless people at the time. 221 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022337 The word 'kauhale' in Hawaiian literally means a group of houses or can refer to a small settlement or hamlet. In his State of the State speech to the Legislature on Tuesday, Green said, "Kauhale are communal villages that offer tiny homes for the homeless. They offer shared space for cooking, eating, recreation, growing food and community activities, even job training." Green also has said kauhale include other forms of housing with some aspect of communal living. At Thursday's blessing ceremony for the project in Waianae, which does not include tiny living units, he noted that kauhale can come in "many shapes and forms and flavors." What is now described as being the first kauhale developed since Green took up his initiative as lieutenant governor is Kahauiki Village near Keehi Lagoon. Local businessman Duane Kurisu spearheaded the plan through his nonprofit aio Foundation, which described it at the time as unprecedented in Hawaii. Kurisu reused prefabricated modular homes that had been made as part of a relief effort for the 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster in Fukushima, Japan. Building Kahauiki Village, which occupies state land, began in 2017, and an initial phase opened in 2018. Today there are 60 one-bedroom units and 80 two-bedroom units operated by the nonprofit Institute of Human Services. In 2021, Kama'oku Kauhale became the first kauhale spearheaded by Green and featured 36 units measuring about 100 square feet each. This project in Kalaeloa operated by the nonprofit organization U.S.VETS was designed to provide permanent housing for veterans experiencing chronic homelessness. Kama'oku Kauhale was built on state land and involved the Hawaii Public Housing Authority and the nonprofit HomeAid Hawaii. The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation also contributed funding. Different flavors Currently, several other kauhale on the list of 18 are made up of tiny homes clustered together. One of these is Hui Mahi'ai Aina, which was developed in 2020 initially without authorization on state land in Waimanalo by community members led by "Auntie Blanche" McMillan. Others include a cluster of 50 plastic storage sheds set up initially without permits on a Waianae farm in 2021 by an affiliate of Hawaii Cedar Church, and two state-led projects that opened in 2024: Ho'okahi Leo Kauhale, with 50 units on Middle Street in Kalihi, and Ka Malu Koolau, with 34 units in Kaneohe. Other types of housing for the homeless that are part of the 18 kauhale projects involving the state range from an apartment tower to tents. The tower project is on Kapiolani Boulevard featuring 108 studio apartments that the city bought from Tokai University in 2022 for $38 million and renamed Waikiki Vista. In 2022, IHS began creating what it initially called the Village of Redemption on Oahu with one single-family home serving as transitional housing for men recently released from incarceration. This project, now known as Redemption Kauhale, includes a second single-family home on a separate property, and a third property with a main house and 222 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022338 five tiny units. In all, 40 beds are in use, and six more are to be added at one of the three properties. Another kauhale, called `Apapane, was created by RYSE, a nonprofit, using a renovated six-bedroom home on Oahu that serves as transitional housing for youth recovering from substance abuse. On Maui the 150-bed Pu'uhonua o Nene emergency shelter, established on state land in 2023 with several large air-conditioned tents for homeless people affected by the Maui wildfires, also is counted as one of the state's 18 kauhale projects. The most recent addition to the list was blessed Thursday in Waianae. It includes 19 beds in one dorm building for short-term transitional use and 12 apartments ranging from studios to three-bedroom units for permanent use. Both components were developed in 2008 by a nonprofit on state land and are within the existing low-income rental housing complex Kulia i ka Nu'u. "Every different way to get a roof over someone's head is part of our kauhale program now," Green said in an interview. "The goal to reduce unsheltered homelessness by half is served by any of these different models." Money-saving model Green, in his State of the State speech, stressed to lawmakers that a model that provides health care services in conjunction with transitional or permanent housing is optimal and saves taxpayers money. Several existing kauhale projects, including the newest one in Waianae, include health care services. According to a recent University of Hawaii Center on the Family report cited by Green, health care costs for the average person living on the street dropped by 76% to $1,965 a month after being housed for six months, down from about $8,000 per month. Green also is seeking $10.8 million from the Legislature to support family assessment centers, the Housing First Program, the Rapid Re-housing Program, homeless outreach and civil legal services. "With these innovations and investments, over the next five years we project a net savings after all costs of over $450 million for Hawaii taxpayers at the same time that we are reducing homelessness and caring for people in need," he told lawmakers. John Mizuno, statewide homelessness and housing solutions coordinator in Green's office, is a little less optimistic than the governor about having 30 kauhale projects by the end of 2026. His estimate is 2027 or maybe even 2028. Still, Mizuno said the more that get added will increase savings to state revenue. He said the $1.2 million annual cost for the state fund operations at the new facility in Waianae to serve 70 to 80 people compares with nearly $6.2 million the state would typically spend on annual emergency room visits for 75 people living without housing. Broad backing There have been big legislative appropriations in recent years to reduce homelessness, but not as much as currently proposed. In 2018 the Legislature appropriated $30 million to establish an "ohana zones" pilot program, which helped 223 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022339 nonprofits and county agencies pay for a broad range of largely undefined things that included roof repairs at homeless shelters to prevent them from shutting down, social service workers' salaries and government housing vouchers to subsidize permanent housing. In 2020 the House shelved a bill that Green as lieutenant governor had sought to establish a $20 million one-year kauhale pilot program. More recently, Green has sought and received funding for his kauhale initiative: $15 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024, and $33 million in the current fiscal year, ending June 30. This year the Democratic caucus in the House is on board with Green's kauhale funding request for $50 million in each of the next two fiscal years, with the recognition that such housing can encompass many forms of shelter. "Over time, the kauhale initiative has evolved to a range of responses for homeless individuals and families and those at risk of homelessness," House Bill 431 states. "Kauhale now include temporary, time limited options such as emergency shelter, medical respite, and mobile outreach and navigation, as well as long term solutions such as supportive housing and affordable housing targeting extremely low-income households." Rep. Lisa Marten, chair of the House Committee on Human Services and Homelessness, said the bill from the caucus reflects a collective goal and priority of the Democratic members of the House as well as an endorsement of Green's budget request. "It is agreeing with the governor's significant ask," she said. "This is our way of saying, 'Yes, we'd like to support that ask in the budget.- HB 431 also goes further by proposing that a state agency that helps finance private affordable-housing development receive $24 million over the next two fiscal years to help developers create housing for people with special needs, including youth aging out of foster care, domestic violence survivors, people struggling with alcohol or drug addiction, people transitioning from incarceration and people with mental illness. Marten (D, Kailua-Lanikai-Waimanalo) agrees that the state will save money on health care for the homeless by providing housing, and she also said communities where homeless populations decline will benefit in addition to the people living in unhealthy conditions on the street. "When we get our chronically homeless off the street, it makes a huge difference in our communities," she said. Marten, who has a doctoral degree in public health, added that $100 million over two years is good but not enough. "We can only build so fast," she said. "Hopefully, this will all get spent, and we'll just keep upping it for more." Senate leadership did not respond to a request for comment on Green's kauhale budget request. One measure introduced by a few senators, Senate Bill 1610, proposes to make the ohana zones pilot program permanent but does not specify funding. Green said Thursday that he won't relent on trying to address what he calls one of our greatest social challenges. "We will keep doing it until everyone has the choice," he said. "A choice to come into a place with a roof over their head, even if it's simple, but a choice nonetheless." 224 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022340 [Guam] Volunteers up before dawn to assess homeless population (Guam Pacific Daily News, Guam) - full text Guam Pacific Daily News [1/31/2025 12:00 PM, Joe Taitano II, 41K, Guam] Volunteers were up before the sun on Friday morning, some as early as 2:30 a.m., heading to villages across the island for the annual Point-In-Time count of Guam's homeless population. The annual single-day count gets a snapshot of how many individuals and families face homelessness on the island. It's coordinated by the Guam Homeless Coalition. Heading out from a staging area at the First Church of God in Barrigada, volunteers armed with clipboards went from north to south surveying folks living on the street, in shelters, or substandard housing, and handing out supplies. Volunteers teams for different villages get a list of locations where homeless individuals are known to shelter at, according to Guam Homeless Coalition Vice Chairperson Rob San Agustin. Village mayors, the Salvation Army, and others provide the info, said San Agustin, who is also the director of the newly formed Division of Homelessness Assistance and Poverty Prevention, DHAPP. Spots on the list for the Tamuning count team that San Agustin rode with ranged from an abandoned Guam Power Authority office, storm drains, parking lots, and stretches of beach front, which team members inspect with flashlights in hand. Talysa Kakas, a social worker with the National Association of Social Workers, and DHAPP staff assistant Tina Sanchez, were two volunteers set to work interviewing folks about their situations. Reuben Rivera, 29, was woken up from his sleep on the front steps of one building with busted locks and broken windows visited by the Tamuning count team. Rivera said he'd been living out on the street for about seven years, but had only moved to his current spot in Tamuning a few months ago. Originally from Malesso', he said he had up until recently stayed along the beach down in Ipan, Talo'fo'fo, where he had happily spent time fishing and catching crabs. Rivera said he enjoyed the outdoors and the ocean, but had moved away from pan and the beach after his old partner, his father, had died. Life in Tamuning was different, he said, though he still managed to find time to fish. Rivera said he was glad to get contacted by the counters, and hoped to take advantage of some support services. The 29-year-old said he was looking to get a job as a lifeguard. The count starts so early, in part, to catch homeless individuals before they go off to work, according to San Agustin. "Anyone that is sleeping or getting ready to go to work, we can maybe catch them before they head out," said San Agustin. Many homeless individuals held down jobs and ran off to run errands like any other person who had reliable shelter might. Members of the Tamuning count team turned up at a number of spots where signs of habitation, like personal effects and clothing, and even what appeared to be a coconut crab trap, were present--but no one was around. "That just leads back to the (fact that) shelters are a really big thing that we need," San Agustin said. "That's the first thing that they want to obtain, and then they can move forward with other things in their life . . . they still keep that, that momentum going, so that they can sustain themselves.". Lt. Gov. Joshua Tenorio earlier this month said that Guam does not have adequate 225 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022341 shelter capacity for the homeless. Tenorio chairs the Interagency Council for Coordinating Homelessness Programs. On Jan. 11, local shelters recorded a waitlist of about 115 people, according to data shared earlier by San Agustin, as renovations needed to open a pair of new government shelters have seen delays. Data from the Point-In-Time count will inform the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which provides much of the funding used for local shelters. According to HUD, the island's 2024 Point-In-Time count showed 1,249 people experiencing homelessness, up from 1,075 in 2023. There were 145 in shelters and 1,104 unsheltered, according to HUD data. "I think that was maybe due a lot to the COVID help programs ending ... and then, we were still recovering from Typhoon Mawar. So that may have been some families still in areas like Zero Down," San Agustin said of the increase. Guam Housing and Urban Renewal Authority Deputy Director Fernando Esteves this week said GHURA believes the steadily increasing homeless population post-COVID may be an effect of the unattainable prices of local housing. Many who live in substandard housing, about 300 or 400, are also counted as homeless but may be living on family or CHamoru Land Trust Property, San Agustin added Friday. Just this month, the Office of the Governor has taken steps to clear up homeless encampments in Harmon and Hagatria, which were cited as safety issues, and connect residents with government services, the Pacific Daily News reported. Attorney General Doug Moylan has likewise led efforts to ticket panhandlers who did not comply with local laws, and has launched a billboard campaign advocating for a tent city for the homeless. Asked about the efforts, San Agustin said he did not think that it would have a major impact on centers where homeless individuals congregated. Fair Housing On his first day, President Trump reversed these fair housing protections (HousingWire.com) - full text HousingWire.com [1/31/2025 5:31 AM, Lee Davenport, Ph.D., 243K] What does "home" mean to you? I start off most fair housing continuing education courses with a similar question. Why? Because it is apparent that "home" is universal in that it means stability (sometimes including financial), safety, and community. But what if a part of your identity -- not the merits of your income or credit score; rather an innocuous, often random part of your being -- was a hurdle to you having a place to call home? This is not a stretch of the imagination for some. Did you know that 79% of those surveyed by Zillow have experienced unfair housing based simply on their sexual orientation or gender identity? This and similar data speak to the need for sexual orientation and gender identity to continue to be legally protected fair housing classes. However, despite the data, shockingly their federal protections ended Inauguration Day 2025 at the federal level. Despite there being no federal statute, I have been proud that we, as Realtors, have been held to and voluntarily committed to a higher ethical code to ensure that fair housing extends to everyone, no matter their sexual orientation or gender identification since 2010 and 2013, respectively. 226 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022342 However, our clients, neighbors, and other community members did not necessarily have to live by our code of ethics if they were in one of the 18 states or 4 territories that did not have any protections. That was until 2021. President Biden upped the ante and gave legal standing to housing discrimination not being permissible simply because of one's gender identity or sexual orientation with Executive Order 13988 on January 20, 2021 (Preventing and Combating Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity or Sexual Orientation). Within weeks of that E0. HUD (the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development with one of its duties being to enforce fair housing) began to probe unfair housing that excluded based on gender identity and sexual orientation. But sadly, today, I woke up in an America where we have lost those fair housing federal protections. Shortly after his inauguration, President Trump signed an executive order that rolled back 78 existing executive orders, including the "Preventing and Combating Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity or Sexual Orientation". As a fair housing educator, I have had real estate brokers not only share horror stories of clients being denied housing -- not because of their credit or income but simply because of their sexual orientation or gender identity -- but of real estate agents and brokers themselves being told they were not welcomed in certain communities to live or sale in as intermediaries. President Biden's Executive Order 13988 helped to ensure that if unfair housing tried to rear its ugly head, there was legal recourse available federally. Yet, like Cinderella's carriage returning to a pumpkin at the stroke of midnight, President Trump has seemingly rolled the clocks back to 2020 so that housing discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity no longer has a federal legal remedy. Since 1968, we have had federal fair housing laws enshrine the right to a home regardless of identity markers like race, religion, and national origin. It's time for sexual orientation and gender identity to be the same, which means our associations (Realtors have been the largest trade association) should be lobbying for this with our senators. In the meantime, even if your state does not explicitly treat sexual orientation or gender identity as a fair housing-protected class, let's all recommit to the Realtor code of ethics, which means unfairness is not allowable -- among clients or colleagues -- on our watch. How the Fair Housing Act Gave Us Emotional Support Parrots (Reason) - full text Reason [2/2/2025 6:00 AM, Christian Britschgi, 1141K] The first two parrots merely annoyed the neighbors. But after the third arrived, the U.S. Department of Justice got involved--on the side of the parrots. In 2024, a New York woman teamed up with the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York to squeeze a six-figure settlement out of her former co-op building. The building's transgression? Violating her right to keep not one, not two, but three emotional support parrots in her home. It's a colorful case, but it isn't atypical. A stampede of emotional support dogs, cats, 227 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022343 llamas, peacocks, ducks, miniature horses, and more are showing up in America's airports, businesses, and apartment complexes. This has produced no shortage of conflict, particularly in the housing context. Across the nation, landlords have been feuding with tenants over whether a federal law designed to protect disabled people's access to housing also guarantees renters' right to keep fauna of nearly all shapes and sizes in their homes, "no pet" policies be damned. Small pigs, very large dogs, various lizards, and at least one emu have been caught up in these skirmishes. The New York woman's name was Meril Lesser. For nearly two decades, she kept two parrots in her home at a ritzy co-op building in Manhattan's Gramercy Park neighborhood. The birds' noise provoked occasional complaints from other residents of the building, named The Rutherford. When Lesser acquired a third bird in 2015, the conflict escalated. Within months, her neighbors filed dozens of noise complaints with the city. The building's management company sent Lesser letters citing the bird's excessive squawking. In response, Lesser took measures to soundproof her home, promised to add additional soundproofing, and noted that the city's inspectors had failed to formally cite her for noise violations. This did little to mollify the neighbors. In 2016, the co-op board moved to evict Lesser. The case dragged on for years in Manhattan civil court, the standard venue for such private housing disputes. Then, in 2021, The Rutherford was hit with a countersuit over its attempted eviction--not from Lesser, but from the federal government. The Department of Justice (DOJ) got involved because Lesser claimed her parrots were "emotional support animals," and that she required them to soothe her depression and anxiety. Therefore, she argued, the Fair Housing Act entitled her to keep them. She won the argument. In August 2024, The Rutherford agreed to a settlement requiring it to pay Lesser $185,000 in damages and to purchase her apartment at the abovemarket rate of $585,000. It's the largest recovery the DOJ has ever obtained in an assistance animal case. Americans love their pets. Some 90 million households have at least one dog or cat. A few million more keep fish, birds, rodents, or reptiles. Owners collectively spend $150 billion a year on their well-being. Less enamored with Fifi and Fido are America's landlords, who often try to guard against the noise, damage, mess, and menace that pets can create by charging pet fees, enforcing breed restrictions, and adopting no-pet policies. Inevitably, this results in conflicts with pet owners. The landlords might seem to have the upper hand: In every state, their right to exclude pets is a legally protected property right. But since the 1990s, America's animal lovers have discovered a powerful trump card in the Fair Housing Act's requirement that landlords provide reasonable exceptions to their policies and practices for the disabled. The Fair Housing Act was passed in the 1960s with the primary intention of ending racial discrimination in real estate. Subsequent decades have seen the law's scope expand to 228 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022344 cover more categories of discrimination; this happens occasionally through congressional amendments, but more often through court decisions or regulatory guidance. The result: A landlord who turns away a tenant with an animal or who charges a pet fee could be found guilty of disability discrimination if that animal, like Lesser's third parrot, is deemed a legitimate emotional support animal. Fair housing lawyers argue that protections for emotional support animals are a faithful, sensible interpretation of the law's protections for the disabled. Property owners contend the rules are vague, easy to exploit, and a source of legal liability when they try to exercise their right to restrict pets on their property. Online businesses have arisen promising the opportunity to register pets as emotional support animals with just a few clicks and the payment of a small fee. Federal regulators and state lawmakers have tried to establish clear definitions of emotional support animals and to crack down on the most scam-ridden emotional support animal paperwork mills. Call it a game of cat and mouse--either of which could, in theory, count as an emotional support animal in a court of law. The text of the Fair Housing Act never mentions emotional support animals. Their protection under the statute comes from court rulings fleshing out the law's requirement that disabled people be given "reasonable accommodations." That guarantee first appeared in 1988, when the Fair Housing Act's antidiscrimination protections were expanded to cover people with a mental or physical "handicap," a term later superseded by "disability." This change was a pet cause of Rep. Hamilton Fish IV (R--N.Y.); it received wide bipartisan support in Congress and was backed by the National Association of Realtors. In addition to not discriminating openly against the disabled, housing providers must make whatever "reasonable accommodations" are "necessary to afford a [disabled person] equal opportunity to use and enjoy a dwelling." The law also beefed up tenants' ability to have federal officials investigate discrimination claims and sue alleged violators. The 1988 amendment's definition of reasonable accommodation was purposefully vague. It exists to give disabled people a general right to ask for individualized exceptions to their landlords' policies to accommodate their individualized needs. In turn, the law is supposed to protect landlords from having to provide accommodations that would be unreasonably expensive, unsafe, or impractical. In 1989, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)--which along with the DOJ is tasked with enforcing the Fair Housing Act--issued regulations that spelled out some archetypal examples of reasonable accommodation. They included making an exception to a no-pet policy for a blind tenant's seeing eye dog. Protections for emotional support animals arrived soon after. In 1993, Beatrice Exelberth of New York filed a complaint with HUD alleging that her coop building illegally discriminated by fining, and later evicting, her for keeping a terrier in violation of the building's no-pet policy. Exelberth had a long, documented history of depression. In her HUD complaint, she argued that keeping her terrier in the house helped ease her mental distress and that therefore she should be entitled to keep the 229 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022345 dog as a reasonable accommodation. Exelberth's building was clearly willing to accommodate its disabled residents. It permitted a seeing eye dog, and it widened doorways and entrances to make them wheelchair accessible. But the building drew the line at an emotional support animal, reasoning that all animals provide some sort of emotional support and that allowing one as a reasonable accommodation would effectively nullify its no-pet policy. A HUD administrative law judge disagreed. Even though Exelberth's building "asserts that the soothing benefit of dogs can be enjoyed by all, it fails to acknowledge the terrier's special benefit" to her, the judge wrote in 1994. "The dog gives Ms. Exelberth the same freedom that a wheelchair provides a physically disabled person." Exelberth's case helped establish the principle that accommodations for animals that provide some emotional benefit to a tenant with a mental disability were to be treated much the same as accommodations and building alterations that would allow a disabled tenant to physically access housing. Subsequent court decisions over the next two decades have expanded what counts as a required accommodation. Accommodations for emotional support animals have been held to preempt landlords' restrictions on certain types of animals, weight limits, breed limits, the number of animals a tenant can keep, and more. Critics argue these rulings have gone well beyond the initial intent and meaning of the Fair Housing Act. Jim Burling, vice president of legal affairs at the Pacific Legal Foundation, stresses that he loves his dogs. But the law, he says, "has gotten hijacked by the emotional support animal stuff. I think it's a general trend in government that you have a set of regulators who want to achieve some progressive good and you can do that by stretching the law." Defenders of the rulings argue this case law falls within the original intent of the Fair Housing Act. "The concept of an emotional support animal is not fundamentally different in housing than in the case of a seeing eye dog," says Michael Allen, a partner at the fair housing firm Reiman Colfax who has litigated emotional support animal cases. He wrote one of the earliest briefs on fair housing and emotional support animals, and he says that landlords misunderstand "what accommodation was all about. It's a very individualized process. The fact that a person with a disability can get a service animal doesn't mean you and I could get Rover the pet who performs no services." As court decisions expanding the reasonable accommodations for emotional support animals have grown, so too have conflicts over these