Cash housing assistance in lieu of bureaucracy-laden vouchers could make affordable housing more accessible to low-income households.

The federal government is finally asking a question housing activists have been posing for decades: “What if, instead of traditional housing vouchers laden with convoluted red tape that landlords notoriously hate, low-income tenants could pay their rent with cash?” Writing in Vox, Rachel M. Cohen describes a potential new program taking shape at the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
As Cohen points out, this isn’t a new concept. “In the early 1970s, Congress successfully piloted a program to 14,000 families across 12 cities.” Now, HUD researchers want to pilot a new program to study how cash assistance might impact households’ ability to access housing.
Under current conditions, of the 25 percent of eligible households that receive federal Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers, only 60 percent are able to find housing using the voucher—in part due to source-of-income discrimination on the part of landlords.
The article outlines some of the challenges the program will have to overcome, including the logistics of distributing cash aid (which HUD isn’t allowed to do). “But if HUD isn’t allowed to distribute its vouchers as cash, foundations could step in, and then HUD could study how that goes.”
Cohen adds, “According to a HUD official involved, the federal demonstration could conceivably get off the ground in the next six to nine months, depending on how fast governments find charitable partners.”
FULL STORY: A bold new federal experiment in giving renters cash

Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing
Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?

Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?
Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?

Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.

Greening Oakland’s School Grounds
With help from community partners like the Trust for Public Land, Oakland Unified School District is turning barren, asphalt-covered schoolyards into vibrant, green spaces that support outdoor learning, play, and student well-being.

California Governor Suspends CEQA Reviews for Utilities in Fire Areas
Utility restoration efforts in areas affected by the January wildfires in Los Angeles will be exempt from environmental regulations to speed up the rebuilding of essential infrastructure.

Native American Communities Prepare to Lead on Environmental Stewardship
In the face of federal threats to public lands and conservation efforts, indigenous groups continue to model nature-centered conservation efforts.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
City of Moreno Valley
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland