On Our Radar

CNN, July 27, 2023, Biden administration taking new actions to boost housing affordability and availability The Biden administration on Thursday announced further steps to lower housing costs and boost supply, part of the economic agenda that President Joe Biden will highlight as he seeks a second term. The administration is taking a “comprehensive federal approach,” White House domestic […]

New York Times, July 20, 2023, Signature Biden Program Won’t Fix Racial Gap in Air Quality, Study Suggests A new analysis has found that the White House’s signature environmental justice program may not shrink racial disparities in who breathes the most polluted air, in part because of efforts to ensure that it could withstand legal challenges.

Axios, July 20, 2023, Gender pay gap now the narrowest on record The pay gap between full-time working women and male counterparts is now the narrowest on record. Full-time working women had median weekly earnings of $1,001 last quarter, about 84% of the $1,185 male median. Male employees continue to earn more than their female

CNBC, July 21, 2023, Less than 5% of U.S. housing supply is accessible to older, disabled Americans. These changes may help Despite a sizeable elderly and disabled population in the US, there is not enough affordable housing to accommodate those individuals. About 26% of the US population — or about 61 million people — have a disability, Casey said. At the

Reuters, July 20, 2023, US consumer watchdog warns no more ‘rubber stamp’ for bank mergers US lenders hoping for easy merger approvals in the wake of the March banking crisis should instead expect tough scrutiny from regulators worried about financial stability, the director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) told Reuters. “Banks can expect

San Francisco Standard, July 14, 2023, Here’s the Last Bank Standing in This Historic Black Neighborhood in San Francisco The Wells Fargo branch at 3801 Third St. is the last financial institution left on the Bayview’s main commercial corridor after the closure of the U.S. Bank earlier this month. The next closest bank branch is the Bank

Axios, July 17, 2023, Fight over gender-affirming care moves to HHS spending bill Taxpayer funding of hormone therapies and gender-affirming surgeries would be barred under House Republicans’ fiscal 2024 spending bill covering the federal health department, which is moving through Congress. Adding a funding restriction into a federal spending bill can have long-lasting implications, as seen during

NBC, July 16, 2023, In ‘warfare against renters,’ homeowners fight affordable housing push Vocal groups of homeowners say they are fearful of what the changes could mean for their communities. Increasingly, they are fighting back with lawsuits, referendums, appeals to state representatives and recall elections in a battle to stave off multifamily housing in their

Yahoo! News, July 15, 2023, Boston’s plan to convert empty office buildings into housing faces challenges Boston Mayor Michelle Wu announced a program on Tuesday to offer steep property tax discounts of up to 75% for landlords who convert empty office space into residential use. Wu’s policy comes in response to two problems afflicting many cities: since

Them, July 6, 2023, Anti-LGBTQ+ Laws Are Being Blocked in Federal Courts Across the Country More than 75 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been signed into law this year, but they are increasingly unable to hold up in court. In just the last two months, federal judges — including two appointed by former President Donald Trump — and

Axios, July 7, 2023, The country’s homebuilding hot spots, mapped There were 42.3 new homebuilding permits per 100,000 residents issued nationwide in May 2023, up from 32.9 in May 2020 — the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Recent estimates from Freddie Mac indicate the U.S. is short about 3.8 million units of housing, either for rent or purchase, Axios’ Emily

Bloomberg, July 7, 2023, Black Workers in the US Account for 90% of Recent Rise in Unemployment The unemployment rate for African Americans jumped for a second straight month in June as workers left the workforce amid early signs of a cooling labor market. That cooling has been uneven: The number of unemployed African Americans has increased

NPR, July 7, 2023, Homelessness is compounded by more people losing housing because its unaffordable Jeniffer Ludden speaks on rising homelessness, “It’s not like programs to move people into housing don’t work. Los Angeles provides housing for thousands each year. The problem they say is that even more people keep losing housing because it is

The Journalist’s Resource, July 5, 2023, Mental health disparities in older LGBTQ+ populations: A research roundup Older LGBTQ+ adults have higher rates of anxiety, depression, eating disorders, loneliness and suicidal thoughts, compared with their heterosexual counterparts, studies show. They are also disproportionately affected by substance use disorders, including tobacco, alcohol and other drugs, according to academic research. And,