animals. According to a 2020 HUD regulatory guidance document, "complaints concerning denial of reasonable accommodations and disability access comprise almost 60% of all FHA complaints and those involving requests for reasonable accommodations for assistance animals are significantly increasing." In recent years, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, responsible for prosecuting federal crimes in the country's largest city and its largest financial center, has found the time to charge 10 separate property owners with failing to accommodate an emotional support animal. Faced with these legal consequences, many landlords are 230 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022346 allowing animals even when they'd be within their rights to turn them away. About a month after Eric Dillenberger rented out a newly constructed apartment he owns in Manhattan, his new tenant asked him to come over to address some minor issue with the unit. When Dillenberger arrived, he was greeted by the tenant's dog, a giant Caucasian shepherd. Caucasian shepherds have been used to hunt bears and guard prisons. They can weigh nearly 200 pounds. The American Kennel Club describes them as a "serious guardian breed" that "should never be taken lightly." The Caucasian shepherd dog in Dillenberger's apartment ended up there after washing out of an Israel Defense Forces K-9 unit. "When I say they look like a small lion, I'm not exaggerating," Dillenberger says. "The dog is looking at me like I'm a milk biscuit and he's following me around everywhere and growling at me." While Dillenberger allowed pets on his property, his insurance also placed limits on certain large breeds. Caucasian shepherd dogs are rare in the U.S. and were not one of the explicitly named exceptions. Any conversation about whether such a large, menacing dog was appropriate for the building was quickly short-circuited by Dillenberger's tenant's claim that the canine was his emotional support animal. It's impossible to tell whether an animal is a pet or a federally protected emotional support animal just by looking at it. Unlike service animals, whose breed types and training requirements are spelled out in federal law, the particular features of emotional support animals are rather fuzzy. The same animal would be rightly considered a pet if owned by one person and an emotional support animal if owned by another. The distinction lies in just how much an animal's owner reportedly needs the emotional support it provides. In 2020, HUD released a 19-page regulatory guidance document that lays out some general principles for establishing when an animal warrants a reasonable accommodation. Cats, dogs, birds, Guinea pigs, and other animals commonly kept in households can generally be assumed to qualify as emotional support animals. Kangaroos and monkeys can generally be assumed to not qualify. Tenants requesting accommodations must also have a document from a health care provider saying they need their emotional support animals. That health care provider is supposed to have personal knowledge of the patient and the patient's need for an animal. This HUD guidance is supposed to put some outer bounds on emotional support animal protections. Landlords complain it's done little to clarify things. "It's continued to muddy the waters," says Charles Tassell, chief operating officer of the National Real Estate Investors Association. "It's left exceptions in there that say 'a lizard or turtle probably not' unless your health care provider says otherwise." Health care providers asked to provide these letters are also often ignorant of what counts as a legally legitimate emotional support animal. It is, after all, a regulatory category, not a clinical one. Providers and mental health care professionals fielding 231 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022347 requests for emotional support animal letters will often just issue them without too many questions asked. "Many therapists, who are very well-intentioned, they'll say, 'Oh yeah, you're really stressed about not being able to take your pet to college' or 'The only apartment you can afford doesn't allow pets, let me write this letter for you,- says Sarah Clark, a therapist who works primarily with physically disabled patients and trains other therapists to do the same. She estimates that "99.9 percent" of requests for emotional support animal documents that therapists receive would fall short of the regulatory requirements. The psychiatric research on emotional support animals is mixed on whether they provide appreciable, clinical benefits. The same research and professional guidance to psychiatrists cautions mental health care providers from writing these letters in the first place. This guidance has sway only over therapists who are interested in studiously following the law. It has done little to curb the cottage industry of online services that connect pet owners with health care professionals willing to dash off an emotional support animal letter to anyone willing to pay a fee. "Bypass rental fees or breed restrictions. It's fast, simple, and you can save thousands," blares an online video ad from the service Pettable. The company offers emotional support animal letters to anyone who completes a short quiz, does a 15-minute online consultation with a therapist, and pays a $169 fee. Its website says Pettable has helped register 250,000 emotional support animals. That's one of maybe a dozen online companies that explicitly offer their services to people looking to avoid pet deposits and no-pet policies. Some make a greater show of hewing to HUD requirements around emotional support animals than others. None can be said to be operating in the spirit of the regulations. "If you have an IQ over the level of a bowl of Jell-O and you're capable of a certain amount of deception," Burling says, it's not hard to obtain a letter from one of these services. This reporter managed to clear that low bar. Within a few minutes of completing the Pettable quiz asking whether I'd felt anxiety in the past week, I got an email from a social worker telling me I was a "great candidate" for an emotional support animal letter and that I "won't have to worry about extra pet fees, deposits, or restrictions." Once one has an emotional support letter in hand, particularly if it's endorsed by a licensed health care provider, few landlords are willing to challenge it. "We get them every day. We get them from the same social worker in Hawaii. It's the same letter every time. You know she's just pumping these out to make some money. But it's very hard to push back," says Jeffrey Turk, a Massachusetts-based lawyer who's represented landlords for 30 years. For most landlords, "it's not worth the risk." Lawyers who represent tenants seeking reasonable accommodations for emotional support animals also tend to find these services reprehensible. 232 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022348 "It does make my job more difficult. I think it makes landlords more skeptical, because people have taken advantage of the law," says Marcy LaHart, a Florida-based lawyer who has sued on behalf of a number of clients requesting accommodation for their emotional support animals. She says she used one of these online services to get a service dog ID for her pet Cuban tree frog named Hop Sing. For a small fee, she got a plastic badge with a picture of her frog declaring it a service dog. Recent joint HUD-DOJ guidance on assistance animals cautions against these online services, saying that "documentation from the internet is not, by itself, sufficient to reliably establish that an individual has a non-observable disability or disability-related need for an assistance animal." Turk says this guidance has helped guard against the most scam-ridden and exploitative websites. But those businesses that go through the motions of connecting a customer with a signed letter from a licensed health care provider are still going strong. When The New York Times reported on these services in 2019, it noted that the National Service Animal Registry--the same operation that registered LaHart's tree frog as a service dog--listed 2,400 animals in 2011. By 2019, that number had grown to "nearly 200,000." Today, it has 250,866. As complaints about these letter mills have grown, some legislatures have tried to push back. In 2020, Florida lawmakers incorporated the HUD regulatory guidance requiring health care providers to have "personal knowledge" of someone's disability before issuing an emotional support animal letter into state law. Kentucky has created criminal penalties for letter signers who fail that standard. The hope among proponents of these laws is that they'll clarify the requirements for legitimate emotional support animals for people who need them while cracking down on the people and services cynically trying to get around pet fees. Meanwhile, fair housing law is evolving to protect people with emotional support animals not just from landlords but from local zoning officials as well. LaHart says she's represented several clients who've had county code enforcement called on their emotional support minipigs. In 2023, retired bitcoin miner Nicholas Olenik was cited by Virginia Beach code enforcement for keeping Nimbus, his emotional support emu. He was accused of violating the city's restrictions on raising livestock in residential neighborhoods. A Virginia circuit court judge eventually ruled in Olenik's favor. The decision ended up turning on the distinction in Virginia law between livestock and companion animals, not federal fair housing law. But Olenik's therapist-signed letter declaring Nimbus an emotional support emu helped him establish that the bird was a permissible pet under the city's zoning code. "I read the law, and I already had everything nationally backing me. Whatever happened to being in the freest country in the world?" Olenik says. The right to an emotional support animal, be it dog, emu, or parrot, is a case study in regulatory creep, bureaucratic overreach, and expansive interpretation of the law. Over time, the reasonable-sounding premise that landlords should not discriminate based on 233 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022349 race, gender, or disability produced a legal absurdity and a costly ambiguity. The costs and potential penalties landlords face if they object to an alleged emotional support animal have left many property owners nervous about asserting their rights. Cynical letter mills have made this chilling effect even worse. More precise line drawing from courts, federal regulators, and state governments can do only so much to erect guardrails around the abuse of emotional support animal protections. In a country that purports to love both pets and property rights, conflicts like these will probably persist for years. Whether or not parrots are involved, the legal contortions that made those disputes possible are for the birds. [NY] To combat Trump, NY Dems want federal housing protections in state law (Gothamist, NY) - full text Gothamist [2/1/2025 8:42 PM, Jon Campbell, 1758K, NY] A group of New York state lawmakers wants to enshrine federal housing protections in state law as a preemptive defense against any attempt by President Donald Trump to roll them back. A bill introduced this week would codify what's known as the federal "disparate impact" standard in the state's housing law, which ensures that anyone who files a housing discrimination claim under the Fair Housing Act doesn't have to prove that the discrimination was intentional. Trump moved to revise and weaken that standard in the final months of his first term, but a court ruling prevented his administration's rule from taking effect. The disparate impact rule was later fully reinstated by his Democratic successor, Joe Biden, in 2023. Now, state Sen. Brian Kavanagh and Assemblymembers Jordan Wright and Micah Lasher, three Manhattan Democrats, hope to codify that standard in state law before Trump has a chance to repeal it at the federal level. "The way that we ensure that housing discrimination can continue to be fought in New York is by putting disparate impact into state law," said Lasher, a first-term lawmaker from the Upper West Side and the bill's sponsor. Under disparate impact, a housing discrimination claim is judged based on an action's effect, rather than its intent. That means it can be considered housing discrimination if a landlord's actions negatively affected a protected class, such as a particular race, even if the landlord didn't intend to do so. Supporters of the standard fear Trump could move to dismantle it again -- this time with the potential backing of a conservative-leaning Supreme Court, should it get to that point. Many of the president's early actions in his second term have gone toward dismantling federal diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. Lasher and Kavanagh introduced the bill Friday and touted it with Wright at the National Action Network's weekly rally in Harlem, where the Rev. Al Sharpton spoke in favor of it. "We see this as a civil rights bill and we hope that all the Assembly and the state Senate understand what we are doing, and we are doing this in unison," Sharpton said. The legislative session in Albany runs through mid-June. [PA] This proposed training program would be mandatory for all Easton landlords (Lehigh Valley Live, PA) - full text Lehigh Valley Live [2/2/2025 7:30 AM, Chelsea Kun, 403K, PA] A training program for Easton landlords may become a requirement in 2025. Easton City 234 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022350 Councilman Frank Pintabone announced Thursday he will propose city council adopt the new mandatory landlord training program. He believes this will improve housing quality, foster better tenant-landlord relationships, and ensure the city's rental market remains stable and fair. The program, tied to annual rental license renewals, would be required of all landlords in Easton. Landlords who do not complete the training would be unable to renew their licenses. The program, which will be available online, would require landlords to complete an open-book test after reviewing training materials. Pintabone said he wants the content to focus on fostering stronger relationships with tenants, maintaining properties proactively, and understanding legal responsibilities such as fair housing practices and tenant rights. "In a time where the prevalence of rental properties are increasing exponentially, landlords and property managers play a major role in determining quality of housing and providing stability for renting families," Pintabone said. Federal money from the American Rescue Plan Act would fund the program. Landlords would pay a $1O fee annually, to fund updates to training resources and ensure continuous engagement with the program, Pintabone said. Pintabone said he plans to present the idea to Easton City Council in February. An employee to manage the program would be in place by March, with the modules being finished in May, under his proposal. The program would officially launch in August, and landlords would have to complete it by Aug. 31. Registration for landlords is set to begin in August. From 2015-17, the city offered a similar training program, which was optional. Pintabone said, as part of his campaign for council, he promised to bring it back. "Most of our good landlords took it, and the bad landlords obviously didn't," Pintabone said. "The good thing is we have a great amount of good landlords in Easton.". Michael Brett, director of Easton's Redevelopment Authority, said the original program was "a great start," but it was based on outdated models of crime management. "We're really looking at engaging landlords and tenants in a more productive manner, treating them more like community members," Brett said. Brett noted that many landlords, particularly those who inherited properties or bought them at low costs, might not be equipped with the knowledge to effectively manage their properties. The new program aims to empower them to make better decisions for both their properties and tenants, he said. He said Haley Weber, program manager for the Redevelopment Authority, has been a major piece in developing the program. Brought on by the authority after completing a fellowship at Lehigh University, she reviewed the original training program, identified its shortcomings, and restructured it to be more effective. "I wanted something that was much more reader friendly, because I knew that this was something that most of them probably weren't going to be super excited about waking up in the morning and having to do," Weber said. "But I wanted to make it as friendly as possible for the consumers of the program, for our landlords, and as straightforward and reader friendly as possible for people who are coming from all different backgrounds.". The new online modules are designed to be interactive and easy to navigate, and regularly updated, she said. Weber also pointed out the potential for the new platform to serve as an ongoing communication tool, allowing landlords to provide feedback and engage with the city 235 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022351 throughout the year. Easton Mayor Sal Panto Jr. stressed the need for better landlord education to improve the city's rental market. "In Easton, we have a lot of good landlords." he said. "The key is making sure all landlords are equipped with the tools they need to succeed.". [DC] DC sues management group for discriminating against non-voucher renters (WUSA 9, DC) - full text WUSA 9 [1/31/2025 5:40 AM, Sophie Rosenthal, 1601K, DC] The owners and managers of three D.C. apartment complexes are being accused of abusing a loophole in the rent control system and discriminating against prospective tenants, according to a new lawsuit from the Office of the Attorney General. Five defendants -- Rashid Salem, along with four LLCs he owns, Petra Management Group LLC, 4825-4829 North Capital St LLC, 5616 13th St NW LLC and 743 Fairmont St NW LLC, which are collectively referred to as Petra in the suit -- have allegedly only been renting to people using government-funded housing vouchers, in order to qualify for an exemption to rent control requirement and charge higher prices. In doing so, the suit alleges, Petra has been discriminating against possible low- and moderate-income renters who do not have vouchers. "Petra is exploiting the District's affordable housing crisis for profit -- lining its pockets by limiting housing options for tenants who don't have subsidies but still struggle to afford a home," Beth Mellen, assistant deputy attorney general and senior counsel for housing protection and affordability, said. "It is illegal in the District for landlords to discriminate against tenants based on their income, and Petra's elaborate scheme just further distorts a market that already puts rents out of reach for many.". Rent control in the District applies to units in residential buildings built before 1976. However, there are some exceptions -- one being when a rent controlled unit is rented to a tenant with housing vouchers. Housing vouchers are a subsidy for the lowest income residents in D.C., according to the OAG. But not everyone who is in need of affordable housing gets vouchers, and many are on waitlists. Petra owns three buildings, known as The Adams, The Keystone and The Madison. At one of them, The Adams, a rent-controlled three bedroom apartment would be leased for $1,000.25 per month. But if it is leased to a subsidized renter. they can rent it at a much higher maximum monthly rent, $3,131. Petra reportedly told lenders it would only rent the units at the higher subsidized maximum before buying the three buildings, then advertised apartments at the higher maximum and only rented to voucher holders. The OAG is alleging that Petra purposefully denied renting to unsubsidized residents based on their income, violating the Human Rights Act. And by advertising the units at the maximum subsidized rate, the OAG says they have violated the Consumer Protection Procedures Act. Attorney General Brian Schwalb is recused from this case. The OAG said the case is being handled by Assistant Attorney General Nadeen J. Sager, Deputy Director of the Office of Consumer Protection Kevin Vermillion and Chief of the Civil Rights & Elder Justice Section Alicia M. Lendon. [IN] A new look at the details of redlining in South Bend I Opinion (South Bend Tribune, IN) - full text 236 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022352 South Bend Tribune [1/28/2025 5:33 AM, Gavin Moulton, 235K, IN] Almost a century ago, real estate agencies graded the "residential security" of South Bend's neighborhoods. A new database reveals exactly how xenophobia and racism shaped their decisions, casting light on the development of the residential inequality we still live with today. In the 1930s, the federal government commissioned real estate agents to create maps grading the "residential security" of neighborhoods in cities across the country. On a scale from A to D, agents decided which neighborhoods offered the safest and riskiest prospects for lending and mortgage decisions. These maps, assembled by the federal Home Owners' Loan Corporation (HOLC) formed the basis of mortgage and lending decisions for decades, until outlawed by the Fair Housing Act of 1968. The practice of systematically denying loans and lending to entire neighborhoods was known as redlining, and its ramifications are ongoing. In South Bend, redlining primarily codified discrimination against communities of working-class migrants and their descendants, especially Poles from East-Central Europe and Black Americans from the South. At the beginning of the Great Depression, Poles comprised 25% of the city's population and Blacks 3%, yet Polish and Black communities accounted for 80% of the lowest ranked neighborhoods. All four of South Bend's Polish neighborhoods and half of the Black neighborhoods were constructed on the west side. HOLC gave D ratings to three of the four Polish neighborhoods and all of the Black neighborhoods. The Polish neighborhood names were: Bogdarka, meaning God's Gift; Warszawa, after the capital city of Warsaw; Dote G6ry, meaning Golden Hills; and Krakowo, after the city of Krakow. Only the newest Polish neighborhood, Krakowo -- built around St. Adalbert Church to accommodate workers for the expanding Studebaker and Singer Sewing Company factories -- received a C rating. LaSalle Park, the primary Black neighborhood, received a D rating and was located next to Beck's Lake, a pond where manufacturers began dumping toxic industrial waste in the 1930s. Beyond the west side, Black neighborhoods on Prairie Avenue and Sorin Street similarly received D ratings. Other ethnicities, including Hungarians on the South Side and Italians and Belgians in Mishawaka, were also negatively impacted. HOLC documents, while occasionally referencing anglicized Polish neighborhood names, reflected a popular stereotype of Slavic migrants as unassimilable and appear to have incorrectly classified many American-born Poles as foreigners. The Polish neighborhoods of South Bend ranked poorly by HOLC's criteria because they abutted industrial areas and were more racially integrated compared to the city's average. For example, Dote G0ry's residents were 22% Polish-born and 30% Black. A positive view of the west side in the Indiana Guide, published in 1941 by the Federal Writers' Project, contrasted with that of the HOLC appraisers. The guidebook described west sides houses as in "good condition" and praised residents' "carefully tended vegetable gardens." The guide even went so far as to declare that South Bend had "no slum district." While HOLC disparaged working-class neighborhoods for pollution emitted by nearby manufacturers, it praised proximity to the city's industrialists in wealthy neighborhoods. Documents noted the A-ranked neighborhood of Jefferson Park on the east side as home to the "original Studebaker mansion and some of the city's finest estates." Located on higher terrain and further away from dirty factories, wealth enabled South Bend's elites to escape the worst of toxic industrial conditions that still impact west side neighborhoods. 237 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022353 The economic and environmental health consequences of redlining continue today. Expansion of the University of Notre Dame has increased rents and gentrification in historic Black communities on the northeast side and the city overall remains largely segregated. Environmental factors that contributed to redlining -- such as industrial rail lines and still vacant brownfield sites -- remain to be addressed. Today, as Latino population growth helps to revive not only the west side, but the entire city, we should increase investments to reconnect neighborhoods and protect, expand and repair affordable housing to begin remediating the harm from decades of discrimination and deindustrialization. Gavin Moulton is a PhD candidate in history at the University of Notre Dame. This essay was adapted from his [MI] Facial recognition in policing is getting state-by-state guardrails (Michigan Advance.com, MI) - full text Michigan Advance.com [2/2/2025 3:05 AM, Paige Gross, 158K, MI] In January 2020, Farmington Hills, Mich., resident Robert Williams spent 30 hours in police custody after an algorithm listed him as a potential match for a suspect in a robbery committed a year and a half earlier. The city's police department had sent images from the security footage at the Detroit watch store to Michigan State Police to run through its facial recognition technology. An expired driver's license photo of Williams in the state police database was a possible match, the technology said. But Williams wasn't anywhere near the store on the day of the robbery. Williams' case, now a settled lawsuit which was filed in 2021 by the American Civil Liberties Union and Michigan Law School's Civil Rights Litigation Initiative, was the first public case of wrongful arrest due to misuse of facial recognition technology (FRT) in policing. But the case does not stand alone. Several more documented cases of false arrests due to FRT have come out of Detroit in the years following Williams' arrest, and across the country, at least seven people have been falsely arrested after police found a potential match in the depths of FRT databases. Williams' lawsuit was the catalyst to changing the way the Detroit Police Department may use the technology, and other wrongful arrest suits and cases are being cited in proposed legislation surrounding the technology. Though it can be hard to legislate technology that gains popularity quickly, privacy advocates say unfettered use is a danger to everyone. "When police rely on it, rely on them, people's lives can be turned upside down," said Nate Wessler, one of the deputy directors of the Speech, Privacy and Technology Project at the national ACLU. Facial recognition technology has become pervasive in Amercians' lives, and can be used for small, personal tasks like unlocking a phone, or in larger endeavors, like moving thousands of people through airport security checks. The technology is built to assess a photo, often called a probe image, against a database of public photos. It uses biometric data like eye scans, facial geometry, or distance between features to assess potential matches. FRT software converts the data into a unique string of numbers, called a faceprint, and will present a set of ranked potential matches from its database of images. When police use these systems. they are often uploading images from a security camera or body-worn camera. Popular Al company Clearview, which often contracts with police and has developed a version specifically for investigations, says it hosts more than 50 238 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022354 billion facial images from public websites, including social media, mugshots and driver's license photos. Katie Kinsey, chief of staff and tech policy counsel for the Policing Project, an organization focused on police accountability, said that she's almost certain that if you're an adult in the U.S., your photo is included in Clearview's database, and is scanned when police are looking for FRT matches. "You'd have to have no presence on the internet to not be in that database," she said. The use of FRT by federal law enforcement agencies goes back as long as the technology has been around, more than two decades, Kinsey said, but local police departments began using it in the last 10 years. Usually, police