30 Apr

Topeka JUMP maintains its goals with meeting held online

Posted by in Affordable Housing, Public Transportation, Topeka JUMP

April 30, 2020. WIBW.

Though the coronavirus pandemic caused the Topeka Justice Unity and Ministry Project to hold its biggest meeting of the year online this week, rather than in person, group leaders say the organization is going strong, advocating for affordable housing, public transportation and a reduction in gun violence in the capital city.

The group’s Nehemiah Action meeting, which last year attracted a crowd of 1,200 people, took place online, with a number of local officials expressing their support for JUMP and its mission.

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27 Apr

Topeka JUMP pushes for affordable housing

Posted by in Affordable Housing, Topeka JUMP

April 27, 2020. KSNT.COM

The Topeka Justice, Unity, and Ministry Project held its 2020 Nehemiah Action virtually on Monday evening. Affordable housing was a key topic on the agenda.

With the economic impact coronavirus is having on working families more demand is expected for affordable housing. The 2019 Topeka housing study found that renters need to earn at least $16 an hour to afford a decent two-bedroom apartment.

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27 Apr

Fearing wave of evictions, advocates press Richmond City Council to up investment in affordable housing

Posted by in Affordable Housing, RISC

April 27, 2020. Richmond Times-Dispatch.

In the middle of a pandemic many fear will cost families their homes, advocates on Monday pressed the Richmond City Council to steer more dollars to affordable housing for residents.

In normal times, Richmond landlords evicted tenants at the second-highest rate of any like-sized city in the country, Princeton University researchers found. Advocates expect that trend to worsen with jobless claims mounting and the COVID-19 crisis increasing the economic strain on families that were already just getting by.

“COVID-19 has turned Richmond’s eviction and affordable housing crisis into a public health calamity,” said Marty Wegbreit, an attorney with the Central Virginia Legal Aid Society.

“Human lives and dignity are at stake,” said Aubrey Jones, a board member of Richmonders Involved to Strengthen Our Communities, or RISC.

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10 Mar

Pastors blast Fort Myers council members for no-show at Nehemiah Action

Posted by in Affordable Housing, LIFE

March 10, 2020. News-Press.

More than 300 Fort Myers residents flocked to Dunbar High School to hear ministers and activists call for action Monday for affordable housing and day care and heard their religious leaders criticize four city council members they had expected to attend.

One of the four, Councilman Fred Burson, said he did not attend because city attorney Grant Alley called the council members and told them not to attend because of the possibility that it could violate the state Sunshine Law requiring open government.

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23 Jan

After a tussle over semantics, Miami city commissioners delay approval of housing plan

Posted by in Affordable Housing, PACT

January 23, 2020. The Miami Herald.

After a heated tussle over semantics and the legal repercussions of the words “approval” versus “acknowledgment,” the Miami City Commission on Thursday voted unanimously to accept the Miami Affordable Housing Master Plan prepared by Florida International University and reconvene at a special session at 10 a.m. on Jan. 31 to dig into its findings.

The wording on the meeting agenda asked the commissioners to vote on “approving” the master plan and authorizing the city manager to “negotiate and execute” all necessary documents related to the plan. The vote would have incorporated the plan “effective immediately.”

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