Skip to main content
Search Menu
Show search

Urban Wire ::Housing and Housing FinanceRSS

The blog of the Urban Institute
Skyline with houses
Housing and Housing Finance

Appraisal Waivers Have Helped Homeowners Find Payment Flexibility Amid Pandemic-Induced Economic Struggles

For many homeowners, the increased use of appraisal waivers has provided a tangible financial benefit during COVID-19.
Woman holds up a notice to pay an outstanding rent balance
Housing and Housing Finance

How States Can Use TANF to Fund Rental Assistance and Prevent Evictions

Flexible federal spending guidelines make TANF well positioned to fill funding gaps in rental assistance programs.
Protesters hold "cancel rent" sign
Housing and Housing Finance

Evictions Are on Pause, but Many Renters Still Can’t Pay

Renters in every state still need additional rental assistance, even after receiving unemployment benefits.
Home in the dark
Housing and Housing Finance

A Broader Outreach Strategy Would Help 400,000 Needlessly Delinquent Mortgage Borrowers

Approximately 400,000 homeowners who became delinquent after the pandemic began have forgone forbearance and become delinquent.
Ironworkers climb a building
Housing and Housing Finance

Proposition 15 Won't Worsen California’s Housing Crisis

Proposition 15 might moderately increase housing supply, but because it affects so few properties, it can’t solve California’s housing crisis.
Housing activists gather to protest alleged tenant harassment by a landlord and call for cancellation of rent in the Crown Heights neighborhood on July 31, 2020 in Brooklyn, New York.
Housing and Housing Finance

Black and Hispanic Landlords Are Facing Great Financial Struggles because of the COVID-19 Pandemic. They Also Support Their Tenants at Higher Rates.

For landlords who are struggling to pay mortgages and are disproportionately people of color, additional policies could alleviate their financial burdens.  
Community member protests evictions
Housing and Housing Finance

The CDC Took an Important Step to Halt Evictions Because of COVID-19. But That’s Only Half the Battle.

The eviction moratorium offers a temporary reprieve, but rent payments will still pile up and be due down the line. That’s why large-scale federal rental assistance is critical.
Protester holds a sign that says "no evictions"
Housing and Housing Finance

How Should Communities Target Scarce Rental Assistance Resources?

There’s no foolproof roadmap, but these three principles can help local leaders determine how to prioritize their scarce rental assistance resources.
Manufactured home
Housing and Housing Finance

22 Million Renters and Owners of Manufactured Homes Are Mostly Left Out of Pandemic Assistance

Occupants of manufactured homes work in industries and occupations that are most vulnerable to COVID-19.
House roofs
Housing and Housing Finance

Six Facts You Should Know about Current Mortgage Forbearances

More data can help policymakers better understand how to support homeowners during the pandemic.

COVID-19: Policies to Protect People and Communities

COLLECTION

COVID-19: Policies to Protect People and Communities

The Vulnerable, Vital 2020 Census

COLLECTION

The Vulnerable, Vital 2020 Census

Behind the Numbers at the Urban Institute

DATA@URBAN

Behind the Numbers at the Urban Institute

Critical Value: An Urban Institute Podcast

LISTEN

Critical Value: An Urban Institute Podcast

Structural Racism in America

COLLECTION

Structural Racism in America

Updates from the Urban Institute

Updates from the Urban Institute

Urban Wire Writers

Follow Us

Support Urban Institute