Housing
Landlords wanted: As Afghan refugees arrive in Conn., housing is an issue
Thomas Kania is the grandson of Polish immigrants, people who he says came to the United States for opportunity. Now Kania, a real estate investor, says it’s their experience that has motivated him to help others looking for a bit of opportunity of their own — newly arrived Afghan refugees. “It’s basically the American spirit,”…
Read MoreVermont communities clear out campsites in the woods, but unhoused residents say they have nowhere else to go
Down a hill from an office park in White River Junction is a campsite tucked away in the woods. It’s beneath a highway corridor, on land owned by the Vermont Agency of Transportation. There’s a small green cabin next to a covered cooking area. Inside is a bed on a raised platform, neatly made. Battery-powered…
Read MoreHousing Advocates Want Connecticut To Address Shortage For Low-Income Earners In Fairfield County
Dione Dwyer lives in Bridgeport, Conn.’s largest public housing complex, P.T. Barnum Apartments. She remembers moving in 19 years ago and just being thankful for something to call her own. At the time, she was a single mother to two young daughters and had no stable income. She had been living with her father, a…
Read MoreEviction Orders Spiked In Connecticut When Federal Moratorium Lapsed
Connecticut got a preview of just how many renters faced eviction when the federal moratorium was lifted for two days. Before the federal order was reinstated Wednesday, judges in Connecticut signed a surge of orders that allow state marshals to remove tenants and their belongings from their homes. Yoni Zamir is a legal aid attorney…
Read MoreMaine’s Housing Crunch Squeezes Refugee And Asylum-Seeking Communities
It’s no secret that affordable housing can be hard to come by in Maine. Home prices are up nearly 30% compared to this time last year, according to the Maine Association of Realtors. Meanwhile, skyrocketing demand for rental units has overwhelmed an already limited housing stock. The severe lack of affordable housing poses a particular…
Read More‘We’re Just Asking For Some Compassion’: Tenants Urge State Intervention As Evictions Ban Expires
When the pandemic first hit, Dezyre Lewis found herself unemployed and unable to pay the rent for her Dorchester apartment. “It’s just been a really uncomfortable situation,” Lewis said. “If I’m not making any money to pay my landlord, my landlord isn’t making any money to pay her mortgage.” Lewis applied for rental assistance through…
Read More‘No Place To Go’: As State Of Emergency Ends, So Does Stable Housing For Some Vermonters
Gov. Phil Scott says an executive order he signed Tuesday will allow Vermont to continue drawing down federal aid even after the state of emergency lifts, but advocates for low-income Vermonters say they remain concerned about the loss of housing and food aid for vulnerable residents. On Monday the governor lifted all remaining COVID-related public…
Read More‘Perfect Age To Be Speaking’: Meet 16-Year-Old Activist Minelle Sarfo-Adu
In the past year, student activists have been hard at work to make change in their communities. Among them: 16-year-old Minelle Sarfo-Adu. On a Tuesday in late May, Minelle and I sat at a picnic table by the South Burlington condo she lives in with her mom. When Minelle was in 8th grade, she moved…
Read MoreHousing Options For Middle-Income Vermonters Worsen During Pandemic
Vermont’s housing market, which was tight before the pandemic, has gotten even worse. The number of homes available in Vermont dropped by almost 70% over the past year, according to the Vermont Association of Realtors. The trend has jump-started conversations about supporting more middle-income housing across Vermont. State officials have spent a lot of time…
Read MoreDomestic Violence Advocates Describe Increased Demand For Support Services During Pandemic
Rhode Island saw a surge in calls to domestic violence helplines in 2020, as people were directed to stay home to prevent the spread of COVID-19. As much of the state reopens, domestic violence prevention advocates say the need for support services remains high. Every day, Neyda DeJesus answers calls from domestic violence survivors seeking…
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