Pontiac is "trying hard to reinvent itself" by turning its downtown into a "regional entertainment district"...so it is squeezing out a 60-year old shelter for at-risk women and children.
A request for expanding a local facility for at-risk women and children was turned down for the third time by the planning commission. Their proposed use for the property is a parking lot. "[Social Service] agencies [tend to] locate where rents were lowest and transportation most convenient for their clients...[The planning commission] sided with some business owners who argued that the presence of too many panhandlers and loiterers in the area drives away customers...[C]ity officials say they are protecting Pontiac's long-term interests."
Thanks to Karen Cashin
FULL STORY: Pontiac's Sheltered Downtown

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series
The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

Driving Equity and Clean Air: California Invests in Greener School Transportation
California has awarded $500 million to fund 1,000 zero-emission school buses and chargers for educational agencies as part of its effort to reduce pollution, improve student health, and accelerate the transition to clean transportation.

Congress Moves to End Reconnecting Communities and Related Grants
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee moved to rescind funding for the Neighborhood Equity and Access program, which funds highway removals, freeway caps, transit projects, pedestrian infrastructure, and more.

From Throughway to Public Space: Taking Back the American Street
How the Covid-19 pandemic taught us new ways to reclaim city streets from cars.
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