are using it in the aftermath of a crime, but civil liberties and privacy concerns come from the idea that the technology could be used to scan faces in real time, with geolocation data attached, she said. Kinsey, who often meets with law enforcement officers to develop best practices and legislative suggestions, said she believes police forces are wary of real-time uses. Boston Police attempted to use it while searching for the suspects in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, for example, but grainy imaging hindered the technology in identifying the culprits, Kinsey said. FRT's role in wrongful arrest cases usually come from instances where police have no leads on a crime other than an image captured by security cameras, said Margaret Kovera, a professor of psychology at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice and an eyewitness identification expert. Before the technology was available, police needed investigative leads to pin down suspects -- physical evidence, like a fingerprint, or an eyewitness statement, perhaps. But with access to security cameras and facial recognition technology, police can quickly conjure up several possible suspects that have a high likelihood of a match. With millions of faces in a database, the pool of potential suspects feels endless. Because the technology finds matches that look so similar to the photo provided, someone choosing a suspect in a photo array can easily make a wrong identification, Kovera said. Without further investigation and traditional police work to connect the match chosen by the technology to a crime scene, the match is useless. "You're going to up the number of innocent people who are appearing as suspects and you're going to decrease the number of guilty people," Kovera said. "And just that act alone is going to mess up the ratio of positive identifications in terms of how many of them are correct and how many of them are mistaken.". In the seven known cases of wrongful arrest following FRT matches, police failed to conduct sufficient followup investigation, which could have prevented the incidents. One man in Louisiana spent a week in jail, despite being 40 pounds lighter than a thief allegedly seen in surveillance footage. A woman who was eight months pregnant in Detroit was held in custody for 11 hours after being wrongfully arrested for carjacking, despite no mention of the carjacker appearing pregnant. When Williams was arrested in January 2020, he was the ninth-best match for the person in the security footage, Michael King, a research scientist with the Florida Institute of Technology's (FIT) Harris Institute for Assured Information, testified in the ACLU's lawsuit. And detectives didn't pursue investigation of his whereabouts before making the arrest. Detroit police used the expired license image in a photo array presented to a lossprevention contractor who wasn't present at the scene of the crime. The loss prevention 239 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022355 contractor picked Williams as the best match to the security cameras. Without further investigation of Williams' whereabouts in October 2018, Detroit Police arrested him and kept him in custody for 30 hours. The lawsuit says Williams was only informed after several lines of questioning that he was there because of a match via facial recognition technology. As part of the settlement, which Williams reached in the summer of 2024, Detroit Police had to change the way it uses facial recognition technology. The city now observes some of the strictest uses of the technology across the country, which is legislated on a state-by-state basis. Police can no longer go straight from facial recognition technology results to a witness identification procedure, and they cannot apply for an arrest warrant based solely on the results of a facial recognition technology database, Wessler said. Because there can be errors or biases in the technology, and by its users, guardrails are important to protect against false arrests, he said. At the start of 2025, 15 states -- Washington, Oregon, Montana, Utah, Colorado, Minnesota, Illinois, Alabama, Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine -- had some legislation around facial recognition in policing. Some states, like Montana and Utah, require a warrant for police to use facial recognition, while others, like New Jersey, say that defendants must be notified of its use in investigations. At least seven more states are considering laws to clarify how and when the technology can be used -- lawmakers in Georgia, Hawaii, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire and West Virginia have introduced legislation. Like all Al technologies, facial recognition can have baked-in bias, or produced flawed responses. FRT has historically performed worse on groups of Black faces than on white, and has shown gender differences, too. Al is trained to get better over time, but people seem to think that simply by involving humans in the process, we'll catch all the problems, Wessler said. But humans actually tend to have something called "automation bias," Wessler said -- "this hardwired tendency of people to believe a computer output's right as many times as you tell somebody the algorithm might get it wrong.". So when police are relying on facial recognition technology as their primary investigative tool, instead of following older law enforcement practices, it's "particularly insidious" when it goes wrong, Wessler said. "I often say that this is a technology that is both dangerous when it works and dangerous when it doesn't work," Wessler said. Kinsey said in her work with the Policing Project, she's found bipartisan support for placing guardrails on police using this technology. Over multiple meetings with privacy advocates, police forces, lawmakers and academics, the Policing Project developed a legislative checklist. It outlines how police departments could use the technology with transparency, testing and standards strategies, officer training, procedural limits and disclosure to those accused of crimes. It also says legislation should require vendors to disclose documentation about their FRT systems, and that legislation should provide ways to address violations of their use. The Policing Project also makes similar recommendations for congressional consideration, and while Kinsey said she does believe federal guidelines are important, we may not see federal legislation passed any time soon. In the meantime, we'll likely continue to see states influencing each other, and recent laws in Maryland and Virginia are an example of a broad approach to 240 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022356 regulating FRT across different areas. Kinsey said that in her meetings with police, they assert that the technologies are essential to crime solving. She said she believes there is space for FRT, and other technologies used by police like license plate readers and security cameras, but that doing so unfettered can do a lot of harm. "We think some of them can absolutely provide benefits for solving crime, protecting victims," Kinsey said. "But using those tools, using them according to rules that are public, transparent and have accountability, are not mutually exclusive goals. They can actually happen in concert.". [IA] Report: Efforts to make Dubuque's housing more equitable ongoing (TH Online, IA) - full text TH Online [2/1/2025 2:53 AM, Chris Gray, 105K, IA] A new city of Dubuque report shows the city has made progress in creating a more equitable housing stock, though barriers still remain. The report details progress in many areas, including reforms of the city's housing inspection program, while also detailing struggles to expand the number of landlords who will accept housing-choice vouchers, also known as Section 8 vouchers. Per the report, fewer than a third of Dubuque landlords were willing to rent to a tenant utilizing a housing-choice voucher. Because the city does not operate public housing, it must rely on housing-choice vouchers with private landlords to help low-income residents afford a place to live. The City Council will consider a resolution approving the analysis at its semi-monthly meeting on Monday, Feb. 3. Dubuque Community Development Specialist Mary Bridget Corken-Deutsch said that the city was able to fill its vouchers, but recipients' living choices are restricted and generally concentrated in older housing on the east side of Dubuque, where poverty is more concentrated. The poverty rate in Dubuque is 13%, slightly higher than the state rate of 11% and the county rate of 9%, according to the report. "If you have a housing choice voucher, you are limited in where you can use these housing choice vouchers," said Corken-Deutsch. "We're still working with landlords to educate them on the benefits of the housing choice vouchers." The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development requires this fair housing analysis for all cities that receive federal housing and community development funds; it is unrelated to the agreement Dubuque made with HUD in 2014 to settle allegations the city had discriminated against Black residents by restricting access to non-Iowans in its housing voucher program. The city previously completed an analysis in fiscal year 2020 and is required to complete it again prior to fiscal year 2026, which will begin this July. Dubuque Council Member Danny Sprank, a landlord, said it was unfortunate that housing voucher acceptance wasn't more readily available, adding that he would accept the vouchers if he were not barred from conflict of interest rules as a city official. "Statistically speaking, the majority of people receiving housing assistance are disabled on some level or seniors," he said. Sprank said that he has heard a variety of complaints from landlords regarding the 241 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022357 vouchers, including complicated government contracts, the perception that landlords won't be able to recover costs for damages and more routine inspections of properties. At the same time, "Knowing you'll have a consistent income (by accepting housing choice vouchers) is a big benefit," Sprank said. Other key barriers for residents wanting to live in Dubuque, per the analysis, include a lack of affordable, quality housing for residents more broadly and access to affordable child care and youth activities. The analysis stated that Dubuque suffers from unequal access to opportunities and resources such as school quality, food and transportation. Lower-income residents are concentrated on the East Side of the city, while many of the city's supermarkets and better-performing schools are on the West Side, the report states. Public transportation is also limited for residents with little or no access to private automobiles, the report states. In analyzing its housing initiatives set in 2020, the city reported progress on 15 of 18 process objectives. The city has worked to make informational materials more readable for people with less education and has worked to translate them into Spanish and Marshallese, recognizing the city's sizable Pacific Islander community. The Housing & Community Development Department implemented innovative reforms to ensure every rental unit is reinspected once every four years and units that have had problems are inspected every two years. The city also adopted the 2016 International Property Maintenance Code, which holds units to a higher standard than previously or than in some other municipalities. Sprank said the new inspection cycle is working for tenants and landlords alike, helping to improve the quality of the city's rentals. "It seems to be moving ahead well," Sprank said. [CA] She lives in the U.S.' trans `sanctuary.' This S.F. woman left it to escape Trump (San Francisco Chronicle, CA) - full text San Francisco Chronicle [2/2/2025 7:00 AM, Raheem Hosseini, 4368K, CA] Lynn Riordan stopped at the bank, saw that it was closed for the holiday, and rode BART to San Francisco International Airport. Sixty-six and feeling her age, she regretted carrying all that luggage. She had packed for three weeks, three countries, three potential new homes. "I mean, how often do you flee your own country?" the transgender woman quipped. If the televisions inside the airport were tuned to the inauguration, Riordan said she didn't notice. She boarded a plane before President Donald Trump signed an executive order stating that trans women were predatory men in disguise -- the order's pretense for revoking their rights. She looked through a round-cornered window as San Francisco, then California, then the United States receded from view. She let sadness and relief hit her in equal doses. She turned her mind to writing goodbye emails, and to the places she was heading. Could any of them offer escape from the persecution she expected Trump to unleash? "I don't know what the future holds," she said, gallows humor masking anger, "but at least 242 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022358 I'm out of the f--ing country." Since taking office on Jan. 20, Trump has issued a flurry of executive actions that directly and indirectly target gender-expansive people, particularly transgender, nonbinary and intersex individuals. Most refer back to a Day 1 executive order -- one of 42 Trump signed in his first two weeks -- that denies the existence of trans people and directs the federal government to strip them of gender-appropriate health care and antidiscrimination protections in housing, education and employment. The order also instructs agencies to misidentify trans and nonbinary people on federal documents such as passports and visas, and directs the Health and Human Services Agency to apply a birth certificate definition of gender throughout its expansive scope, touching every state and territory. California is estimated to receive nearly $116 billion in HHS funds this fiscal year alone. Subsequent orders - for the military to cull trans service members, for schools to stop teaching about LGBTQ people and for doctors to stop providing gender-affirming health care to anyone under 19 -- have invited condemnation from Democrats and legal challenges from progressive organizations. They have also sent "a very strong and damaging message to citizens about the kind of country they're living in," said Maha Ibrahim, a senior attorney at Equality Rights Advocates, a national gender justice nonprofit based in San Francisco. Ibrahim stressed that the president cannot create law with the stroke of a pen. She also acknowledged that LGBTQ people in red states are more likely to feel the consequences of the executive actions than those in blue states. "That E.O. is most harmful to states that have already been targeting their own citizens . .. because they don't have strong state laws and they don't have legislatures that intend to strengthen any laws to protect their own citizens," said Ibrahim, who manages her nonprofits Ending Sexual Violence in Education program. "In California, not much effect." Which raises the question: What compelled Riordan, who lives in the nation's first trans sanctuary city in arguably the most protected state, to seek refuge from Trump? Riordan grew up in Westchester County, N.Y., in a suburb bordering the Bronx that she said isn't dissimilar from Daly City. She said she knew by the age of 5 that she was a girl -- and was overjoyed by the realization -- but had a hard time convincing anyone else. Her mother scolded her, and the teachers at the New Rochelle Catholic school where she attended first grade made her line up with the boys after she automatically joined the girls. This was almost six decades ago, Riordan notes, so she somewhat understands the lack of open-mindedness about gender fluidity, which has a long, multicultural history. Christine Jorgensen, a World War II veteran who became a media sensation for obtaining sex confirmation surgery in 1951, was the first trans celebrity Riordan knew of. She hadn't heard of Zdenek Koubek, a Czech track star who set a women's 800-meter run record before announcing in 1935 that he would be living as a man. Koubek was one of a handful of celebrated athletes to transition in the 1930s. Koubek's story took a turn 243 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022359 in 1938, when Germany invaded Czechoslovakia and Koubek sought to avoid the Nazis' LGBTQ crackdown by blending in as a married car manufacturer. Riordan felt stymied in her own way. At 17, she started abusing alcohol. "There's no way I can transition," she reasoned. "So I might as well be drunk." At 19, she joined the U.S. Navy. She washed out after nine months. In 1981, at age 23, she moved to San Francisco. She got sober later that year, after alienating a woman she was dating with a series of drunken phone calls. This was roughly 15 years after the Compton's Cafeteria riot, considered a watershed civil rights moment for the local LGBTQ community, and sparked by a drag queen throwing coffee into the face of a police officer attempting to arrest her inside the all-night diner. Still, Riordan didn't find much acceptance. She said her first Alcoholics Anonymous sponsor was a gay man who proposed sex to "cure" her. Riordan got a new sponsor. "Even among queer people, it was unheard of to be trans, almost beyond the pale in `81, `82," she said. She vacillated between being miserably in the closet and marginalized out of it. She told her first wife she was trans. They divorced. She told her second wife. They divorced. In 1997, she married a third time. Her wife gave birth to a daughter. The daughter turned 5. Riordan saw two options -- kill or be herself. She came out. Her marriage dissolved. Riordan has been asked many times whether she is sure. Most people don't realize, she said, how hard she tried not to be. "Only after trying everything else, trying not to be who we are, then we're finally like, 'OK, I guess I have to be who I am,- she said. Riordan informed the people in her life. She told her boss last, at a Lafayette software company where Riordan was a programmer. He fired her. "It was perfectly legal," she said. This was before California updated its Fair Housing and Employment Act in 2004 to outlaw discrimination on the basis of gender. Even after that, Riordan said she struggled to hold down jobs and housing as an out trans woman. She finally landed a temp job in Berkeley, segued into a job for the city, worked there five years and then for a labor union where, she said, a coworker was openly hostile. The outside world didn't feel safer. In Oakland, someone tried to beat her up. In Emeryville, a woman crossed the street and swung at her. At a McDonald's, a mother with her child said something nasty. In California, reports of anti-transgender hate crimes tripled from 2014, when the state began tracking the category, and 2023, when 75 victims came forward, state Department of Justice data shows. In 2015, Riordan was diagnosed with liver cancer. She stopped working. In 2017, her roommate kicked her out. She was 59 and homeless. Swords to Plowshares, a local veterans nonprofit, found her a shelter and eventually subsidized housing. In 2018, she got a liver transplant and spent a month convalescing in the San Jose home of her daughter. In 2023, Riordan turned 65 and Social Security kicked in. She was now tolerably poor, not desperately poor. 244 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022360 Along with the small pension she received from the city of Berkeley and the fact that her rent was capped at 30% of her income, she no longer had to subsist on pancakes at the end of each month. She could even meet friends for lunch, and do more than nurse a cup of coffee. "My life's good now," she said. "Except Trump got elected." Since Trump's first presidency, California has created, crystallized and fortified protections for gender-expansive residents. But the federal government touches bedrocks of Riordan's life. Her primary income is Social Security. Her housing is subsidized by U.S. Housing and Urban Development. Thanks to Obamacare, she receives medical care through Veterans Affairs. "I got a good situation, but what if he does away with the (HUD) subsidies?" Riordan said. "Then I don't have my place to live. What if he directs the Veterans Administration to not treat transsexuality? Oh, well then suddenly there's a gap in my health care. What if he directs them to go by birth name at the VA? Well, now I'm getting insulted. Things that I value in San Francisco -- my housing, my medical care, my safety -- if I lose those things, there is no reason for me to stay here." Trump has shown an eagerness to test California's sanctuary protections and push his agenda into blue states. "Transgenderism" and "woke gender ideology" -- offensive terms that mischaracterize scientific understandings of gender -- were justifications for his administration's hastily abandoned decision to freeze up to $3 trillion in federal spending last week. The administration reversed itself after a chaotic day that crashed Medicaid payment portals, froze Head Start programs and disrupted homelessness, foster care and anti-violence programs that trans people disproportionately rely on. "Those living at the intersection of multiple marginalizations will always feel the brunt," said Heron Greenesmith, deputy director of policy at the Transgender Law Center, a civil rights organization headquartered in Oakland. With the inheritance she received from her late mother, Riordan planned her escape itinerary. She considered Argentina, a regional leader in transgender rights that is also confronting a right-wing backlash. She opted for Canada, the first country to provide census data on trans people; Iceland, with its self-determinative gender protections and vibrant trans scene: and Belgium, Europe's second-friendliest country for trans people behind Malta. In Toronto, she attended an AA meeting and heard from locals that they're not eager to accept the immigrants the U.S. kicks out. In Reykjavik, Iceland, she marveled that a population smaller than Oakland's could run an entire country, but concluded it was too expensive. She'll spend her final week in Brussels, struggling through its own right-wing resurgence, before returning home on Saturday and weighing her options. "I'll see what the f-- happens," she said. "It could be that my passport is already invalidated, or not. .. . I don't know. I really don't know. And I'm scared." Riordan said she feels a kinship with the asylum seekers and refugees who came to the 245 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022361 U.S. fleeing persecution until Trump retook office. "I wouldn't be the first trans woman leaving their country for safety," she said. Typically, though, they're heading in the direction of the country Riordan left. Federal Housing Administration and Multifamily Housing [HI] Hawaii bill would establish state-run reverse mortgage program (HousingWire.com) - full text HousingWire.com [1/31/2025 5:47 PM, Chris Clow, 243K] A group of state representatives in Hawaii have introduced a new bill into the legislature, calling for the establishment of a state-specific Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) program to be managed by the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corp. (HFDC). This is according to the text of the bill reviewed by HousingWire's Reverse Mortgage Daily (RMD), and a notice sent to National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association (NRMLA) members. Initially introduced on Jan. 23 and sponsored by nine members -- including Democratic Reps. Kim Coco Iwamoto, Elle Cochran and Tina Nakada Grandinetti, and Republican Reps. Christopher L. Muraoka and Kanani Souza -- the bill said such a program would be able to help older Hawaiians, referred to as "kupuna," with the rising costs of homeownership. RMD reached out to the offices of several sponsor lawmakers in the state but did not receive an immediate reply. "The legislature finds that many kupuna in Hawaii with limited retirement income who may have equity in their home are facing challenges in meeting increased costs related to homeownership; whether it's rising maintenance fees, community assessments, or insurance costs," the bill reads. "Establishing a state-administered [HECM] program, similar to the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) program for eligible retirees, could provide housing security and relief for some kupuna." The program would help "provide a pathway to affordable rental housing for kupuna who have exhausted their home equity. helping to prevent elder displacement and homelessness," the bill added, and would establish a kupuna HECM program under the purview of the state's HFDC. Similar to the HECM program sponsored by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), the proposed program would carry a minimum age requirement of 62 years and would add HECM insurance authority to the HFDC. Lenders offering the program would have to be approved by the state authority, while borrowers would need to meet the age requirement and separate counseling requirements. The bill also states that the borrower "shall not be liable for any difference between the net amount of the remaining indebtedness of the kupuna homeowner under the mortgage and the amount recovered by the mortgagee," language that is similar to the FHA-backed HECM program's nonrecourse feature. The bill also calls for the program to carry a variety of disbursement options, including a standby line of credit and various monthly payment options. And the bill has a provision that would allow for assistance for a borrower at the time that the equity in their home is 246 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022362 exhausted. At that point, HFDC would "coordinate with and assist the kupuna homeowner to relocate into an affordable rental housing unit under the corporation and commence the sale of the dwelling unit," the bill reads. After that point, the borrower will "not have any debt after sale of the dwelling," and rental rates in a new dwelling would be "similar to rent rates under tenant-based housing choice voucher program" administered by HUD. In an email alert to its membership, NRMLA said it will review the bill proposal with its outside general counsel and will weigh in once that review is complete. State-based reverse mortgage programs are exceedingly rare. One exception is a program in Montana, which sponsors a "Reverse Annuity Mortgage" (RAM) program with lower interest rates and proceeds, along with a higher minimum qualifying age that distinguishes it from the FHA-backed HECM program. But FHA-backed HECMs are only a small fraction of all U.S. mortgage originations, and the Montana program is so unknown that some area originators were not even aware of it when asked about it by RMD. This is primarily because applications are handled by the state's Board of Housing. But the state ramped up promotion of the program last summer in an effort to exhaust its budget allocation from the Montana legislature. "[The RAM program] had an available balance, which is rare because very few of our programs have available funding, and I certainly don't like to leave any resources on the table when we need to be deploying them to serve our citizens," Cheryl Cohen, division administrator for the housing division at the Montana Department of Commerce and executive director of the Montana Board of Housing, said in an interview with RMD in August 2024. But the Hawaii proposal is also larger in scope than the Montana program, which features a more limited eligibility threshold including a higher minimum age and a maximum loan amount of $150,000. Public and Indian Housing [MA] Public records show complaints of racial and disability discrimination at Chicopee Housing Authority (New England Public Media, MA) - full text New England Public Media [1/31/2025 2:11 PM, Carrie Healy, 38K, MA] AUDIO. The former executive director of the Chicopee Housing Authority, allegedly made discriminatory remarks primarily towards Puerto Ricans, Black people and people with disabilities. The Springfield Republican newspaper has detailed some of the allegations filed with the federal government over a period of years. Reporter Namu Sampath reported this story. Carrie Healey, NEPM: Let's go back 16 years. That's when the Chicopee Housing Authority's board of commissioners hired the woman at the center of your reporting, at the center of this controversy as the executive director. Tell me about her. Namu Sampath, The Republican: Yeah. So Monica Blazic. She was hired by the 247 