A Dallas non-profit has sued Texas Governor Greg Abbott over what it calls a blatantly racist law that allows landlords to refuse payment in federal housing vouchers.
A lawsuit filed in Dallas Federal Court is challenging a two-year old law adopted by the Texas Legislature that prohibits cities from requiring landlords to accept Section 8 vouchers. Robert Wilonsky of The Dallas Morning News reports that the lawsuit, filed by the Dallas-nonprofit Inclusive Communities Project, arose in response to an attempt by the Dallas City Council to pass an ordinance last Fall blocking "source of income discrimination." The council action was required as part of a settlement with HUD over discrimination complaints. However, the ordinance was preempted by the actions of the legislature.
[Per the lawsuit]: state law "explicitly permits multifamily landlords to deny housing to voucher families who can pay the rent, satisfy the tenant selection criteria, and for whom there are no legitimate business reasons not to accept as tenants. By permitting the multifamily landlords in white areas to discriminate solely on the basis of participation in the voucher program, the statute excludes the predominantly black voucher households from white areas."
Inclusive Communities Project notes that of those receiving housing vouchers from the Dallas Housing Authority, 86 percent are black.
FULL STORY: Dallas nonprofit sues Texas over law that lets landlords refuse housing vouchers
Fair Housing Funding Cuts Open Door to Discrimination, Advocates Say
Federal cuts to grants for fair housing advocacy organizations could lead to ‘widespread’ housing discrimination as enforcement resources are reduced.
HUD Plans to Revive Fair Housing Rule
The department is proposing an updated version of the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule, which requires local governments to take action to end residential segregation.
Amid Turmoil, HUD Relaxes Fair Housing Enforcement
The department's activities, or lack thereof, under the Trump administration have caused housing advocates a lot of consternation. Under Ben Carson, is HUD abandoning its fair housing mission?
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.
The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs
The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.
With Protected Lanes, 460% More People Commute by Bike
For those needing more ammo, more data proving what we already knew is here.
In More Metros Than You’d Think, Suburbs are Now More Expensive Than the City
If you're moving to the burbs to save on square footage, data shows you should think again.
The States Losing Rural Delivery Rooms at an Alarming Pace
In some states, as few as 9% of rural hospitals still deliver babies. As a result, rising pre-term births, no adequate pre-term care and "harrowing" close calls are a growing reality.
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.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)