CARES Act

Capitol Hill

Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill Heads to the House: Details and Reactions From the Planning World

Planetizen gathered explainer posts and advocacy responses that continue to shine a light on the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, approved by the U.S. Senate earlier this month.

August 17, 2021 - James Brasuell

Rent Jubilee

Landlords Filing Evictions to Speed Rent Relief Funds

Because many rent relief programs prioritize tenants actively facing eviction, some Ohio landlords are using eviction to speed up the process.

August 9, 2021 - Bloomberg CityLab

A row of motels on a wide street in Fresno, California

Beleaguered Project Homekey Credited With Local Success

California's Project Homekey has been a boon for homelessness support services as well as the economic and living conditions on a corridor in Fresno known as Motel Drive.

July 11, 2021 - CALmatters

COVID-19 Eviction Crisis

$425 Million in Rent Relief Never Reached Those in Need

A damning investigation reveals the immense financial resources that states could have spent on rent relief but failed to do so, whether willfully or not.

June 29, 2021 - The Center for Public Integrity

Downtown Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, United States.

How Some Main Street Businesses Survived the Pandemic

Despite the economic blow dealt by last year's lockdowns, business districts in smaller cities like Wilkes-Barre managed to weather the crisis.

June 10, 2021 - The New York Times

Government Center Station Miami

How $30 Billion in Stimulus Funding Would Change the Equation for Transit Agencies

The funding in the draft stimulus funding package making its way through Congress falls short of the total requested by the American Public Transportation Association, but would go a long way to helping transit agencies weather the pandemic.

February 10, 2021 - TransitCenter

HUD

HUD Won't Help With Back Rent Until Eviction Moratoriums Are Gone

Eviction prevention was an eligible use for CARES Act money...until HUD decided that it's not worth preventing evictions until they are under 14 days away.

February 10, 2021 - Shelterforce Magazine

Capitol Hill

Proposed $1.9 Trillion Stimulus Includes $30 Billion Each for Transit and Rent Relief

Democrats in Congress are moving forward with a massive COVID stimulus package—with or without Republicans.

February 9, 2021 - CNBC

New York City Subway

What's in the New Economic Stimulus Package for U.S. Transit Agencies

A new economic stimulus package that appears headed for approval as of this writing will give $15 billion to public transit, far less than transit advocates had hoped, but far better than nothing.

December 17, 2020 - Streetsblog USA

Potted Plants

Tiny Homes Village Planned in St. Louis

St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson hopes to use CARES Act funding to 50 new homes for homeless living in the city.

November 18, 2020 - St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Cresskill, New Jerset

The CARES Act Was Supposed to Protect NJ Tenants from Eviction. It Didn’t.

State activists say eviction cases were filed in violation of the CARES Act’s ban on evictions. Pre-trial settlement conferences are further complicating the situation.

November 2, 2020 - Shelterforce Magazine

Small Jazz Club New York

Trump Decision to Bail on Federal Stimulus Pushes Music Venues Over the Brink

Public transit, employment, homelessness, foreclosures—all hang in the balance as the federal government falters with a proposed economic recovery package. So does the prospect of going to a show after the pandemic.

October 8, 2020 - Vice

Apartment renter

Landlords Facing Loss of Property and Income During Eviction Bans

Independent landlords struggle to keep up with the cost of rental units and continue to face massive income drops caused by eviction moratoriums. Some of them are pushing back.

September 16, 2020 - Politico

Amtrak Train

Amtrak in Dire Financial Straits, Seeking More Federal Relief Funding

Amtrak officials say they need $4.9 billion in funding to prevent service and job losses.

September 15, 2020 - Reuters via St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Coronavirus

States Use CARES Act Funds to Keep Renters Afloat

More than a dozen states are using Community Development Block Grant funding from the CARES Act to fund emergency rental and mortgage assistance programs.

September 11, 2020 - Shelterforce Magazine

Trailer Parks

Owners and Renters of Manufactured Homes Lack Assistance During the Pandemic

Millions of people who live in manufactured homes were already vulnerable. The pandemic has made their housing situations even more precarious.

August 28, 2020 - Urban Wire

Bhaji Bazaar

Phoenix Reshapes Local Food Distribution System During Pandemic

As tons of local produce runs the risk of over-ripening and perishing in Phoenix, Local First Arizona Foundation develops an organization structure to collect, prepare, and distribute local food.

August 19, 2020 - Next City

Lake Oswego Transit Center

Public Transit in Crisis: Low-Income Riders Have the Most to Lose From Service Cuts

Riders who rely most on public transit are suffering the worst consequences of the cuts to service during the fiscal belt tightening of the coronavirus pandemic.

August 19, 2020 - The New York Times

Donald Trump

Skepticism for Trump's Executive Orders

President Trump put on a show while signing a batch of executive orders late last week, but on further evaluation, the president's signatures on these orders aren't likely to save anyone from the economic devastation of the coronavirus.

August 12, 2020 - The Washington Post

Campaign Rally

Pandemic Containment Funding in Jeopardy

When President Trump asserted, "We do too much (coronavirus) testing," he wasn't kidding. He wants to strip $25 billion in funding for testing and tracing needed by states where COVID-19 cases are surging and testing is not meeting demand.

July 20, 2020 - The Washington Post

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HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Call for Speakers

Mpact Transit + Community

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HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

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