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022363 Chicopee Housing Authority's ... board. There was a group of three members who hired her with apparently high recommendations from the outgoing Housing Authority executive director. And Blazic was hired with a starting salary of roughly $82,000. And [she] was hired to oversee housing authority policies and the passage of reasonable accommodation requests, which are requests to have fair treatment while living at the authority. Which is standard practice in any housing authority? Standard practice -- exactly. So, over a period of years, she led this department. And zooming forward a number of years, it comes to now, when you filed a Freedom of Information request to learn more about alleged bigoted statements the now-former executive director allegedly said while she led that department. What did you find in that FOIA? Yes. So, I filed this FOIA back in October following the federal court case that occurred between three residents of the Housing Authority and Blazic. They allege that she was discriminatory to them, and this was a court case that was ongoing since 2021 and kind of had its culmination in 2024, in October. There was a number of things that came out of the order, but one of them was that she would never be hired by the authority again. And so, when I filed the FOIA, I wanted to know who else had alleged comments, because it wouldn't have just been those three, was my guess. And I was right. I just got back the records last week, so this is all very new. But looking through the report, there were 26 complaints and several of them were disability discrimination-related. A lot of them alleged racism. And, I didn't include in my story, but there was one related to alleged claims of sexual misconduct -- not of Blazic, but she was apparently aware of the reports and allegedly did nothing about it. And there were others, you know, that were similarly. . . Horrifying, really. Yeah. So, while she was allegedly making these comments to her tenants, she continued to function as the executive director of the housing authority? Correct. And surprisingly -- or maybe unsurprisingly, depending on who you ask -- the [current] executive director [who] sits as the director of the housing authority, as well as the people on the board who hired her, all back [Blazic]. They don't believe the tenants, and they don't believe what has come out of these allegations. I reported on that a few months ago in November. All of the administrational side of these complaints believe Monica. They believe her. And they don't believe that she would have made any of these statements or done any of these things. So, when HUD gets these complaints en mass from one locality, do they have an obligation to investigate? What happens? Yes. So actually HUD has a responsibility to investigate all complaints that are filed 248 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022364 with them. They have 180 days to do so. And then they also have, within that time frame, to respond with a finding or determination that either allows a complainant to file a case with the federal court if they don't like the determination, or to settle between the two parties. Those are generally the two options that people choose. And so, what happened here? With this one, it's unclear, actually. We didn't have any of the findings from HUD. We don't know, actually. Now Blazic has no contact with that agency anymore. Correct? Correct. Yes. Do you get the feeling that the Chicopee Housing Authority tenants are continuing to feel discriminated against, or did it all kind of end last July when the executive director left? That's a great question. When I spoke with some of the residents, I went there in November to, you know, get a feel for the place and do a slice of life sort of story. I heard that even as a consultant for the housing authority, she was still basically the executive director, that she was in control of passing or denying reasonable accommodation requests, was still very much involved in the process. You know, she retired in July. She was then serving as a consultant for the housing authority for the following six months until her termination date, which was December 31. I haven't been back there since, but I'm hearing that it's maybe less so than it was in the last 16 years. [MA] In Vienna, most residents qualify for public housing. Can Boston combat soaring rents with the same model? (Boston Globe, MA) - full text Boston Globe [1/28/2025 3:00 AM, Miles Howard, 3238K, MA] In the winter of 2020, a few weeks before COVID-19 had most of us sheltering in our homes, I boarded a plane to Vienna to report a story about something that seemed too good to be true: an effective (and popular) public housing system. Over the past few decades, Boston and other major U.S. cities have struggled with astronomic real estate prices and budget-breaking rent hikes, both of which have created real hardship for those trying to live in these urban centers. Vienna has more or less avoided these housing crises. How? By offering a large proportion of the city's residents places to live that are largely run, managed, and financed by the state. I'm not talking about neglected, dilapidated public housing like the kind you encounter in many regions of America -- housing that too often concentrates poverty and violence. In Vienna, well-maintained public housing complexes are distributed across the city's neighborhoods and come with amenities like gyms, schools, and even shopping centers. Far from being places to avoid, these complexes housed more than 60 percent of the city's 1.8 million residents in 2022. The Viennese call such housing "social," to reflect its broad usage -- nearly 75 percent of the city's residents qualify for it. This means that a supermarket cashier and a software developer can be neighbors, with each paying less than 30 percent of their income in rent. In Boston, only households making 80 percent or less of the city's median income are eligible for Boston's scant 17 percent of subsidized 249 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022365 housing. Vienna-style housing in America: Dream or delusion? When I returned home and breathlessly told my friends and colleagues about Vienna's successful approach to public housing, I saw apprehension in their faces and got tepid responses. They seemed concerned, the way you might be for someone who'd clearly gone down a rabbit hole of delusion. On a couple of occasions, people expressed their skepticism. "Yeah, that all sounds really nice," they'd begin. "But dude, that's never gonna happen in America. Come on.". Recent history is on their side. Greater Boston rent prices shot even higher into the stratosphere during the second year of the pandemic. The idea of bringing Vienna-style social housing here just seemed increasingly fanciful. But around that time, I noticed something that gave me hope. More journalists than ever were going to Vienna to write about its excellent public housing system, and US policy makers were taking note, too. These Vienna stories heralded optimism. "Lessons From a Renters' Utopia," a headline in The New York Times offered. "How Vienna became the world's most livable city," the Guardian gushed. And as an explainer for Shelterforce, a nonprofit publication dedicated to reporting on affordable housing, Hawaii state Senator Stanley Chang and San Francisco assembly member Alex Lee published "How We Can Bring Vienna's Housing Model to the US.". Now, after years of affordable housing scarcity and a pessimistic outlook on what solutions are possible, it seems that more lawmakers are willing to think big about housing policy. In September, Mayor Michelle Wu announced that the city would commit $110 million to a Housing Accelerator Fund, a reserve for kickstarting new housing projects that have run into financing obstacles. The housing accelerator will make it possible for the city to start acting like a real estate investor and directly subsidize public and private housing developments with infusions of cash. The fund also presents an opportunity for Boston to finance modern, mixed-income public housing like the kind I saw in Vienna. One outspoken supporter of the idea is Boston City Councilor at Large Henry Santana, who spent his childhood in the Boston Housing Authority's Alice Taylor Apartments in Mission Hill. "Public housing gave my family a foundation with which to thrive," Santana said on Oct. 17 at a working group session at Boston City Hall where councilors discussed mixed-income social housing. "I'm passionate about this kind of housing because it can help break down racial and social divides which have shaped our neighborhoods," Santana added. But as I took my seat on the sidelines of the meeting room beneath a portrait of James Michael Curley -- whose last mayoral term coincided with the start of the "urban renewal" era that saw large numbers of public housing units razed in Boston -- the guests I was most interested in hearing from were officials from Maryland's Montgomery County. Thanks to them, we no longer have to talk about mixed-income social housing solely as a Viennese import. In Montgomery County, modern, dignified social housing for a wide spectrum of incomes is becoming part of a new normal. With its own fund, the Housing Opportunities Commission of Montgomery County (HOC) hired developers to build The Laureate, a 268-unit complex in Rockville with public transit access, a pool, and a gym. A quarter of the apartments are set aside for households making less than 50 percent of the area's median income -- about $76,450 or less for a family of four. 250 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022366 The building is fully owned by the city, setting it apart from most affordable housing projects, in which a fixed number of below-market apartments are baked into a building plan with the help of low-income housing tax credits. In Montgomery County, it's as if policymakers asked, "What if we got into the business of housing development ourselves?". The HOC works because it is a revolving fund, meaning the HOC lends developers housing accelerator money to fund the construction of a building, with substantially lower interest rates than they would get from private lenders. Once the building's units have been leased to tenants, the HOC refinances the project, takes a majority stake in the project to establish municipal ownership, and pays itself back for the initial loan. With the housing funds replenished and the HOC having collected interest from the developers, the HOC is better able to fund more mixed-income public housing. Montgomery County Council member Andrew Friedson says, "The Montgomery County housing fund started with $50 million and now it's $100 million. This is one of the most cost-effective ways to create housing.". With that formula for financing mixed-income social housing, more cities and states are warming to the idea. City officials in Atlanta and state officials in Rhode Island have announced plans to form their own public development bodies, and Boston's housing accelerator fund is a step in the same direction. On Nov. 19, Mayor Wu announced that the first local project to receive housing accelerator financing will be Bunker Hill Housing, the Boston Housing Authority housing complex in Charlestown. A public-private partnership between the BHA and Bunker Hill Redevelopment Company, the project will result in 15 new residential buildings with a total of 2,699 apartments. More than 1,000 of these apartments -- about the same number that made up the original complex at Bunker Hill -- will remain deeply affordable, meaning their occupants will spend no more than 30 percent of their income on housing regardless of their income. But apartments in the old complex were exclusively available to low-income renters, while the new buildings will have a mix of rents, including for market-rate units. Santana thinks this approach will yield dividends for the community. "In the United States, public housing has been traditionally viewed as this last resort for low-income families," Santana says. "The stigma of public housing is tied to disinvestment and neglect. When you drive across the city and you pass a public housing structure, you know it's public housing.". Does Santana see a substantive difference between the terms "public housing" and "social housing"? "I think that 'social housing' reflects the philosophy that housing really should be a collective responsibility," Santana says. "The term helps us reposition housing as a public good, rather than a commodity.". Although that may be a tough sales pitch, Santana believes people are becoming more open to bolder interventions. "What I'm hearing constituents asking for, in all Boston neighborhoods, are options that provide stability; not just temporary fixes," Santana says. Today, when you arrive at 55 Bunker Hill Street -- where the old BHA complex still exists, waiting to be knocked down, reimagined, and rebuilt -- you'll see a bunch of twoand three-story brick buildings that have clearly seen better days. They are weathered, their design dated and dour. The demarcation is clear: This is public housing, and that -- the freshly painted buildings across the street -- is private housing. But now, with the housing accelerator fund catalyzing an overdue renovation and expansion of the BHA 251 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022367 property, that line is about to blur. If Boston's housing accelerator makes more projects like the Bunker Hill redevelopment possible, we might have a tougher time spotting the difference. This story has been updated with the most recent Housing Accelerator Fund amount, $110 million. An incorrect reference to the number of affordable housing units razed by urban renewal in Boston was also removed. [NY] Can New York City Build Affordable Housing Again? (Jacobin) - full text Jacobin [2/1/2025 11:21 AM, Glyn Robbins, 1127K] Even by its own dizzying standards, New York City is in a state of flux. Ongoing political uncertainty, with Mayor Eric Adams's administration deep in crisis, is now compounded by the return of Donald Trump. Several horrific incidents on the subway confirm the general sense of a city in a state of fear and distress. Lying beneath these tensions is, invariably, housing -- the problem NYC is no closer to solving for most of its citizens, despite the unveiling of the "City of Yes" zoning initiative. I spent August to December living across the Hudson in Newark but made frequent trips into the city, researching for a book on the life of Abraham E. Kazan and NYC's laborunion-inspired cooperative housing. This included several visits to Chelsea, which I came to see as the neighborhood where NYC's possible housing futures -- one good, one bad -- intersect. The blocks between West 23rd Street to the south and the entrance to the Holland Tunnel to the north, bordered by Eighth Avenue and the Hudson River, present starkly different ways a city can house its people. They also represent the results of clear political choices, not simply market outcomes. At one extreme sits a model based on the private consumption of housing as a speculative commodity. At the other lies housing treated as a social need, removed from the vagaries of the market. As one real estate slogan puts it, the "real estate capital of the world" can be found among the steel and glass towers of Hudson Yards that dominate the Midtown Hudson riverfront. The funding and policy mechanisms used to bring about this massive urban transformation are familiar, but they also provide a warning about the unforeseen consequences for a "City of Yes." There, formerly publicly owned land has been parceled up and sold to private developers, together with the promise of rezoning to enable their profit-seeking plans to come to fruition. The phony promise of "mixed use" is then mobilized to sanitize a massive corporate land grab, creating sterile, monochrome urban landscapes, devoid of the vitality and diversity that make New York City special. Continuing a long-standing practice in NYC and beyond, Hudson Yards has come at enormous public expense -- about $2 billion, according to a 2018 New School estimate -- all to build a place where very few New Yorkers could ever afford to live. Farther down, between West 25th and 27th Streets, with Hudson Yards looming menacingly above them, are the Elliott-Chelsea Houses, two New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) developments, home to 2,400 working-class people in 1,000 apartments. NYCHA's problems are well-documented, although mainstream media accounts rarely focus on the intrinsic part played by public housing in the city's makeup and survival. Since 2019, Elliott-Chelsea has been at the forefront of NYCHA's misguided attempts to solve its public housing problem by demolishing and privatizing 252 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022368 public developments, particularly if they sit on high-value land. Here, NYCHA is following a failed formula attempted in many other places, particularly the UK. My hometown, London, has witnessed mass clearances of urban communities living in council housing (the rough equivalent of public housing). Like NYCHA tenants, UK council tenants have been told that in exchange for the transfer of their homes to a private company, they will receive the standard of housing to which they're entitled. The results have been disastrous and predictable -- higher rents, weaker legal protections, displacement, the loss of a publicly accountable landlord, and an increase in housing need and homelessness. However, just across Ninth Avenue from Elliott-Chelsea is a place that, like public housing, offers an alternative to the capricious private market. Penn South is home to approximately 5,000 people living in 2,820 apartments. It was built in 1962 as a limitedequity housing cooperative through the efforts of Kazan and the United Housing Foundation (UHF), an alliance of NYC labor unions. The UHF was responsible for building 30,000 similar homes across the city, intended for people with moderate incomes. The founding principle of Penn South and its counterparts was that they excluded the possibility of residents selling their homes for profit. Instead, they would receive security of tenure and a comprehensive repair and maintenance service at charges significantly below the market rate. In addition, they would live in an environment that deliberately nurtured a sense of community and solidarity. In the words of one Penn South resident I spoke to, it worked so well that the political establishment made sure it would never be allowed to happen again. But in 1987, the ideal of housing as a social -- not individual -- asset was tested at Penn South. As at other co-ops before it, residents were presented with an option to privatize their homes when tax abatement agreements expired. Several, like Kazan's developments in the Lower East Side, chose to cash in on apartments that could be sold for many times the amount paid for them. A heated debate raged at Penn South on whether it should also opt out of the mutual system. Leading the fight to preserve limitedequity status was longtime resident and union member Dave Smith. In the pre--social media age, Smith's daughter, Katya de Kadt, recalls that her father knocked on every door, urging his neighbors to choose community over greed. In the same year that Oliver Stone's Gordon Gekko declared that "greed is good" on the silver screen, Penn South residents decided it wasn't, in fact, and voted to continue as a non-profiteering co-op, a status it will now preserve until 2057. As de Kadt puts it, "It was a remarkable achievement. My dad persuaded his neighbors to look beyond their immediate economic interests and think about the future. Thousands of working-class families have benefited as a result, able to afford to live and work in a city many others can't afford.". Katya de Kadt and the other Penn South residents I've met all attest that the benefits of a genuinely affordable home go far beyond financial considerations. They all speak of how not having to constantly worry about rent hikes or the threat of eviction has allowed them to live richer, more complete and creative lives. As NYC stares into seemingly endless housing misery, it is critical to remember that it doesn't have to be this way. Public housing and union-backed co-ops weren't perfect, but they have enduring qualities. First, they were built to a scale proportionate to the size 253 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022369 of the housing problem. The relatively small number of scattered homes envisaged by the "City of Yes." even if they materialize, will only scratch the surface of NYC's housing needs, particularly if more isn't done to insist on private developers producing homes for people on low or moderate incomes. Secondly, the UHF built quickly and built well. There were delays, but nothing like the glacial pace of the dysfunctional twenty-first-century construction industry. At Kazan's first co-op, the Amalgamated Housing Cooperative in the Bronx, 303 high-quality homes were completed and occupied in a year. But the third critical element in the success of Kazan and the UHF was building political consensus for an alternative to the private housing market, backed with public funding. Three different sitting US presidents publicly praised their work, with John F. Kennedy giving the complex's inaugural speech at Penn South. This reflected high-level buy-in when labor unions were insisting on better conditions for their members, at work and at home. Much has changed since the slow demise of the UHF in the mid-1990s, but the underlying forces that drove its success have not. If we are to see a future that looks more like Penn South than Hudson Yards, the whole labor movement will need to demand and fight for it. [NY] Teen, 16, Shot At NYCHA Housing Complex In Brooklyn: Police (New York Patch, NY) - full text New York Patch [1/31/2025 3:42 PM, David Luces, 9746K, NY] A 16-year-old boy was shot at a NYCHA housing complex in Brooklyn on Thursday, police said. The incident happened at the NYCHA Albany Houses in Crown Heights around 4:50 p.m. The victim suffered a gunshot wound to the leg, police said. He was transported to Kings County Hospital in stable condition and is expected to survive. The gunmen fled the scene on foot. A description of the suspect was not readily available. [NJ] Van Drew Obtains Funding That Will Save Lives in Atlantic City, NJ (WPUR Cat Country 107.3, NJ) - full text WPUR Cat Country 107.3 [2/1/2025 9:36 AM, Harry Hurley, 67K, NJ] It is not an exaggeration to say that this federal funding that has been obtained by United States Congressman Jeff Van Drew will save lives in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Van Drew, R-NJ-2, has assigned a tremendous amount of time to directly assist Atlantic City residents in a variety of areas, including: Helping Atlantic City public housing who have lived without heat, hot water and proper cooking facilities for more than 3 years. It should be noted that this is a community that overwhelmingly votes against Van Drew regularly. Van Drew has promised that the new United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development will be visiting Atlantic City to resolve these blatant deficiencies once and for all. Now, Van Drew has achieved funding for new lighting in Atlantic City. Light is one of the greatest disinfectants to help prevent crime. The funding is part of a jobs program for Atlantic City that Van Drew has achieved. "Additionally, a grant I secured for the Atlantic City Police Department is funding new street lighting and camera systems to improve safety across the city. Some of the 254 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022370 EnVision Center graduates will even have the chance to apply their skills by helping with these public safety upgrades. When we invest in our local communities, we are giving people the tools they need to build better lives for themselves and their families. That is why it why it is so important to focus on both the immediate needs and the long-term goals of the people we serve. By funding job training programs, improving public safety, and helping local organizations grow, we are setting the foundation for a stronger, more resilient South Jersey," said Van Drew. [PA] PHOTO GALLERY I JHA employment, training program celebrates new graduates (Tribune-Democrat, PA) - full text Tribune-Democrat [1/31/2025 7:30 PM, Russ O'Reilly, 164K, PA] The Johnstown Housing Authority's Employment and Training Program celebrated eight graduates of the program's second cohort who entered a new phase of life Friday. The ceremony at Pennsylvania Highlands Community College in Richland Township marked a new beginning for the graduates, who are set to seek further education or employment in the Johnstown area, said JHA Executive Director Mike Alberts. For the past four months, those enrolled in the program completed courses provided by a partnership among Penn Highlands, Johnstown Area Regional Industries and PA CareerLink. The program included courses provided at Johnstown public housing community rooms to eliminate participants' transportation barriers. The curriculum included conflict management, job search and interview skills, Microsoft Word and Excel, and life skills management, as well as field trips for a robotics bootcamp and tours of technology-based manufacturing companies including Kitron and Compass Systems. The ceremony Friday celebrated the eight graduates of the program while acknowledging dozens more who enrolled, but opted out after finding employment or other further education opportunities along the way. JARI Director of Workforce Development Dave Grimaldi said members of the program's second cohort have progressed to further education at Penn Highlands or other area schools for certification in fields including HVAC, emergency medicine and cybersecurity. The program is provided at no charge to participants and graduated its first cohort in June. After Friday's graduation, two more cohorts are scheduled, Grimaldi said. The program was initiated by former JARI Workforce Development Director Debra Balog and PA CareerLink Cambria County site administrator Jeff Dick. "This was one of the best ideas we've had for finding quality employees for employers in the area," Balog said. "We came up with the idea of working with our public housing units because many people had transportation and child care barriers that kept them from accessing resources outside of Johnstown's public housing." U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Pittsburgh Field Office Director Michael Horvath said the program has helped people "lift themselves up and get them connected." He congratulated the graduates and the collaborators who made the program possible. 