October 21, 2021

In California, homelessness and home prices are both increasing as climate change fuels severe drought, rising sea levels, historic wildfires, and unprecedented heat waves. The state passed several bills to address its affordable housing shortage, but climate change concerns could stall future development. A new interactive mapping platform that provides access to more than 100 datasets highlighting natural resources could help inform policy responses to these challenges.

The 2021 comprehensive Hispanic Market Research Report shows that Hispanic homeownership in Arizona is rising. In the Tucson area, homeownership among Hispanic people has increased 12 percent, while homeownership has declined 11 percent for people who aren’t Hispanic. “Arizona is adding Hispanic homeowners faster than any other state in the nation,” said Marcela Fuentes, treasurer at the Tucson Association of Realtors. She adds, “Between 2020 and 2040 it is estimated that 70 percent of the new homeowners will be Latino.”

Across the country, eviction fillings have remained below prepandemic averages. Because they are a lagging indicator, filings fail to capture evictions that were filed during the pandemic and are just now being executed Meanwhile, landlords are engaging in other practices that push residents out, such as not extending leases and raising rents, leaving many renters struggling to find affordable housing with little pandemic protection or assistance remaining. “Poor and working-class people who were already hard-pressed to find a truly affordable place to live now are in a completely impossible position,” said Tara Raghuveer, director of KC Tenants.

The Veterans Community Project in Kansas City offers veterans experiencing homelessness a fully furnished home, a case manager, and wraparound services such as counseling, dental care, veterinary services, financial literacy instruction, and community building. The community has 49 tiny homes and a Veterans Outreach Center, where any veteran can access services such as hygiene kits, food, identification services, and mental and physical health referrals. They hope it can serve as a model for other communities. “We’re here to radically change the paradigm of how people look at veteran homelessness,” said Sean Anderson, the lead case manager at Veterans Community Project.