November 17, 2022

Colorado voters passed a measure that would direct an estimated $300 million a year to affordable housing projects by rewriting the state’s tax law. Proponents estimate it will create 170,000 houses and rental units over two decades. “It will make Colorado the first state in the country to be on the path to solve the affordable housing crisis,” said Mike Johnston, president and CEO of Gary Community Ventures.

Across the country, high inflation and rising housing costs have pushed more older Americans into homelessness. In Montana, the problem is particularly acute because the state is home to one of the oldest populations in the country, a population increasingly more likely to experience homelessness. A recent survey of older Montanans found about 44 percent struggled with housing during the previous year.

A McKinsey analysis found that counties in the US with above-average Black populations had fewer grocers, restaurants and farmers markets and more small convenience stores. Chicago, like many US cities, has “a history of redlining and disinvestment that, in turn, impacts multiple access points for food,” says Ruby Ferguson, who leads the Chicago Food Equity Council. The council, in partnership with city departments, community organizations, and various agencies, aims to reimagine and transform the city’s food system.

As the frequency and intensity of natural disasters increases, more communities are turning to community land trusts (CLTs)—nonprofits that buy land—to ensure community control, stave off displacement and ensure long-term affordability. CLTs are a vital tool for communities investing in affordable, resilient homes in preparation for future storms. “Part of affordability is creating quality and resilient homes so you’re not having to replace them,” said Ashley Allen, executive director of the Houston Community Land Trust. “And if we don’t address climate change, if we don’t address resiliency, we’re just going to keep creating affordability issues.”