255 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022371 The program has earned HUD recognition as a best practice, a recognition given to one authority annually for especially bettering the lives of its residents, Alberts said. The graduates received certificates and a standing ovation from family and friends in attendance, as well as Cambria County Commissioner Thomas Chernisky, Cambria Regional Chamber of Commerce President Amy Bradley and representatives from U.S. Sen. John Fetterman's office. Fetterman, D-Pa., and former U.S. Sen. Bob Casey were instrumental in championing the program, JARI President Linda Thomson said. [LA] Owners of Himbola Manor Apartments had until Friday evening to make repairs (KADN.com, Lafayette, LA) - full text KADN.com [1/31/2025 7:02 PM, Staff, 63K, LA] VIDEO. The deadline set by an administrative law judge for owners of the embattled Himbola Manor Apartments to complete mandated repairs to the public housing complex was Friday, January 31. You'll recall that last year, Lafayette Consolidated Government inspectors found more than 100 code violations after residents complained of poor living conditions. Himbola's owners have previously been fined and they could face even more penalties if the repairs weren't completed by day's end. [OH] Medina officials, Medina Metropolitan Housing Authority discuss lease for current municipal court building (Medina Gazette, OH) - full text Medina Gazette [1/31/2025 1:00 AM, Sara Crawford, 33K, OH] As work begins at the 1969 Courthouse to house the Medina Municipal Court, city officials are working on a lease agreement with the Medina Metropolitan Housing Authority for the current municipal courthouse. During Monday's Medina Finance Committee meeting, City Council President John Coyne brought the proposed lease forward for discussion with the other Council members. The request for Council action states the proposed lease would permit Medina Metropolitan Housing Authority to renovate and use the Medina Municipal Court, 135 N. Elmwood Ave., for its operations. The housing authority would take over the building after the Medina Municipal Court moves to the 1969 Courthouse on Medina's square, which is being renovated for its use. Coyne said the lease agreement is set up as a net lease, which means all obligations associated with the public utility services and maintenance will be covered by the housing authority, rather than the city. "We are not charging rent to MMHA because of that," Coyne said. "So, they're going to take care of the building." The proposed lease states that the housing authority will get the building for $1 for the entire term. While the housing authority will take over the responsibilities for the building, the city will remain responsible for the building's parking lot. "That would still remain a public parking area and the city would be responsible to plow the parking area, salt the parking area, and fix the parking area if it ever needed to be repaired," Coyne said. "That would be on the city's responsibility, since it would be used for city purposes." Medina Mayor Dennis Hanwell also noted that the city's utility drop-off box is in the 256 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022372 Medina Municipal Court's parking lot, stating it could be confusing for residents if relocated. Housing authority Executive Director Skip Sipos attended Monday's meeting to answer questions from the Council members and to describe the organization's perspective on the lease. Sipos talked about several aspects of the building, including the building's valuation to get proper insurance, along with the building's condition and the potential costs associated with that. If the lease is agreed upon, Sipos said that most of the housing authority's 38 employees would be housed there. The housing authority serves approximately 1,300 households a month through a variety of properties and programs, he said. During Monday's meeting, Coyne said the next step would be to modify the lease one last time to make sure all the necessary terms are included, allow everyone to review the document and then move through the approval process. "There's always been discussion of what is the best use for that building," Coyne said. "It's been back and forth, but, I mean, the service you provide and the area that you provide it makes sense. It's in a good location, easy to get to." [IL] Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) Update on Patrick Sullivan Apartments (Chicago Crusader, IL) Chicago Crusader [1/31/2025 10:22 AM, Staff, 26K, IL] CHA staff and contractors have repaired the fire prevention system and installed a temporary boiler to provide hot water at Patrick Sullivan Apartments. A new permanent unit will be installed within the next two weeks. City of Chicago building inspectors cleared the building for occupancy this morning and all residents returned to their homes this afternoon. "I want to thank all the CHA staff, particularly those in our Property and Resident Services Departments, as well as our Private Property Management partners at WinnResidential, and our Resident Services Coordinators from Metropolitan Family Services, for navigating this unexpected challenge over these past few days. It was truly a team effort and a testament to the good work of Team CHA," said CHA Interim Chief Executive Officer Angela Hurlock. "Most of all, we are extremely grateful to all the Patrick Sullivan residents for their patience, flexibility and overall positivity during a trying time." [IL] O'Fallon teen faces murder charge in fatal shooting of woman, Illinois State Police say (Belleville News Democrat, IL) Belleville News Democrat [2/1/2025 5:29 PM, Staff, 232K, IL] An O'Fallon teenager faces a first-degree murder charge in connection with the fatal shooting of a woman last month at a public housing complex in East St. Louis. Ricky T. Clayton, 18, was charged with the murder offense on Friday, according to St. Clair County court records. Markela Howliet, 21, of East St. Louis was fatally shot on Dec. 22 in a parking lot at the Samuel Gompers Homes in the 400 block of North Sixth Street in East St. Louis, Illinois State Police said in a news release Saturday. "Clayton was in custody during the 257 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022373 issuance of charges," according to the news release. "No further information is available.". A defense attorney is not listed in court records for Clayton. The Illinois State Police Division of Criminal Investigation Public Safety Enforcement Group arrested Clayton. Court records indicate Clayton was arrested on Wednesday. The East St. Louis Police Department assisted Illinois State Police in the investigation. The St. Clair County State's Attorney's Office has filed a petition seeking to deny Clayton's pretrial release but a detention hearing has not yet been scheduled. [TX] What the Demolition of an Oak Cliff Tower Says About Dallas' Homelessness Fight (Dallas Observer, TX) - full text Dallas Observer [1/31/2025 4:01 AM, Emma Ruby, 612K, TX] The Dallas Housing Authority has nearly finished the process of moving hundreds of formerly homeless residents out of the Cliff Manor apartments and into new homes. When the building is demolished later this year, it will be the end of a 15-year saga that epitomizes Dallas' slow-fought battle to home the unhoused. Cliff Manor was erected in the 1970s on Fort Worth Avenue in North Oak Cliff. A hulking, sand-brown brick building, the city-owned complex housed seniors and residents with disabilities until 2010, when the Dallas Housing Authority put forward an experiment -- at least, it was experimental for Dallas: Units in the building would be designated as homes for the chronically homeless. The idea almost instantly resulted in neighborhood opposition -- at the time, a resident of the adjacent Stevens Park Village told WFAA that it wasn't "fair" of the city to make her neighborhood the "guinea pig" in this housing test run. Later on, legal threats and compromises left both sides grumbling. The entire development drama was recorded at length by the Observer staff members of the era. What becomes most clear when reading these recounts of the uproar is the fact that 15 years later, Dallas has made very little progress in navigating the emotional, unsexy, tedious politics of solving homelessness. While the Dallas Housing Authority did not respond to an interview request to discuss Cliff Manor's legacy, a DHA spokesperson said plans for the property's future following the complex's demolition have not yet been decided. According to officials, security surrounding the Cliff Manor will be ramped up in the coming months to prevent squatting or encampments ahead of the demolition. "We're very happy that the building has lived its life," Trudy Newton, president of the Stevens Park Village neighborhood association, told the Observer. "It's really an eyesore.". Newton said the neighborhood's relationship with the building improved in recent years when they were able to get in contact with a representative of the Dallas Housing Authority, who listened to their concerns and addressed any nuisances that arose. Still, she'd found herself concerned about the conditions within the building; she's heard rumors of unreliable plumbing throughout the complex, for example. NBC 5 painted a more destitute picture in a 2017 report that found the building plagued 258 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022374 by mold, mildew, bedbugs and faulty elevators. "It's messing with my health, my security, my peace," resident Sonja Blue told the outlet. "There's addicts, alcoholics, prostitution. It's too much.". Another resident told NBC reporters that she'd "heard the same spiel" from the DHA about fixing the building during her two-and-a-half years living there. Living on a fixed income, she asked, "What choice do you have?" when it comes to finding a place to live. City Council Member Chad West, whose district includes Cliff Manor, said the complex became a "campaign issue" from the moment he decided to run for Dallas City Council. Concerns about crime were consistently voiced by neighbors. "I think [Cliff Manor] sometimes fairly, sometimes unfairly received the blame for crime that happened along Fort Worth Avenue just because there was a perception of a lot of loitering happening over there," West said. "It just was always something that neighbors wanted to see be a little more thoughtfully cared for.". When DHA opened Cliff Manor to the homeless in 2010, neighbors said they felt blindsided by the city. That feeling was triggered again in 2020 when the City Council approved the $3.5 million purchase of the Hotel Miramar -- which sits just one mile down from Cliff Manor on Fort Worth Avenue -- for another permanent supportive housing project. West says purchasing the Miramar, which the city now refers to as the 1650 Fort Worth Avenue project, was complicated because of the restrictions on federal pandemic dollars that had to be spent. Everyone was figuring out virtual communication, too, which made public outreach in a short timeframe tricky. For neighbors, though, it felt like Cliff Manor was happening all over again. (The Miramar and Cliff Manor projects do have several key differences, the main one being that the Miramar property is not managed by the Dallas Housing Authority.). "Instead of evolving slowly and letting people kind of talk about [the Miramar] for a few months and really understand it, we had to jump in headfirst as a neighborhood. And it was very, very difficult," West said. "The baggage from the Cliff Tower carried over into the Miramar discussions, it kept coming up in public meetings.". Because the Cliff Manor project was well before West's time in politics, he said he wasn't sure what the public outreach regarding the facility looked like. We searched the archives, and reading about the Cliff Manor meetings sounds nearly identical to what went down during the neighborhood talks about the Miramar -- which, four years later, is still vacant. At meetings a decade apart, concerns about property values and crime, and a deepseated distrust in the city's homelessness response, ultimately boil down to the fact that people are uncomfortable with the idea of living next to the homeless. They were in 2010, and they still are now. Success Stories Exist, Dallas Should Replicate Them. Dallas still hasn't completely figured out how to approach the type of emotions these projects elicit in residents. 259 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022375 In 2022, Dallas bought an old hospital building in District 3 to develop into a permanent supportive housing and services complex. It's the same old song and dance: neighbors felt blindsided by the purchase, proximity to a nearby Dallas ISD elementary school is concerning to those who worry the site will become a "drunk tank" for more unruly individuals, and the council doesn't seem to have a concrete plan on why this facility will work. Like the Miramar, the hospital still sits empty. Unlike the Miramar, which is finally on track to open after management fall-throughs and asbestos remediations, the hospital's future doesn't seem set. The City Council has kicked around the idea of selling the facility, although they aren't sure they'll be able to recoup the money they spent. In last week's Housing and Homelessness Solutions Committee meeting, Council Member Paul Ridley asked what city staff's plan is for the building, now that two years have passed. Committee Chair Jesse Moreno responded that the city is waiting to hear how the committee wants to move forward with the facility, something that doesn't have a "hundred percent consensus.". In the meantime, the city is spending $35,000 a year on security for the complex that could offer hundreds of much-needed beds to Dallas' homelessness mitigation efforts. Dallas has gotten better about finding the "success stories," though, West said. The Dallas Housing Authority runs another Oak Cliff facility down in Ruthmeade Place, just south of the Bishop Arts District. The facility required a zoning change to build, and, having cut his teeth on the Miramar opposition, West was ready to take a different approach to integrating the formerly homeless into a neighborhood. Using the zoning case as leverage, the neighborhood was able to sit down with the DHA ahead of its opening in 2023 to negotiate design and logistical preferences. They also insisted the neighborhood association have a point of contact for the facility to help build an ongoing working relationship. So far, West said the only complaint he's received about the facility was an isolated gripe about parking, which was resolved. To his knowledge, a majority of the former Cliff Manor residents were moved into the Ruthmeade Place facility. In District 12, Council Member Cara Mendelsohn earned similar applause in 2020 when the council approved $6 million to purchase a 50-unit Candlewood Suites, which has since become a family shelter. Mendelsohn held a number of community meetings about the potential shelter ahead of the purchase to discern community needs and preferences, outreach that neighbors told the Dallas Morning News resulted in a positive project. All that to circle back to Cliff Manor, which will soon be a large patch of city-owned grass. For Newton, she wouldn't mind seeing the land stay a green space for a while. But if the Dallas Housing Authority does decide to take a second swing at the land, she hopes the neighborhood is included in the process. She's down to get "creative," she says. West offered a similar sentiment when imagining what future could be found in Cliff Manor's shadow. "I'd like [to see] a concept that could benefit existing neighbors, but also welcome in new neighbors. Something that's a little bit more gentle on the density side than a tower, possibly incorporating some type of retail and some open space," 260 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022376 West said. "Something very thoughtful. Like, let's get the neighborhood engaged and master plan the hell out of it.". [UT] Summit County Council workshops housing authority setup (Park Record, UT) - full text Park Record [1/31/2025 2:46 PM, Eva Herinkova, 55K, UT] The Summit County Council workshopped bylaws for the newly established housing authority on Wednesday, including the number of commissioners that will oversee the project, how the housing authority will report to the County Council and whether commissioners should have term limits. The County Council in December created the housing authority following a year of discussion, including a brief exploration of a joint housing authority with Park City Municipal. Summit County decided to pursue its own housing authority after efforts with Park City stalled in the summer of 2023. Economic Development and Housing Director Jeff Jones spearheaded the housing authority's development. He described it as a method of planning, financing. constructing, repairing and managing housing projects or programs "to provide dwelling accommodations at rental prices or purchase prices within the means of families of medium and low income." The housing authority also aims to provide affordable housing projects or programs for employees working within Summit County. Jones presented a draft of bylaws to the County Council, including two different proposals regarding the number of sitting commissioners who would oversee the housing authority. The first proposal suggested a five-person commission of one elected county councilor and one community member residing in deed-restricted affordable housing. The other three members would be residents within the jurisdictional boundaries of the county's three school districts one for Park City School District, one for North Summit and one for South Summit. The second proposal was for a seven-person commission. The seven-person commission would include the same five positions as the first proposal with the recommendation that the two remaining members come from either the "small business community" or "development community." In addition to the commission, the County Courthouse is working to hire an executive director for the housing authority who would "act as chief operating officer" and "manage the ongoing operations of the authority, subject to the supervision of the commission," according to the draft of the bylaws. The position would report directly to Jones. "This is an independent body with its independent group of commissioners that are appointed by this body (the council)," Jones explained. "Remember, when we first created the authority, it was to grow it organically, so to start off really, really small, and grow this in an organic fashion with a limited budget." When the County Council voted to establish the housing authority late last year, 261 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022377 councilors agreed on a $250,000 budget with $81,500 earmarked for start-up costs. The rest of the funds are unallocated, and Jones said he hopes whoever the appointed commissioners are will reallocate those funds as they go through a strategic planning process. "The other part of this that I see as the next step would be to create an interlocal agreement between the authority and the county for support services," Jones said. "That would also call out the budget, how that's going to be managed by the acting executive director and commission and how that will interface with the County Council." Part of the interlocal agreement could include a requirement for the housing authority to report to the County Council every few months. Jones suggested it would be an efficient method of keeping officials updated on the housing authority's work and allow the county councilors to provide more oversight and feedback after County Councilor Chris Robinson expressed concerns about the council's lack of involvement. "The challenge we were facing is when you put politicians in charge of housing, it fundamentally hampers the process," rebutted County Council Vice Chair Canice Harte, who previously sat on the committee exploring the creation of a housing authority. "I can think of a recent RFP (request for proposals), not from the county but from a municipality ... they had respondents to the RFP that exceeded their expectations, but they had new councilors that said 'no' to it where a prior council would have said 'yes' to it. It's not to say that one council's right or wrong. The pure difference was an election. I think that's one of the things we have to contemplate as we think about how much role and where we plug ourselves in." Jones clarified the County Council would have financial oversight of the housing authority through the budgeting process, just like other offices or organizations receiving funding from the county. "If the council wants to augment [the bylaws] or put one more person from the council on the housing authority, that's certainly acceptable, too," he added. "From my perspective, I was just trying to set it up to where we had a good geographic distribution of participants." County Council Chair Tonja Hanson pointed out the bylaws don't include term limits for housing authority commissioners. She compared the authority to the county's two planning commissions, which only allow someone to serve three terms. "I don't know why we would do something different on this than [what] we're already doing," Hanson said. "Is there a reason? Do you need more consistency on a board like this? I don't know." Jones said there was no specific reason that the bylaws didn't include term limits. "We can certainly add that limitation," he said. Robinson agreed with Hanson regarding term limits. He also said he was concerned about the housing authority commission being able to amend its own bylaws. "Until this gets more established and mature, I would think we would want to retain the ability to amend the bylaws," Robinson explained. "If we want to just get started, let's still keep a little tension on the reins by the council." The county councilors agreed on having a seven-member commission with the hope of including as many perspectives on affordable housing as possible. As the housing 262 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022378 authority works to establish itself, however, Robinson and Hanson suggested having two county councilors instead of one. Jones plans to take the council's additional feedback, including term limits and two councilors on the commission, and to draft a resolution for the County Council to adopt in the next few months. Officials did not take any action on the bylaws during the Wednesday meeting. Community Planning and Development [NY] Rochester lead rental registry protected scores of kids. Can same be done elsewhere in NY? (Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, NY) - full text Rochester Democrat and Chronicle [1/31/2025 3:00 AM, David Robinson, 1783K, NY] NY ranks high nationally on key risk factors associated with lead poisoning including many young children living in poverty, a large immigrant population, and an older, deteriorated housing stock. A new state lead rental registry aims to curb lead paint risks in pre-1980 homes. Rochester's nation-leading lead rental registry program has protected scores of kids from suffering life-altering health problems caused by lead poisoning. In fact, the number of children found with the most dangerously high blood lead levels plummeted about 70% in the first decade after Rochester enacted its registry law in 2005, declining from 604 to 181, state data show. Now, New York aims to recreate that public health success story with a state lead rental registry, which will require landlords to remove sources of lead exposure in pre-1980 rental units in 25 communities of concern from Buffalo to Yonkers. How much will NY lead rental registry cost? The state registry requirements take effect in November, and health officials are currently finalizing the regulations, which will expand upon existing state and federal measures that require lead hazard controls after an exposure is uncovered. But some advocates raised concerns the registry effort lacks sufficient funding, calling on Gov. Kathy Hochul and lawmakers to boost it during this year's state budget debates in Albany. "The cost to the state of exposure to lead far exceeds any amount that we would spend," said Eve Gartner, a lead policy expert with Earthjustice. Put differently, the registry's potential for curbing lead poisoning reduces the need for New York to fund the medical care, special education and other support services that victims require over a lifetime. "It's a big opportunity, and it's important to get it right from the outset," Gartner said. When pushing for the registry, state health officials in 2023 noted each dollar invested in lead paint hazard control results in a return of at least $17, or a net savings of $181 billion, citing research published in Environmental Health Perspectives. As part of the new registry push, a total of $16 million in state taxpayer-supported funding has already been awarded to help local health departments in the communities, including Rochester, with outreach, inspections, enforcement and other program costs. A total of $40 million in other state funding has also been approved to be spent this fiscal year and next to support lead hazard remediation, including grants to help eligible property owners comply with the rental registry program, health officials said. 263 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022379 But the cost to property owners for lead hazard inspections and remediation efforts could surpass $116 million annually during the program's initial three-year push, state records show, with health officials anticipating 15% failure rates for rental units. Under the program, rental properties built before 1980 with two or more units must be inspected and documented as free of lead-based paint hazards before they can be issued a lead safety certification. The properties must be certified lead safe every three years. The registry will require registration, lead hazard inspections, prompt remediation or abatement where necessary, certification, and tracking of property owner compliance, health officials said. State officials anticipated more than 270,000 rental units will be covered by the program. The stakes are crystal clear as New York ranks high nationally on key risk factors associated with lead poisoning, including many young children living in poverty, a large immigrant population, and an older, deteriorated housing stock, according to the National Center for Healthy Housing. Lead exposure remains a problem in Rochester, Monroe County. In November, a group of environmental health advocates sent proposals for improving the state lead rental registry to health officials. The letter called for sufficiently funding the program and implementing stronger requirements, such as more frequent inspections and stricter rules for addressing lead hazards. "While the Rochester ordinance was a major advance when it was adopted nearly two decades ago, exposure to lead-based paint remains a serious concern in parts of Rochester, underscoring that this ordinance may not be the best model," the letter noted. But Rochester has continued to improve on its 2005 law, including updates last year that expanded inspections to test porches, which were an overlooked lead hazard, said Katrina Korfmacher, a University of Rochester Medical Center environmental medicine professor. The city in June also matched its lead program to stricter federal standards. Still, 2023 lead poisoning data for Monroe County showed an increase from the prior year, underscoring "the ongoing need for awareness and action to prevent childhood lead poisoning," Monroe officials said in October. A total of 12,788 children in Monroe County were tested for lead poisoning in 2023, up from 12,108 in 2022. Of those tested, 241 were found to have elevated blood lead levels of 5 micrograms per deciliter or higher, an increase from 141 cases in 2022. Further, about 82% of the cases in 2023 came from ZIP codes within the city of Rochester, largely due to the city's concentration of older homes, officials said. The increased state funding and support for the state lead registry program, Korfmacher said, should enhance Rochester's existing efforts, while making "a really big impact in communities that don't have an existing" registry. The state lead rental registry communities of concern include: Albany, Amsterdam, Auburn, Binghamton, Buffalo, Cheektowaga, Elmira, Gloversville, Jamestown, Kingston, Middletown, Mount Vernon, New Rochelle, Newburgh, Niagara Falls, Poughkeepsie, Rochester, Rome, Schenectady, Spring Valley, Syracuse, Troy, Utica, Watertown and Yonkers. Health officials defined them as high-risk communities because they have both the highest number of homes built before 1980 and highest prevalence of children with cases of elevated blood lead levels. But advocates have urged state officials to consider expanding the registry regulations to additional communities beyond the initial 25, noting lead hazards threaten older rental units across the state. 