Tenant organizers and legal services groups are working vigorously to get ahead of eviction cases as housing court processes restart.

Though many advocates are working on extensions, eviction moratoriums across the country are drawing closer to an end, though extreme levels of unemployment continue. While the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s moratorium on single-family home foreclosures and evictions from properties it owns has been extended to at least Aug. 31, the broader CARES Act moratorium on eviction filings for subsidized properties and those with federally backed mortgages still expires on July 25, and the patchwork of state and local moratoriums varies widely in length and coverage.
It is difficult to keep track of moratorium expirations around the country, especially because moratoriums are often extended very shortly before they are scheduled to expire. According to Eviction Lab’s scorecard as of mid-June, there are 17 states that, at one point during the pandemic, had a statewide moratorium but now do not, including Louisiana, Tennessee, Colorado, and Texas. An additional six states never had a statewide moratorium, including Georgia, Ohio, and Missouri. Many cities also had local versions that differ from their states, if their state has one, in length or strength.
Advocates have been fearing the wave of eviction proceedings that would overtake housing courts once moratoriums were lifted. A May 28 report from the UCLA Luskin Institute on Inequality and Democracy estimates that without a substantial infusion of resources or new legislation, 120,000 families, including 184,000 children, are likely to become homeless in Los Angeles County alone in the next few months.
In fact, eviction proceedings were already rising prior to states’ moratoriums being lifted. Few moratoriums cover all the phases of eviction, from notice to filing to removal. In places where the earlier steps are not covered and housing courts have reopened, eviction cases filed since March are proceeding. That means many may have reached the stage of actually removing tenants by the time that is legally allowed again.
While they are still hoping that large-scale rent relief or forgiveness will come through to make it less necessary, housing advocates and tenant organizing groups are working tirelessly to brace for the evictions surge, preparing a range of responses.
....
FULL STORY: As Moratoriums Start to Lift, Preparing for an Eviction Wave

Planning for Congestion Relief
The third and final installment of Planetizen's examination of the role of the planning profession in both perpetuating and solving traffic congestion.

Minneapolis Housing Plan a Success—Not for the Reason You Think
Housing advocates praise the city’s move to eliminate single-family zoning by legalizing triplexes on single-family lots, but that isn’t why housing construction is growing.

‘Mega-Landlords’ Threaten Housing Stability for Renters
As institutional investors buy up a larger share of single-family homes, the families renting them are increasingly vulnerable to rent increases and eviction.

Short-Term Rentals Vex Dallas City Council
Residents complain that vacation rentals exacerbate the city’s housing shortage and bring traffic and noise to residential neighborhoods, calling on the city to impose—and enforce—stricter regulations.

Traffic Fatalities Set Records as Pandemic-Era Road Carnage Shows No Signs of Stopping
An estimated 42,915 people died in automobile crashes in 2021, according to recent federal data. The increasing fatalities continue a trend that began with the outset of the pandemic.

Driver Shortage Undercuts the Potential of L.A.’s Recent Bus System Redesign
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority implemented a complete overhaul of its bus system in three waves over the course of 2021. A shortage of drivers for the system has made it impossible to implement that vision.
County of Sonoma
City of Malibu
EMC Planning Group Inc.
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Harvard GSD Executive Education
City of Redwood City
City of Rohnert Park
City of Hot Springs
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.
Hand Drawing Master Plans
This course aims to provide an introduction into Urban Design Sketching focused on how to hand draw master plans using a mix of colored markers.