264 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022380 Gabrielle Hill, who helped start the Newburgh Clean Water Project after testing revealed her daughter had nearly fatal levels of lead in her system in 1999, described the state lead rental registry as an overdue step towards protecting more New Yorkers. "Lead isn't something that's new and many families have been affected," Hill said, noting her prior advocacy had been focused on promoting programs that replace lead service water lines running into people's homes. While Hill initially linked her lead-poisoning nightmare to lead water pipes, she suggested lead in her home's paint or nearby soil may have just as easily been the cause. "Until lead is eradicated, we got to keep talking about it and making these strides to eliminate it out of our lives and homes," she said. [OH] Editorial: Set lead plan and follow (Toledoblade.com, OH) - full text Toledoblade.com [2/2/2025 12:00 AM, Editorial Board, 404K, OH] A long-running lawsuit aimed at blocking the city's attempt to enforce its lead inspection ordinance has finally run its course with a decision by the Ohio Supreme Court not to hear an appeal in the case. The city is like the dog that finally catches the car. What now? As reported by The Blade's Alice Momany on Wednesday, the state's high court rejected the appeal from a Toledo landlord, Charmarlyn Strong. She maintained that the city does not have the authority to contract with the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department to oversee a comprehensive lead inspection and certification program. The Lucas County Common Pleas judge who heard the case, Gary Cook, did not agree, finding in 2023 that state law plainly envisioned a municipality having the ability to contract with the local health department. The state court of appeals upheld Judge Cook's ruling, and the Supreme Court has now declined to review it any further. We have past opined that Ms. Strong's claim, articulated by her attorney, Andrew Mayle, was an overly technical and illogical interpretation of a pretty straightforward statute allowing the city to contract with the health department to accomplish a health-related purpose. Though the basis of the appeal was that Toledo's law was overreach by the city council and mayor -- a classic conservative position -- it is interesting to note that the six Republican Supreme Court members agreed to allow the lead paint inspection law to go forward while the only Democrat on the court, Jennifer Bruner, dissented. Possibly Justice Brunner recognizes that the burden of complying with this law is going to fall heavily on lower-income renters. The law requires owners of residential rentals with four or fewer dwellings built before 1978 to have their properties inspected for lead paint and to obtain lead-safe certificates from the health department. Inspectors will examine the properties' interiors and exteriors and test painted surfaces and soil to ensure that lead levels do not exceed U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standards. Fines could reach $10,000 a year. Landlords found violating the law would be charged with a first-degree misdemeanor. If it is enforced, the law will force many landlords to make costly improvements to remove or seal in lead so it is not detected by the health department's white gloved inspectors. The costs will be passed along as higher rents. The alternative is to expel the tenants and leave the building empty. Lead when eaten or 265 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022381 breathed in as dust or paint chips is permanently injurious to children, and some Toledo children have been shown to have elevated levels of lead in their bodies. Enforcement of the law in the long run will mean safer dwellings and healthier children. The city has estimated that about 23,400 rental units fit the law's requirements. That's far more than can be easily inspected in the short term. The city must make a realistic plan to target the areas with the highest concentrations of lead levels in children, publish its expectations, and then stick to the plan. [MT] How would a redo of Trump's federal funding freeze impact Billings residents? (Billings Gazette, MT) - full text Billings Gazette [1/31/2025 4:40 PM, Christina Macintosh, 166K, MT] An order issued by the Trump administration on Monday to halt federal grant programs panicked local nonprofit leaders and city officials. Though the administration has since taken back the order, the ordeal serves as a reminder of the local services bankrolled by the federal government and what potential cuts in the future could mean to Billings residents. Several local groups that provide critical services for low-income people were shut out of their payment systems while the order was in effect, including HomeFront, RiverStone Health and the Human Resources Development Council. "I've been here for over 34 years and we've never seen anything like this." HomeFront CEO Patti Webster said. "If you look at the list of agencies tagged to be reviewed and programs tagged, that should scare the American public -- it's a lot.". HomeFront houses 2,000 Billings families with its $8.6 million annual budget coming almost entirely from the Department of Housing and Urban Development. RiverStone provides health care to 15,000 people in the region and receives 20% of its revenue from the federal government. Under the executive order, the Office of Management and Budget was to freeze all federal payments until it could ensure that recipients are aligned with recent executive orders related to "foreign aid, nongovernmental organizations, DEI, woke gender ideology, and the green new deal," per the administration's memo. "Federal funding hits to us aren't targeting any of these political agenda items that were listed in the OMB memo," RiverStone CEO Jon Forte said. "They're targeting our neighbors and everyday Montanans who rely on us for the work that we do to improve life, health and safety in Yellowstone County.". Webster said that listed programs serve veterans, children, families, the elderly and disabled people. "It was those who are vulnerable, not those who aren't," she said. The memo threw city officials for a loop as well, as the city relies on federal funding for the airport, transportation, resources for survivors of domestic violence and even some recreation projects, like the $4.7 million grant to build the Stagecoach Trail. City Administrator Chris Kukulski said that federal funding is "critically important" to the airport, which is vital to the local economy. Almost all of the recent $60 million airport renovation came from the Federal Aviation Administration, according to Jeff Roach, director of transit and aviation for the city. "Anything that disrupts that would be a great concern to us," Kukulski said. Webster and Denise Jordan, CEO of HRDC, said that their programs are also vital to the local economy. HomeFront pays $500,000 per month to private landlords in the community for rental assistance. HRDC helps pay for childcare for those who can't afford 266 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022382 it, keeping parents in the workforce. "If people are unable to attain the assistance they need for childcare, they're not able to go to work," Jordan said. Affordable childcare is difficult to find in Billings and across the state. It has been declared a bipartisan priority for the legislative session. Webster, Jordan and Forte were shocked when greeted with the "not available today" message when they tried to login to their payment portals on Tuesday. And clients were shaken when they heard about the memo, said Jordan, who received many phone calls about it. "Individuals were wondering if their services would be able to be continued," she said. "Most of them are experiencing a crisis or have a financial gap, so the uncertainty is terrifying for them.". HomeFront, the airport and RiverStone all have enough financial reserves that they could have weathered the storm as they waited for their federal funding to become available again. But Forte said it would have eroded all the progress RiverStone had made since clawing its way out of the financial disaster that was Medicaid redetermination. The organization has gone from having 18 to 45 days of cash on hand since its layoffs last May. "That's really been our goal over the last year, to get ourselves in a better financial position so that we can be a stronger organization and take care of more people in the community," Forte said. He said that he appreciates the need for a new presidential administration to review government spending, but that RiverStone is already scrutinized annually through federal audits. "We have been in operation for 50 years...and all of those years we have successfully passed those federal compliance audits," he said. "We have been tremendous stewards of the public's trust and the public's money so that we can provide health care services and public health services to those who need it.". [CA] Altadena's Black population was shrinking even before the L.A. fires (Los Angeles Times) Los Angeles Times [2/1/2025 9:30 AM, Staff, 17996K] Altadena's Black population has dropped to 18%, down from 43% in 1980. Experts attribute this to gentrification. The median home value in Altadena from 2019 to 2023 was more than $1 million and roughly a third higher than homes elsewhere in the county, according to the UCLA study. The rising cost resulted in a decline in new Black homeownership in the community even before the fire. And now, the study cautions, the younger Black community -- already struggling to purchase a home there -- will likely face more hurdles. As Hendrena Martin dug through the ruins of the home her father had built more than 60 years ago, she wondered if she could afford to rebuild. "How can a whole city just go up in flames in one night, and you lose everything that you struggled to hold on to?" she told my colleague Colleen Shalby. Martin's insurance premium under the California FAIR Plan more than doubled last year to nearly $1,700. But even with that payment, she learned after the fire that her property was underinsured. 267 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022383 The Eaton fire also leveled the family home of Nailah Tatum. Her grandfather Olsen J. Rogers purchased it in 1963. Birthday presents for Tatum were among the items lost within the rubble of their fire-ravaged home. But those could be replaced. As Brittny reported, what hurt most was losing the memoirs that belonged to Tatum's grandparents; the photos she was restoring for her relatives and the toys and baby shoes that belonged to her older brother who died of cancer. "You just can't get those things back," Tatum told Brittny. "Altadena Is Not For Sale" signs have popped up throughout neighborhoods as fears grow over who might try to buy the land if residents can't afford to stay. Some have found business cards from real estate developers on their property. Tatum's family plans to rebuild in Altadena, but she said they worry about developers buying out other Black residents. "I'm nervous there's not going to be a Black community in Altadena anymore." Two atmospheric river storms are expected to hit California -- potentially bringing muchneeded moisture to the still-withered Southland while packing a more powerful and prolonged punch up north. Forecasters believe there's little risk that the rains expected next week will trigger destructive debris flows and mudslides in Southern California's recent burn areas. But the risk is still there, and there is a range of possibilities for how much rain will ultimately fall. He has issued an executive order promoting a crackdown on campus antisemitism and said he supports canceling visas of pro-Palestinian international students. The order has put California university leaders and activists on alert. Even national parks are on the chopping block as the seasonal workers who staff 433 national parks and historical sites began receiving emails saying their job offers for the 2025 season had been "rescinded," with little further explanation. Is the president pushing his presidential powers beyond what the Constitution allows? Affordable Housing [NY] Rent Stabilization At A Breaking Point: Can NYC Find Balance Before It's Too Late? (Forbes) - full text Forbes [1/31/2025 8:56 AM, Shimon Shkury, 102611K] New York City's polarized political climate has created a misalignment in incentives between tenant advocates and housing providers, leaving landlords unable to reinvest in their properties. Many owners, faced with rising costs and capped revenues, are choosing to keep units vacant rather than re-renting them, resulting in a system where no one benefits. This dynamic underscores the urgent need for balanced, informed solutions. Kenny Burgos, CEO of the New York Apartment Association, is committed to educating the public about the financial complexities involved in operating rent-stabilized housing. Burgos, who was my guest on a recent Coffee & Cap Rates podcast, is in an excellent position to take on this assignment. He is a native of the Bronx who was twice elected to 268 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022384 the New York State Assembly from that borough before resigning last summer to take the helm of NYAA, a landlord group created from the merger of the Rent Stabilization Association and Community Housing Improvement Program. In his new role, Burgos has developed a suite of communication tools including eyecatching social media videos explaining building operation and renovation costs, informative podcasts, frequent e-newsletters and a new magazine titled Housing New York. Burgos uses key data to illustrate the challenges facing landlords. For example, 366,138 rent-stabilized units have rents at or below $1,450, which is roughly the cost the government spends to operate similar buildings without having to pay property taxes or mortgages. The rent for the average pre-1974 rent-stabilized unit outside of core Manhattan is $1,305, which illustrates the operational distress in managing such properties. In addition, Major Capital Improvement approvals in 2024 were 75% lower than in 2018, reflecting a dramatic decline in investment following the passage of the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019, which capped rents in rent stabilized buildings, even upon vacancy. Burgos emphasizes that each unfunded mandate and additional regulation exacerbates operating expenses, a burden borne disproportionately by landlords striving to maintain their properties. I explored the financial hardships facing owners of New York City rent stabilized housing in a previous Forbes article, citing annual Rent Guidelines Board surveys showing that distressed rent stabilized properties built before 1974 have steadily risen since 2016, more than doubling in 2022 to 1,409. Matt Engel, President of Langsam Property Services Corp., which represents close to 300 properties in the Bronx and Upper Manhattan, is one of the executive members of NYAA and explained on my podcast the untenable situation facing property owners. Prior to HSTPA, landlords actively invested in their properties, enhancing tenant living conditions and maintaining structural integrity. Engel recalls, "We had clients eager to make improvements, even proactively offering tenants new appliances. Today, those opportunities are no longer feasible." Fixed revenues capped by rent regulations fail to offset operating expenses, which are rising at unsustainable rates. For example, insurance premiums have surged -- 45% two years ago then 25% last year -- forcing some landlords to forgo property damage coverage altogether if banks don't require it. Insurance carriers are abandoning New York, particularly the regulated market, leaving one carrier in some neighborhoods that can charge whatever it wants because there isn't another option. Disasters like the Los Angeles fires or hurricanes in Florida have exacerbated the insurance crisis. "We're having conversations in the industry on how we can work with government to come up with solutions for this because whether it's financially a problem for the insurance carriers or whether it's a more sinister decision that is essentially redlining 269 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022385 neighborhoods, which of course has no place here, it's something that we have to overcome," Engel says. Moreover, compliance with unfunded New York City mandates such as Local Law 97 imposes significant costs. For instance, retrofitting a fueling system to meet climate change requirements can cost up to $200,000, a prohibitive expense for alreadystruggling landlords. Engel warns of a dire trajectory, "We're headed for dangerous times not seen in 50 years." The government works best when it incentivizes private development and private ownership to invest money in housing, Burgos says. For example, a government program similar to the 485-x tax abatement for new development would help recover thousands of vacant regulated units currently off the market. Burgos notes, "What the 2019 rent law did was entirely pull away any incentive to invest in your building because you know that you will not see any return on those dollars. You have banks failing and banks unwilling to lend to this industry because they can see very clearly the math will not pencil out." Additionally, vouchers at fair market value determined by HUD could help stabilize regulated buildings, but some housing advocates don't believe owners should be entitled to the full value of vouchers because they exceed rent stabilized rents, according to Burgos. The erosion of financial sustainability is evident in property valuations. Rent-stabilized property values have declined by 35% to 60% from their 2017-2018 peak. Of the $8.9 billion multifamily sales in 2024, only 29% were predominantly rent-stabilized assets, compared to 63% free-market properties, according to Ariel Property Advisors' Multifamily Year in Review New York City 2024. Faced with rising costs and regulatory constraints, many owners are opting to exit the market entirely, driven by mortgage maturities and strategic decisions to divest from rent-stabilized portfolios. In a recent Forbes article, I wrote about Argentina President Javier Milei's decision to eliminate rent regulations, which offers an instructive case study. The removal of these laws resulted in a 170% increase in rental supply in Buenos Aires and inflation-adjusted rents declining 40% within one year. New York City has close to 1 million rent stabilized apartments, or about 50% of the city's total rental units. Can you imagine the effect of lifting regulations and effectively doubling the supply of free-market housing overnight? Rents would drop quickly as they did during the pandemic when there was a lack of demand. While full deregulation may not be politically viable in New York City, the Argentinian example underscores the importance of aligning incentives to ensure that tenants and landlords alike benefit from sustainable housing policies. Addressing New York City's rent stabilization crisis requires policymakers to recognize the misalignment in incentives that discourages reinvestment. They need to introduce 270 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022386 targeted incentives to bring vacant units back online, stimulate reinvestment in housing stock and encourage collaboration between public and private sectors. Only through a balanced and pragmatic approach can New York City create a sustainable housing ecosystem that benefits both tenants and landlords. [NY] Westbeth Gets a Much-Needed, and Very Pricey, Overhaul (New York Times) full text New York Times [2/3/2025 5:00 AM, Anna Kode, 161405K] In New York, an artist's ability to create work is often directly linked to their ability to secure affordable housing. In a city where the median rent was $4,295 in December, according to Redfin, that can seem impossible. For decades, a small group of the city's creative class hasn't had to worry too much about the rising market-rate rent. The nonprofit Westbeth Artists Housing community, with 384 rent-stabilized and Section 8 units, has been an affordable haven for artists since 1970. Occupying an entire city block at the western edge of the West Village, it also comprises commercial spaces, artist studios and a gallery where residents show their work. Rents typically run from around $900 for a studio apartment to $1,400 for a three-bedroom. Many notable artists and performers have called it home, including Robert De Niro Sr., Paul Benjamin, Vin Diesel and Diane Arbus, who committed suicide there in 1971. "It eased the pressure of having to make a living," said Roger Braimon, 57, a painter, who was still paying off debt from graduate school when he moved into Westbeth. Mr. Braimon first applied to join the community in 1995, but didn't get a spot until 2009. "There was always this belief that Westbeth was this utopia of artists, and living in New York was so amazing, but the affordability is looming," he said. The wait list to get an apartment at Westbeth is notorious, with more than 460 people currently eager to snag a spot. Many residents never leave, making vacancies especially rare. (The wait list is currently closed, having last been open in 2019.) But if the community is utopian, the structure itself less so. Elevators frequently get stuck and are unreliable. The roof has been leaking intensely. The wooden window frames have been deteriorating. To address these issues and future-proof the building, the complex is undergoing its first major renovation since it opened 55 years ago. In October, work began on an $84 million overhaul, which will also include facade work and the addition of a green roof. And 32 apartments, which have been void of tenants and left in disrepair, will be gut renovated, making room for some lucky artists to get off the wait list. From 1898 to 1966, the site was home to Bell Laboratories, the company that created the technology behind talking movies and the transistor. It was then redeveloped into the artists' sanctuary, with renovations by the architect Richard Meier and funding from the National Endowment for the Arts. The project, which The Times reported cost $13 million, gained the support of several prominent New Yorkers, including the urban activist Jane Jacobs and the mayor at the time, John V. Lindsay. But attracting residents in the beginning was somewhat of a struggle. "Nobody wanted to 271 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022387 move here. It was in a totally out-of-the-way area," said Christina Maile, an 80-year-old visual artist who had been living on the Lower East Side before being accepted to join Westbeth as a resident in 1970. The neighborhood seemed "extremely quiet and kind of boring," she said. But the rent, around $165 for a two-bedroom, and the nearby meat market persuaded her. Ms. Maile has been at Westbeth ever since, raising two children there along the way. In those early days, she recalled, a group of mothers got together to create a rotating day care: "We all took care of each other's kids so that the parents could do their art." The community also took Ms. Maile's career in unpredictable directions. When residents formed a feminist playwriting group, she joined and became interested in stage design, inspiring her to practice as a landscape architect. And more recently, after she wandered around one of the buildings and discovered that the printmaking studio was empty, she took up printmaking. "The maintenance man probably forgot to lock it," she said. "There was all this equipment -- paper, inks -- covered in dust. It was so amazing." The collaborative lifestyle took intentional effort to foster. There were aspects of the complex's design that weren't conducive to community building, Ms. Maile said, like its long hallways. "There's a lot of places that actually don't encourage people to be communal," she said. "The community wasn't born right out of the sky." Today, much of Westbeth is unchanged from its early days, and several of the original tenants, like Ms. Maile, remain. But what has notably changed is the demand to live there. Not anyone can join the wait list -- you have to be a practicing artist and submit an essay about your work, and your income must fall below a limit. In 2019, the limits ranged from $69,445 for a one-person household to $114,950 for a six-person household. To keep your spot on the list, you have to submit your tax returns and other documentation every year. "I kept dreaming of it and reapplying every year," said Mr. Braimon, who got his 550square-foot studio apartment after nearly 15 years on the wait list. Over the years, Westbeth has endured disasters both natural and man-made. In the 1980s, the community was $2.4 million behind on its mortgage, prompting the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to threaten foreclosure. And even back then it was in poor shape: As the Times reported in 1989, "the building has deteriorated, the rents have more than quadrupled, and the tenants have not always been on friendly terms." Then in 2012, Hurricane Sandy "walloped" the complex, said Peter Madden, the executive director of the nonprofit that runs Westbeth. The devastating storm caused a flood in the basement that nearly reached the ceiling and destroyed decades' worth of residents' artwork. Of course, the regular wear and tear that comes with being an artists' colony has also taken its toll. "A lot of tenants are just so rough on the building, like dragging stuff, giant wood frames on a cart, and they smack it against a wall and rip up metal." said Mr. Braimon. "It's just terrible." 272 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022388 Some tenants say the renovations are long overdue, and for some of the older residents, the updates are especially necessary. But because of the complex's landmark status, needed work has been stalled in the past. The community is now trudging forward, and must get approval from the city's Landmarks Preservation Commission for many of the changes, making them costlier and more time-consuming. The entire project is expected to be complete by 2028. Funding is coming from a mix of public and private sources, including grants from the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation, the National Park Service and New York State, as well as tax credits. There are 684 wood-framed windows being replaced -- to fit the original design, they have to be custom-ordered, Mr. Madden said. Each window, made of solid mahogany, costs over $20,000. On the facade, "we have this very distinctive yellowish brick," Mr. Madden said. Each one that needs to be replaced must also be custom fabricated. And perhaps to the dismay of those who've been eager to snag a unit, dozens of apartments have been sitting empty of tenants. "Frequently, our vacancies are due to the tenants passing away," Mr. Madden said. "When somebody has lived in an apartment since 1972, we have to do a gut renovation, we have to address lead paint and asbestos." This overhaul has finally allowed for the budget to make those updates, he added. After Hurricane Sandy, a black line was painted in the basement to mark how high the floodwaters had reached. "It's a constant reminder of how vulnerable the building is," said Ms. Maile. Features of the project are aimed at weatherproofing for the future, including the installation of a green roof, which means that Westbeth will get a canopy of vegetation. Rainwater will be "absorbed by the green roof and then will slowly go down the roof drains into the sewer," Mr. Madden explained. For Ms. Made, the renovation is about more than just improving day-to-day life at Westbeth in the present. She hopes that it will "allow the building to exist into the next century, so that people can still afford to be artists and live in New York." [NY] Grocery store, gym, urgent care: State grant funds extras in Cornhill housing project (Observer-Dispatch, NY) - full text Observer-Dispatch [1/29/2025 9:22 AM, Amy Neff Roth, 92K, NY] People First, Utica's municipal housing authority, will get a $3 million state grant toward a project to build two mixed-use buildings with affordable apartments and amenities like a grocery store, a gym and a recording studio in the Cornhill neighborhood, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Tuesday. The grant is a first, said People First Executive Director Bill Calli. Grants usually help to cover the cost of building affordable housing units, including a $3.5 million Empire State Development grant the project was recently awarded, he said. But the latest grant won't cover the affordable housing units in those buildings. It will help to pay for the mixed-use portion of the buildings, a new kind of grant for the state, he said. "They provide ancillary funding for the non-residential component of an endeavor to truly make it a holistic endeavor and not just housing units," Calli said. "So things like -- you're going to have ancillary services; you're going to need community space; you're 273 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022389 going to need a kitchen area; you need playgrounds." Hochul announces grants In total, Hochul announced $123 million in grants allocated in the latest round of the state's Regional Economic Development Council initiative. Over $100 million went to projects in so-called Pro-Housing Communities -- 273 communities across the state that meet New York State Homes and Community Renewal's standards for working to increase their supply of affordable housing. "There's only one solution to New York's housing affordability crisis: we've got to build more housing," Hochul said in a statement. "The Pro-Housing Communities initiative is delivering the incentives communities are looking for, and this latest round of grant funding will make a real difference in every region of New York." Mixed-use development Putting apartments in mixed-used buildings with services and programs that didn't previously exist in the neighborhood helps people who live in the building and those who live in the surrounding community, Calli said. "We're trying to do more than just housing," he said. "We're trying to bring amenities to the community, strengthen the community, afford them these ancillary services that currently aren't available in the community so we can strengthen the DNA of the community itself." But the difficulty with such development in the past has been that the space used for non-residential purposes doesn't make money, Calli continued. So these projects haven't often been built unless they're undertaken by organizations who have some means to offset those losses, he said. A look at the partnerships The state grant helps to overcome that affordability hurdle. "Obviously a piece of the development of the mixed-use component will be funded by the state, but not all of it," Calli said. "The rest of it is being funded; this is a collaborative initiative between People First and the Community Foundation (of Herkimer and Oneida Counties). So we will be utilizing other funds and resources that the Community Foundation is bringing from an equity point of view." Once the project is completed, People First will manage the apartments and the Community Foundation will manage the community spaces, Calli said. Other partners with important roles in the project include the City of Utica and the Mid-Utica Neighborhood Preservation Corporation. The city has provided funding for the project and will transfer some city properties over for the project. The corporation owns the land on which one of the structures will be built, the site of the former Leisure Time Activity Center, which has already been partially torn down, on West Street. It will have space in the new building and People First will lease the land under the building from the corporation, Calli said. The corporation has also provided a lot of input into the project's design and the activities that will be offered in the buildings, which are being called impact centers, Calli 274 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022390 said. The Community Foundation also held sessions with community members to make sure that the project's neighbors had plenty of input into the development of the plan, he said. Pro-Housing communities To be certified as a Pro-Housing Community, a municipality must meet one of three conditions, according to Homes and Community Renewal: Provide enough permits to show an increase in the local housing stock of 1/0 downstate or of 0.33% upstate over the past year. Provide enough permits to show an increase in the local housing stock by 3% downstate or 1% upstate over the past three years. Submit data showing that there hasn't been housing growth, but also a Pro-Housing resolution passed by their municipal governing body. The plan for THRIVE Cornhill Here's what's included in the $77 million THRIVE Cornhill project, also sometimes called Impact Cornhill, Calli said: The larger structure, the four-story Mid-Utica Impact Center, will be built on West Street between Eagle and South Streets. The four-story Cornhill Renaissance Center will be built at the intersection of James and Neilson streets. The Mid-Utica center will include 74 units of affordable housing on its upper three floors with a full-sized gym, community space, kitchen space and offices for programming and services on its ground floor. The Renaissance Center will have a grocery store, an urgent-care facility, a recording studio and incubator pods (where would-be entrepreneurs can test out ideas) as well as 24 affordable apartments on its upper floors. More parcels near the Mid-Utica center also need to be bought. An existing playground will be taken down and a new one put in across Miller Street from the new building. A second phase of the project will involve creating an urban walking trail between the two impact centers with stopping points where people can gather. The project leaders are looking for vacant parcels where they can locate things like an exercise station, a garden or a gazebo, Calli said. The project still needs approval from New York State Homes and Community Renewal, the state's affordable housing agency. But Celli said he's confident they'll get it and be able to start working on the project by the end of the year. Financial future If any portion of the THRIVE Cornhill project loses money, the Community Foundation and People First have guaranteed that they will bear those losses for a term of 30 years, Calli said. "That will ensure the long-term viability of these non-residential components," he added. On the other hand, should the project bring in any profits, that money will be re-invested, Calli said. There will be no net gain to People First or the foundation, he said. And that's part of what makes the project so unique in the Utica area, Calli said. There are lots of housing projects, "but not that bring this kind of holistic approach, not 275 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022391 that bring this type of collaborative approach, not that bring this cost sharing and guarantees," he said. [NY] New York City Landlord Wants You Out? There Had Better Be `Good Cause.' (New York Times) - full text New York Times [1/28/2025 3:33 AM, Mihir Zaveri, 161405K] Last winter, Eileen Kelley received a notice that her landlord was not going to renew her lease when it expired in a few months. After eight years in the East Village, a neighborhood in Manhattan she had come to love for its street markets and parks, Ms. Kelley, 29, confronted the sudden possibility that she might have to leave. But scrolling through TikTok just before her lease ended, she found a video that introduced her to a new, renter-friendly law called "good cause eviction." Passed by New York State last spring, the legislation prohibits landlords from forcing renters out of their homes just because their lease term is over. The law felt like it could be a lifeline. Ms. Kelley, who works in financial services, told her landlord that she wasn't going to leave. After months of back and forth over email, she finally received a new lease, securing her apartment until at least this coming September. "I was like, Mow, the system does work for us,- she said. The exchange is one example of how the law is quietly reshaping parts of New York City's housing market. Renters are challenging landlords, both in informal lease negotiations and in court, to secure breaks on rent and new leases. Property owners say they are growing cautious about trying to get even troublesome renters out, and they worry about other consequences of what they see as government overreach. "It gives tenants a little more confidence in their rights," Ms. Kelley said, adding that she has shared her experience with friends. "A lot of people didn't realize that the lease renewal is even negotiable." The law's rollout comes as public anger over the city's housing crisis is increasingly pushing politicians to tackle the high cost of living. Many proposals have focused on making it easier to build more homes to address a housing shortage that is at its worst point in half a century. The hardships are also pushing left-leaning lawmakers to crack down on evictions and rent increases. The New York law, modeled in part on bills recently passed in other cities and states, is based on the idea that property owners should be allowed to remove renters only if they have a valid reason -- or, "good cause" -- to do so. In New York, such causes can include tenants who break the terms of their lease, use an apartment to conduct illegal activity or damage the rental property. Unpaid rent might also be a good cause, but only if it has not been increased "unreasonably." According to the law, an unreasonable increase is one that is greater than the inflation rate, which in the New York City area was 3.82 percent last year, plus 5 percent. So renters might be protected if a rent increase was bigger than 8.82 percent. Many renters already had similar protections under the city's rent-stabilization system, 276 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022392 which covers roughly half of its rental housing stock. But the good cause law provides new protections for hundreds of thousands of additional households living in so-called unregulated homes. Jeremiah Schlotman, the director of housing litigation for Legal Services NYC, a nonprofit group, called the legislation a "huge expansion" that was a "great step forward in expanding tenant protections." Sherwin Belkin, a lawyer who represents property owners in housing court, said the law was an additional burden on owners already struggling to maintain their apartment buildings. He said it encouraged people not to move, which paralyzes the housing market and reduces rental options. "I don't think it's good for New York City because I don't think it's good for New York City real estate," he said. Still, Mr. Schlotman said the law's effects remained unsettled. He said the legislation was "poorly worded in many aspects," and that the lack of clarity was leading to conflicting decisions from housing court judges. Mr. Belkin agreed. "The standards are not really set forth in the statute," he said. "It's all buzzwords." For example, even though there is a threshold for an "unreasonable" rent increase, a housing court judge might still find a bigger increase to be reasonable if the landlord needed it to cover repairs or renovations. The law also exempts "small landlords," defined as those with fewer than 10 units in New York. But landlords can obscure the size of their portfolios by using different limited liability companies for each property. "Somebody can fib," Mr. Schlotman said. For people like Ms. Kelley, though, the law removes at least one bump in what is otherwise a turbulent rental journey in the city. She and her roommate had already watched their rent grow from $3,200 to $4,550 over four years. Even when they thought they might have to leave, they couldn't find any affordable apartments in the East Village. Ms. Kelley said a private equity firm purchased her building and she thought the company wanted to tear it down. But she's happy that despite the challenges, there are ways she can protect herself. "I think it has actually made me more excited about living in New York," she said. [NJ] General Assembly advances bill limiting lot rent increases for mobile and other manufactured homes (WRNJ Radio, NJ) - full text WRNJ Radio [1/31/2025 5:53 AM, Jay Edwards, 46K, NJ] Legislation that would limit annual rent increases that landlords can charge mobile home owners and other manufactured home park residents cleared the General Assembly Thursday. Assemblymen Dan Hutchison and William F. Moen, Jr. and Assemblywoman Barbara McCann Stamato sponsored Bill A3361. "While we are all well aware of the rising cost of living, most mobile and manufactured home owners live on a fixed income and are experiencing significant lot rent increases 277 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022393 with no real justification," said Hutchison (D-Camden, Gloucester, Atlantic). "I am committed to making New Jersey more affordable and I believe this legislation takes a step in that direction for these residents." The legislation would prohibit landlords of mobile home parks and manufactured home parks from increasing tenants' lot rents by more than three percent over the course of a 12-month period. The rent includes lot fees, such as license fees charged by the landlord to the tenant, as well as tax surcharge costs passed on to the tenant, and any other special expenses. "Placing a three percent annual cap on rent increases would help ensure that mobile and manufactured home owners aren't burdened with sudden and unexpected rent hikes that could lead them to being priced out of their homes," said Moen (D-Camden, Gloucester). "Assembly Democrats are focused on preserving and expanding affordable housing in New Jersey and this bill would be crucial in those efforts." "Housing affordability is crucial for residents in our state and by capping rent hikes for mobile home lots ensures that residents have stable housing that has feasible pricing," said Stamato (D-Hudson). "This legislation would ensure mobile homeowners are not priced out of their homes, offering peace of mind to thousands of families across our state." Williamstown resident and mobile home owner John Romano was among those testifying during the hearing when it passed the Assembly Housing Committee last year. "My wife and I are not wealthy, but we are lucky enough to not have to worry about where our next meal is coming from," said Romano. "I cannot emphasize enough what a positive impact a statewide rent leveling ordinance would make on the lives of countless mobile/manufactured home owners in the state of New Jersey, especially for our seniors." Under the bill, landlords would be able to petition the Commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs (NJDCA) for rent increases beyond the three percent cap in situations where the present rental income is insufficient to cover the tax increases or capital improvements to the property. Before filing the petition, landlords would be required to notify tenants. Failure to do so, or comply with the three percent cap, could result in penalties of up to $1,000 per violation per unit. [NJ] Paramus agrees to build 1,000 affordable housing units over next decade (North Jersey.com, NJ) - full text North Jersey.com [1/31/2025 6:46 AM, Stephanie Noda, 3712K, NJ] Paramus has voted to accept state calculations that it needs to add 1,000 new affordable housing units over the next decade, the largest such obligation of any town in Bergen County. Local officials said a resolution by the borough council accepting that figure by the deadline they faced Friday will help protect against developers who might seek to pack multi-family housing in the town's single-family neighborhoods. They're also hopeful a study of developable land will convince the state to reduce that obligation to as low as 250 units. For now, however, Paramus has gone along with New 278 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022394 Jersey's affordable housing mandate, in contrast to other North Jersey towns that have taken the state to court. "Municipalities across the state are trying to protect themselves and their neighborhoods and single-family housing," said Francis Reiner of DMR Architects, a firm advising the borough. "If we were not to have done that, there is a potential for a builder to come in and try to buy up single-family houses and put multifamily in those." Friday was the deadline for New Jersey municipalities to either accept housing obligation numbers released by the state Department of Community Affairs or to present alternative calculations that must be consistent with a new law passed last year. In a pair of rulings in January, state Superior Court Judge Robert Lougy rejected a request to block the process by two dozen towns that have filed suit. The law is designed to speed enforcement of the Mount Laurel Doctrine, a landmark set of court rulings that require New Jersey towns to provide their "fair share" of low- and moderate-income housing. The DCA estimated that towns will collectively have to allow for the construction of 85,000 more units over the next decade, and the renovation of 65,000 existing dwellings. Paramus adopted its resolution on Jan. 21, accepting the state's calculations. They include 1,000 "prospective need" units that would be newly built over the next decade and 254 "present need" units -- residences that may exist today but need to be refurbished to become qualified affordable housing. The resolution also stated that a study of developable land in Paramus suggests the borough will be eligible to adjust its prospective need down to 250 "due to a lack of land that is vacant and available and unconstrained." The resolution said the borough reserves the right to update its calculation prior to the final adoption of its housing plan. The plan will describe how the borough plans to address its housing obligations. Under state law, it must be adopted by June 30. The borough's goal is to protect single-family housing neighbors and to ensure the quality of those neighborhoods is maintained, said Reiner. If the borough does not meet its Mount Laurel requirements, developers could go to court to seek "builder's remedy" lawsuits allowing them to bypass local zoning and construct large multifamily projects, Reiner said. "Meeting this obligation is not an intention to harm any of the single-family communities or neighborhoods that the borough currently has," he said. If the borough did not have a settlement agreement, adopt a resolution by Jan. 31 and chose not to adopt a plan by June, "there is potential harm that could be caused to single family neighborhoods." The Fair Share Housing Center, a Mount Laurel-based nonprofit group that assists courts with upholding the affordable housing mandate, said 62 of Bergen County's 70 towns have submitted resolutions to participate in the state program. Others have sought adjustments based on a lack of developable property, the center said. "We're glad to see over 400 towns from throughout New Jersey taking advantage of the 279 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022395 new options offered by [the new law] and opting into the state's affordable housing planning process," Fair Share Housing Executive Director Adam Gordon said in a statement. "Paramus joins most towns from throughout New Jersey in accepting DCA's calculations, which have taken what was the subject of much litigation and made it much easier for towns to comply and focus their resources on building affordable homes," he added. [NJ] Hopewell Township Sets 348-Unit Affordable Housing Plan (MercerMe, NJ) full text MercerMe [1/31/2025 7:04 PM, Diane Carroll, 6K, NJ] Hopewell Township's affordable housing future took a major step at the January 27 meeting. The Committee certified Hopewell Township's fair-share commitment for affordable housing for 2025-2035 at 348 units, down from the 543 units proposed by the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA). Every 10 years, New Jersey establishes calculations of low- and moderate-income housing obligations for each of its 564 municipalities in accordance with the State's Fair Housing Act and the New Jersey Supreme Court's Mount Laurel ruling. This year begins the fourth round of affordable housing obligations in New Jersey. In his presentation to the Committee, Township Affordable Housing Engineer Mark Kataryniak indicated that much of the data used in DCA's calculations comes from statewide sources and is developed on a regional basis. This year, DCA identified an obligation for an additional 543 units for Hopewell Township over the next 10 years. However, legislation signed by Governor Murphy in March, 2024 gives local governments a vehicle for greater participation in determining their fair-share quota based on local land use, environmental, and other factors. Township planners and consultants reviewed the DCA analysis on a parcel-by-parcel basis and concluded that only about 37% of the land identified by DCA as being developable would actually qualify as such, reducing the Township's commitment to 348 units over 10 years, rather than the 543 designated by the State. Township Mayor Courtney Peters-Manning reminded the Committee that the required number of units would be further reduced by the renewal of affordable housing controls in Brandon Farms and other areas, a process that is now underway. "We in the Township believe in building affordable housing, as long as it is our fair share," Manning said. Looking for a deep dive into MercerMe's affordable housing archives? Look no further. Committee member Kevin Kuchinski commented that these numbers were not yet set in stone. "Future legislative changes could change these numbers," he said. Kuchinski also talked about the importance of maintaining a "defensible position" in setting the Township's obligation, one that is supported by data and developed in accordance with the State's formula. Failure to do so could subject the Township to extensive lawsuits or the so-called "Builder's Remedy," which would allow developers significant leeway in dictating the density and location of developments. Regarding the conditions for future development, "It is important that Hopewell Township remains in control," he said. The Township has until the end of the month to file its 280 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022396 certified obligation number with the State, and is required to file its development plan by June 30. Scotch Road Traffic Changes, Conservation Easement and Other Business. The Township Committee voted to adopt changes previously proposed to lower traffic speeds near the intersection of Scotch Road and Pennington-Titusville Road and to add stop signs to make that intersection a four-way stop. The road signs have been prepared and will be installed after the ground thaws. The Committee also introduced an ordinance to accept a conservation easement to preserve a portion of Jay C.S. Neary's property at 115 Lewis Brook Road. The easement would preserve a portion of the property while allowing agricultural activity and meadow maintenance. The ordinance will be discussed at the Committee's meeting on February 18 The Committee also approved a resolution approving transfer of Super Buy Rite's liquor license from its location on the Pennington Circle to its new, adjacent building with entrance Washington-Crossing Pennington- Road. Sixteen winners of the 2024 Hopewell Township Photo Contest were honored by the Hopewell Township Committee. More than 200 members of the community selected the winning photos from the 126 submitted. The contest winners are Anita Bhala, Ranajit Bhal, Laura Bowen, Michael Chipowsky, Sari DeCesare, Rebecca Deporte, Andrea Fereshteh, Stacey Gennace, Nirmal Siyaal Jain, Amanda Janack, Ramesh Kumar, Marisa McGilliard, Craig Reed, Daniel Robinson, David Van Selous, and Sharie Verdu. The winning photos are on display in the Township Municipal Building Auditorium, and will be featured in the 2025 Township Calendar. Mayor Peters-Manning congratulated the winners and thanked all of the contest entrants for appreciating and sharing the beauty of Hopewell Valley. "For Committee members, this is one of our favorite things to do all year," Peters-Manning said. The next Township Committee meeting will be held on Monday, February 3, 2025 at 6:30pm. For agenda and details, click this link. [PA] Easton proposing mandatory landlord training program (WFMZ-TV Online, Allentown, PA) VVFMZ-TV Online [1/30/2025 5:15 PM, Staff, 697K, PA] The City of Easton is considering bringing back a program designed to help landlords and renters. City Councilman Frank Pintabone announced Thursday he's looking to relaunch an annual landlord training program, but this time, he wants to make it mandatory. The city wants to use money from the American Rescue Plan Act to get the program started. Then, it plans to charge landlords an annual fee to keep it going. The proposal still needs to be approved by City Council. [Editorial note: consult source link for video] 281 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022397 [PA] Easton landlord training program aims to improve property renter knowledge and renters' experience (LehighValleyNews.com, PA) - full text LehighValleyNews.com [1/30/2025 6:49 PM, Brian Myszkowski, 129K] Easton is aiming to revive a landlord training program with even more information and resources for property owners and tenants in an attempt to improve housing in the city. Councilman Frank Pintabone -- a landlord himself -- announced plans for the program Thursday afternoon, with further details provided by Redevelopment Authority Deputy Director Michael Brett, RDA Program Manager Haley Weber, and Mayor Sal Panto Jr. The new program, which will be developed with Pintabone, city administrators, the Redevelopment Authority of Easton, and the nonprofit housing authority organization HOME Easton, will be a revamped version of an initiative that originally launched in 2015, but fizzled out within two years due to participation being voluntary. As Pintabone explained, the new version of the landlord training program will be mandatory, with landlords in Easton paying an extra $10 on top of the annual $75 paid for a renters' license renewal. Landlords will be able to complete the required training online, likely with an open-book exam at the end, to be certified for renewal. "This program, we're going to relaunch a new and improved annual landlord training program, [and] it will create the basis for a larger, more well-rounded program that serves property owners and tenants alike, represents the city's commitment to quality housing for all residents, and enables the city to engage continuously with tenants and landlords, as well as gather important information relevant for policy making," Pintabone said. Some components for the program include lessons on fostering stronger relationships with tenants and families, fighting discrimination, facilitating better understanding and connections with Section 8 vouchers, building relations with the community outside the landlord/tenant connection, creating a proactive approach to respond to tenant concerns, seeking expert advice for issues, and broadening understanding of other people's experiences. Pintabone said he intends to present the program to council in February for approval. An employee will be in place by March, with Weber finishing the online modules leading into May, when they hope to have a functional online platform. Registration for landlords is set to begin in August. "So we'd like to give three to four months of time that they can go on do this training, and we can actually get the word out where it's not just getting launched August 1," Pintabone said. "And you know, by August 31 you need to have this done." Pintabone hopes the program could lead other municipalities to create their own version, or perhaps inspire legislation across the commonwealth. The program is structured to run for two years off previously allocated ARPA funding, along with at least one full time dedicated employee. As Brett put it, the previous iteration of the program was a "passion project" of the RDA program manager at the time, thought it was largely aimed at just making and keeping the neighborhoods safe. Brett said the old version "treated landlords and tenants like 282 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022398 criminals," while the new version aims to improve beyond that. "In order to reduce the crime, we're really looking at engaging landlords and tenants in a more productive manner, treating them more like community members," Brett said. "When you have a neighborhood like the West Ward that is pushing 60% tenant occupied, it's a demographic you can't ignore if you want to see your city move forward and transform, so the basis of this is really more of an engagement than training." The program will aim to connect with landlords who may have entered the market during the short sales in the 2010s, or family members who inherited a rental property. "This is intended to bring those landlords in and help them be better," Brett said. "This is designed to bring in tenants and teach them how to be productive community members, what their rights area, what fair housing is, what they should expect from their landlord, what code standards are expected by the city and truly engage all the stakeholders that are involved in the city." As Weber put it, the improved program goes beyond a single in-person lecture to a more "ethical framework of neighborhood development." Rather, it may offer "an online interface that will be like training modules that we can also update regularly," Weber said. That might include new information each year as regulations change, more openended questions for exams, and a push to maintain contact between the city and landlords. "We can also gather survey data through that app as well, so we can post survey questions," Weber said. "We can post updates about events that we hope to fold, like workshops, so that will be sort of the conduit for information gathering that I'm foreseeing in the future once I start actually creating that interface part of the program so it will serve more than just complimenting the document and training the landlords." "It will also give us constantly up to date information about the landlords and their thoughts, and give us another, more direct way to engage with them throughout the year." Pintabone later added the site could serve as a repository of information, offering landlords tips about leasing, codes, background and credit checks, maintenance issues, and more. A partnership with North Penn Legal Services may also lead to monthly training sessions with landlords and tenants, Pintabone said. Panto acknowledged that modern generations' relationship with their residences have changed, with more people than ever renting as opposed to purchasing, indicating the new program could become even more of a necessity as the world of housing changes in the years to come. "So we need to do a better job knowing that the paradigm has shifted. We need to do a better job of training people, both the landlords and tenants. And I think that'll really be beneficial. I think making it mandatory is a good idea," Panto said. [MD] Tenants speak on poor living conditions at three apartment complexes under receivership near Druid Hill Park (ABC2 News, Baltimore, MD) - full text 283 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022399 ABC2 News [1/31/2025 11:39 PM, Ja Nai Wright, 551K, MD] VIDEO. Three historical apartments near Druid Hill Park fell into receivership in mid-2024, the Esplanade, Temple Gardens, and the Emersonian. "The receivership is ultimately there to allow us to do the best thing possible to get these buildings into the hands of a person who will take care of not only the residents but the conditions and safety of the buildings overall," says Councilman James Torrence. The problem is the previous owner of the three buildings, Roizman Development, defaulted on loan payments of up to $57 million for the buildings. On top of that, people living there have experienced years of poor living conditions. "There needs to be some changes because it can be hard sometimes," says Noah. Noah, who is 22, says he's been living in the building since he was nine. He says things were not always bad, but lately, conditions are worse. "The elevators are old. They need to re-do the whole thing, but for the past two years, like I said, they have been acting weird lately, like shutting down for weeks at a time and stuff like that," says Noah, an Esplanade resident. Shawn Owens lives in the Esplanade building with his 11-year-old son, he says although the building has a number of problems, he is just glad to provide a roof over his son's head. "He [doesn't] wanna be moving nowhere and keep having to go from this place to this place and I don't blame him. I don't want it either. I hate to move," says Owens. Councilman Torrence says the city and state have been doing all they can to try to improve the living conditions but without a clear owner, it is difficult. "We also had some refugees who had issues with rats in their apartments as well as just basic sanitation issues in the apartment building. Even our fire department has had to step in to have repairs made to the front door because they were unable to get in right away to reach someone who was needing medical services," says Councilman Torrence. But Torrence encourages people living in these apartment buildings to reach out to 311 if the living conditions become unbearable for them. "We can come directly to your apartment and actually inspect. Case in point, we found a woman who had a case of black mold in her apartment and they had to remediate in a certain number of days," says Torrence. Councilman Torrence also says although the apartments are some of the most affordable housing in the area it doesn't mean people should be dealing with unhealthy living conditions. Roizman Development officials have yet to comment on the receivership or the firm's loan default. Since the buildings are under receivership, it is up to the courts to choose the new owner of the properties, but as of now, there is no set time for when that will happen. Allison Foster with the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, said the agency is working with the court under the receivership. "The health and safety of all tenants in Maryland is a top priority of the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development. Upon identification of health and 284 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022400 safety concerns at Renaissance Plaza, the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development engaged the Baltimore City Circuit Court to appoint a thirdparty receiver to take control of the projects from the owners. The receiver is responsible for the leasing and management of these properties. The Department directs further questions to the Receiver and owners," said Allison Foster, Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development. [VA] Is it time for Virginia to implement rent control laws? A look at the legislation. (Daily Progress, VA) - full text Daily Progress [2/1/2025 12:00 PM, Staff, 204K, VA] Jana Hobbs says it was not too long after her landlord, who'd been promising not to raise her monthly rent by more than $100, boosted it by $150 one year and $150 the next, that she hit a deer on her 20-mile drive to work. Then came news that renewing the lease on her $940 a month Richmond-area apartment would mean a boost in rent to $1,299 a month. "I just couldn't afford it," she told a House of Delegates Counties Cities and Towns panel on Jan. 22. "Please help.". She asked support for House Bill 2175 from Del. Nadarius Clark, D-Suffolk, that would let cities and counties enact ordinances to cap rent increases. The gatekeeping panel agreed, sending the bill on its way on a 5-3 party-line vote. "I don't fill my tank, just buy $20 a time," Hobbs said. It's a struggle to afford groceries, she said. "And I can't fix my car," after hitting the deer, she said. Her son, a mechanic, did replace the radiator and thermostat, after she managed to scrape together $300 for the parts -- he worked for free. "But the bumper, that's $800," she said. "I know I'm going to fail inspection, and then I'll have to deal with that.". Her boss lent a hand, advancing a few hundred dollars, and she scrapes together $10 or $15 when she can to start repaying the IOU -- "at this rate, I'll be paying it back for a year.". Hobbs was one of nearly two dozen people testifying in favor of the bill, which drew opposition from apartment owners and Realtor groups. "We're seeing people getting pushed out of their homes with increases of $100 to $600. There's just no way they can afford this," Victoria Horrock of the Legal Aid Justice Society told the panel. "People on Social Security only get a cost-of-living increase yearly, and there's nothing in a law that prevents them from experiencing these yearover-year increases," Horrock said. "Cost-of-living increases for Social Security are only 2.5%, so right now, there's nothing protecting these folks.". Richmonder Casey Miller said: "I lost a friend after they were hit with consecutive $113a-month rent hikes that left them unable to afford their ... medication.". Opponents said the measure would hurt renters and squeeze landlords. "My owners have seen increases that they are not in control of in their costs - 20 to 30% increases in their insurance premiums over the last two years, 15 to 20% increases in their tax assessment," said Steve Parson, whose Salem firm manages 375 units around Roanoke. 285 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022401 "As a small investor myself, I cannot absorb these kinds of increases without raising rents," he said. Opponents argued rent control would also make it harder to find affordable housing. "This is a supply issue. We already need 100,000 units per year to keep up with demand, and these kinds of policies do discourage investment in rental housing," said Bismah Ahmed, a lobbyist with the Apartment and Office Building Association of Metropolitan Washington. Del, Marty Martinez, D-Loudoun, was not convinced. "I heard comments about supply and demand. There's no supply, a lot of demand, which puts the property owners at an advantage over the renters, and they have taken advantage," he said. Last year, lawmakers carried over Clark's similar measure -- a legislative tactic that's usually deployed to quietly kill a bill. His proposal this year sets a stiffer cap on rent increases, of 3%. Last year's bill said annual rent increases could not exceed the Consumer Price Index or 7%, whichever was lower. "I just want to reiterate ... that we do have a housing crisis in Virginia," Clark said. "This is just allowing localities to have that extra tool in their toolbox to make sure they're protecting the most vulnerable.". Growing concern about Virginia's lack of affordable housing, meanwhile, is giving Del. Carrie Coyner, R-Chesterfield, hope that her four-year "5,000 families" campaign -- a program that would target rental assistance to low-income families with kids - might finally make it. It's detailed in legislation from state Sen. Mamie Locke, D-Hampton, Senate Bill 832, and Del. Briana Sewell, D-Prince William, House Bill 1879. The aim is for subsidies that cap the out-of-pocket cost of rent at 30% of eligible families' income, with the assistance making up the difference between that amount and marketlevel rent, much as the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's rent vouchers do. The assistance would be available to families with children under 16 and with income of 50% or less of the area median income. In metro Richmond, that cap would be $42,650 for a single parent with one child. The idea is to offer short-term help to get people through a crisis and so schools and social services could help them secure the stable housing and supports children need to do well in school, Coyner said. Coyner has asked for a budget amendment of $80 million for the program. Coyner said there's a big payoff -- especially for kids who often fall badly behind in school as their families shuffle from place to place because they can't secure stable housing. "You know, coming from a school board, my primary focus has been education," said Coyner, a former member of the Chesterfield County School Board. "We have been spending, historically, just in kids in kindergarten through third grade who are behind in reading about $27 million a year to catch them up every year.". "I think this is a great investment, where we're going to see the payoffs, we're going to see reduced spending in other areas," she added. "Every year we keep talking about this and bringing it up. We have more and more people that are like, yeah, yes, this will help," Coyner said. "As you look at delegates and senators hearing from people this is a 286 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022402 top issue, housing, we are at a crisis," Coyner said. "I have a lot of hope that we're going to bring people to the table to make this a reality.". [MO] Council puts moratorium on manufactured homes in city (Maryville Daily Forum, MO) - full text Maryville Daily Forum [1/31/2025 11:00 AM, Geoffrey Woehlk, 24K, MO] The Maryville City Council on Monday approved a moratorium on new manufactured homes following complaints from neighbors about a home on Buchanan Street that is part of a Maryville Industrial Development Corporation affordable housing pilot program. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, manufactured homes formerly referred to as "mobile homes" prior to a 1976 overhaul of HUD codes typically have metal frames and are built to national HUD standards. Last year, MIDC acquired land in Hopkins and Maryville to help facilitate a new pilot housing program, announcing its intention to put manufactured homes on the properties and then give manufacturing workers first crack at buying them. The program was created to try and make a dent in a critical shortage of affordable housing in the region, aiming to provide homes in the $200,000 range. The most cost-efficient option the organization could find, MIDC President Brock Pfost told The Forum in December, was to buy homes like the one on a vacant lot on Buchanan Street, which is a manufactured home. It was delivered that same month as the first home in a pilot program to test two homes one in Maryville and one in Hopkins. But the manufactured home led to a significant number of complaints from neighbors and community members, some of whom felt that the home would only depreciate in value and affect their own property values. Prior to the moratorium approved Monday, the city did not have any restrictions on where manufactured homes could be placed. According to City Council briefing materials prepared by City Manager Greg McDanel, the city's lack of regulations about manufactured homes can be traced back to 1997, when the city was in the process of adopting rules around factory-built homes which include mobile homes, manufactured homes and modular homes (which are factory-built but are built to local codes instead of the HUD standards). At that time, the Missouri Manufactured Housing Association raised concerns about the proposed regulations and the City Council ultimately took no action. Because of that, manufactured homes are allowed in all residential zoning districts. Council member Tye Parsons proposed during a council meeting earlier this month that the city look into drafting language regulating manufacturing homes. On Monday, he said he continues to hear from residents in the area who are upset with how the situation was handled. "I appreciate the time just to step back, take a breath and really look at the city's policies and guidelines on this type of housing and make sure we're doing the best process and (putting) the best foot forward on this type of arrangement," he said of the moratorium. The ordinance passed on Monday puts a moratorium on any new such housing for four months, but doesn't affect any houses already in place. During that time, city staff will draft language for a new ordinance. The council can extend the moratorium if the process takes longer than the initial four months. [MN] Affordable housing co-op on U's fraternity row tries to start fresh after chaos and crime nearly shut it down (Minneapolis Star Tribune, MN) - full text 287 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022403 Minneapolis Star Tribune [2/1/2025 11:00 AM, Erin Adler, 2679K, MN] Maxeem Konrardy has fond memories of living at the Students' Cooperative in Dinkytown, a stately 1920s-era house on fraternity row, years ago. "It was the first place [that]... felt like a real home for me," he said. But after the pandemic and George Floyd riots rocked Minneapolis in 2020, tenants paying the modest rent moved out and chaos moved in. The house hosted 400-person parties, walls were splashed with graffiti and large fights broke out outside. In 2022, a 15-year-old was shot and squatters took over. Officials said they wanted the place shut down. Now, co-op alumni, many also University of Minnesota graduates, have rallied to get the house back on track. An international co-op advocacy group stepped in to help, and last winter, residents began moving back in after the city granted the house a lodging license again. "It's a small miracle that the building didn't get condemned," said Tom Baumgartner, who lived there for the last 10 months and is also a co-op alumnus from a decade ago. "A lot of people have put in just a heartbreaking amount of time and energy and money into making this happen again." Now, the Students' Cooperative stands at a critical juncture -- it's up and running with one-third occupancy and a governing board, but it must attract more residents quickly to keep paying interest on a $1.5 million loan that funded the house's extensive repairs, Baumgartner said. Rents now range from $512 to $950 a month for singles, doubles and one triple room. "We're in this position where it's no longer nearly as affordable," Baumgartner said, who paid $275 a month to live there over a decade ago. And keeping the co-op going requires more than just bodies. The house needs to re-establish a consistent culture and sense of community to thrive, Baumgartner said. The stucco house with two large columns and a wide front porch has stood for more than 100 years in Dinkytown, unaffiliated with the U. Past residents, many U students, described it as a friendly place where residents played guitar or fixed bikes on the front lawn and members prepared meals together in the basement's communal kitchen. The 18-bedroom house was built in about 1920 and became an affordable housing coop for students 20 years later. Residents served on a board that made decisions about how it would be run, shared common spaces and did chores to keep costs low. Ian Morris lived in the co-op on and off from 1994 to 1997 with more than two dozen other people. "It ran very well because as people moved in. there was the traditions, procedure," he said, adding that the co-op taught him many life lessons. By late 2021, the house's governance structure was falling apart. The house was damaged from parties. Residents who weren't paying rent moved in; some were underage. They eventually took over the house. In May 2022, university police brought in trailers with cameras and lighting; police increased patrols. 288 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022404 The same month, co-op alumni became members of the co-op board and began the eviction process with several people. A 15-year-old boy was shot in the leg the night eviction notices were delivered and 50 bullet casings were recovered nearby. At least one person was evicted and the house was boarded up. "It was a big step for alumni to step in and offer advice initially but then assert authority and take over," Morris said. "We made it through the really dangerous part." The university began paying for 24-hour security there after the shooting. They wanted the place condemned and shut down for good. "The forward action of the university is to seek pathways for our local partners to stop this dangerous behavior occurring at this property ... [and] to permanently change the use of this property for the benefit and the safety of the community," Myron Frans, the U's senior vice president for finance and operations, said at a meeting. Because the co-op had an outstanding $100,000 loan for stucco repair through the U's real estate subsidiary, the U began proceedings to foreclose on the house based on a breach of contract. That never occurred because the co-op refinanced its loan with another lender. After the squatters left, city officials entered the building to assess the damage, said Scott Wasserman, a city spokesperson. Health inspectors ordered a list of repairs to be made before the co-op could renew its lodging license. A national co-op advocacy and development group also stepped in, offering to help with the evictions and reorganize the business side of the co-op. "[The university] did not want to see it rise from the ashes," said Brel Hutton-Okpalaeke, director of development services for the North American Students of Cooperation (NASCO), an association of student housing co-ops in Canada and the U.S. But Hutton-Okpalaeke also said it was reasonable that U officials wanted to shutter the place, given the amount of time and information they had and the danger it presented. He said the organization regularly helps co-ops in distress get back on their feet, but this was a difficult case. He created plans for the building's repairs and the co-op's finances, including taking out a new $1.5 million loan on the house through several cooperative lenders. There are about 10,000 units or rooms in student housing co-ops in the U.S. and Canada, said Hutton-Okpaleake, including Commonwealth Terrace and Riverton in Minneapolis. Co-op numbers have remained steady nationally over the last decade. Repairs to the Dinkytown house were completed throughout 2023 and into 2024. The house's floor joists had cracked under the weight of one party. Many walls and a staircase had to be rebuilt; the kitchen was a biohazard because of mouse feces, Baumgartner said. Most repairs have been completed, though there are small jobs left to finish, he said. The co-op association is still monitoring the co-op's finances and training residents. "This place takes work but it's very intentional," Baumgartner said. "It's about community, it's about culture." 289 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022405 The city issued a new license in January 2024, requiring tenant background checks, no guests staying for longer than a week and that university students make up 75% of tenants. The co-op had to formulate a security plan with police, too. Jack Nolan, a member of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity, said he's lived next door to the co-op since the fall and said there haven't been many problems recently. A member of another fraternity, who declined to give his name, said he saw someone scavenging in his house's back parking lot and worried it might be a co-op resident. He said he thinks the co-op puts fraternity members at risk. Ten people live at the co-op now, including Victor Teng, a graduate student who is the co-op's vice president. He moved there in September because of the convenient location. "I'm not nervous, but I'm aware [of past problems]," he said. "At this moment, it's important to build trust.". Resident Terra Talamh moved in about a month ago, choosing the co-op over a regular apartment, which she said would likely be lonely and more expensive. "Everyone just has the same idea of wanting to get along with each other," Talamh said. Finding new tenants has been an unexpected challenge, co-op alumni said, adding that there always used to be a waiting list. Frequent turnover has been an issue. Some people are still scared of the place because of its past. "The short version is that if we don't get enough students in there, we're going to run out of money," Baumgartner said. "This is very serious." But everyone involved in the co-op said they believe it will survive. "It will happen," said Morris, the tenant from the '90s. "There will be problems along the way ... but we will get there." [WA] Two Spokane County housing projects receive grants (Spokane Journal of Business, WA) - full text Spokane Journal of Business [1/31/2025 3:34 PM, Staff, 23K, WA] Washington state Gov. Bob Ferguson and the Washington State Department of Commerce have announced a commitment of $14.6 million in grants to support housing projects that will create more than 1,800 affordable units in 10 counties, including for two projects in Spokane County. Those awards represent the latest round of the state's Connecting Housing to Infrastructure Program, referred to as CHIP. A $1 million grant has been awarded to a Spokane Housing Authority development that is planned at 9910 E. Appleway, in Spokane Valley. Speaking of the the Housing Authority project, Buck Lucas, policy and communications manager for Commerce's local government division, says, "The CHIP investment is going to support the development of 240 units of affordable housing.". Construction of that housing project is expected to begin in April, with a certificate of occupancy expected in September 2026, Lucas says. Also in Spokane County, a $340,000 grant has been awarded to the Excelsior Wellness Intergenerational Living Community, at 2303 W. Northwest Blvd. The CHIP grant will go mostly toward 290 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022406 reimbursement of system development charges, Lucas says. The multifamily development will feature 40 housing units, 21 of which are deemed affordable, he adds. Work is already underway on the Excelsior project and is expected to be completed later this year. Headlines The Washington Post (2/1/2025 6:00 AM) In Kenya, rebellious rock rises up from the underground D.C. U.S. attorney fires Jan. 6 prosecutors, launches new probes Senior U.S. official exits after rift with Musk allies over payment system Helicopter was told of plane's presence two minutes before crash The final seconds for 67 souls FBI begins purge: more firings may come after review (2/2/2025 6:00 AM) A trip steeped in ioy for the family of a young figure skater ends in tragedy Maduro agrees to accept deportees who fled his authoritarian regime Taliban dreams of a highway to the future Trump's fierce attacks on DEI reflect age-old GOP obsession Hamas releases U.S. hostage as ceasefire continues to hold (2/3/2025 6:00 AM) Temporary protection for Venezuelans to end Migrants in jail and a community on edge Israeli advance in Syria raises fears Trump tightens grip on USAID President turns on closest U.S. allies Agents at FBI told to detail roles in riot case The New York Times (2/1/2025 6:00 AM) Washington Crash Renews Concerns About Air Safety Lapses Trump Will Hit Mexico, Canada and China With Tariffs Immigrant Communities in Hiding: 'People Think ICE Is Everywhere' Trump Officials Fire Jan. 6 Prosecutors and Plan Possible F.B.I. Purge The Skater Who Stuck a Triple Axel Before Boarding the Flight (2/2/2025 6:00 AM) Trump Signs Orders Imposing Tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China Life After a Rebel Takeover How the World Is Reeling From Trump's Aid Freeze Beneath Trump's Chaotic Spending Freeze: An Idea That Crosses Party Lines (2/3/2025 6:00 AM) Trump Tariffs Threaten to Upend Global Economic Order Trump Favors Blunt Force in Dealing With Foreign Allies and Enemies Alike Trump's Tariffs Put China in a Difficult Spot 'We Have No Coherent Message': Democrats Struggle to Oppose Trump With Trump's Backing Uncertain, Europe Scrambles to Shore Up Its Own Defenses 291 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022407 The Wall Street Journal (2/1/2025 and 2/2/2025 6:00 AM) Trump Threatens Widening Trade War as First Tariffs Loom Saturday 'Can't Wait to be Home.' The Final Moments of American Airlines Flight 5342 Passengers DeepSeek's Breakthrough Sparks National Pride in China Trump, Facing Two Crises in His Second Week, Spreads the Blame Around The Moviegoers Who Can't Get Enough of AMC's Annoying Nicole Kidman Ad (2/3/2025 6:00 AM) Canada, Mexico Want America to Feel the Pain of Tariffs Too Tariffs Spark Steep Declines in Stock Futures; Oil and Dollar Climb Musk Moves With Lightning Speed to Exert Control Over the Government Moscow Has $2 Billion Stuck at JPMorgan. The U.S. Isn't Sure What to Do With It. Drones and 'Game Film': Inside Chick-fil-A's Quest to Make Fast Food Faster ABC News (2/3/2025 6:00 AM) North Korea slams Rubio for calling it 'rogue' state in 1st direct criticism of new Trump government Hezbollah announces funeral for slain longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah set for Feb 23 Protesters rally against German party leader who pushed migration proposal backed by far-right CBS News (2/3/2025 6:00 AM) Trump admin. ends temporary immigration program for thousands of Venezuelans Rubio meets with Panamanian president amid Trump's Panama Canal push Trump hits Canada, Mexico and China with steep new tariffs, says Americans could feel "some pain" CNN (2/3/2025 6:00 AM) Australia braces for more destruction as deadly floods devastate northeast Netanyahu blows past ceasefire talks deadline to confer with Trump Trump reiterates threat to retake Panama Canal 'or something very powerful' will happen Fox News (2/3/2025 6:00 AM) Panama pledges major shift on canal deal with China after Secretary Rubio's visit Jailed ex-Pakistani PM lmran Khan draws parallels to President Trump in fight for justice Father of Hamas' youngest hostages is released -- but his family remains in Hamas captivity NBC News (2/3/2025 6:00 AM) Elon Musk says he and Trump are shutting down USAID Trump tariffs take aim at trade loophole used by Chinese online retailers like Temu and Shein Ontario to remove U.S. alcohol from shelves after Trump's tariffs announcement Washington Schedule President The White House (2/3/2025 6:00 AM) See source link. Schedule not yet available. 292 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022408 Vice President The White House (2/3/2025 6:00 AM) See source link. Schedule not yet available. Senate Senate (2/3/2025 6:00 AM) 3:00 p.m.: Convene and begin a period of morning business. 5:45 PM - S-216 Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Business meeting to consider the nomination of Brooke Rollins, of Texas, to be Secretary of Agriculture. House of Representatives House of Representatives (2/3/2025 6:00 AM) There are no public events scheduled. {End of Report} 293 OMBA401FY25609ALitigation_000000546 Sierra Club v. OMB, Case No. 25-cv- 05732-LJC OMB 2025-825 SC_EVERSPLIT0022409