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Lowering Costs for American Families Past Event

Lowering Costs for American Families

Join CAP for a conversation with Neera Tanden, Domestic Policy Advisor to President Joe Biden.

Center for American Progress

What California Can Teach America About How To Increase Housing Production Article
Construction of apartment complex with palm trees in background

What California Can Teach America About How To Increase Housing Production

Recent legislation in California has reduced the legal barriers to producing new housing units—everything from accessory dwelling units to large, multifamily buildings—when local governments fail to zone their communities for adequate housing.

Kevin DeGood

Increasing Affordable Housing Stock Through Modular Building Report
A crane stacks modular home segments to make a new duplex.

Increasing Affordable Housing Stock Through Modular Building

Modular building, if brought to scale, has the potential to reduce construction costs and make building new homes more affordable, especially in areas experiencing severe affordable housing shortages.

Michela Zonta

2023 CAP IDEAS Conference Past Event
CAP IDEAS Conference logo

2023 CAP IDEAS Conference

Join the Center for American Progress as we celebrate 20 years of innovative policy solutions and look boldly forward to a progressive future.

The Disproportionate Burden of Eviction on Black Women Report
Sun coming through clouds behind apartment building

The Disproportionate Burden of Eviction on Black Women

The United States continues to face an eviction crisis that has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and that disproportionately affects communities of color, particularly Black women.

Cleo Bluthenthal

Localized Anti-Displacement Policies Report
Photo shows a construction worker standing on the roof of a house.

Localized Anti-Displacement Policies

As more investments enter disadvantaged communities, it is crucial that local policies stabilize current residents, ensure they benefit from expanded opportunity, and protect them from displacement.

Justin Dorazio

The United States Must Deliver on Equitable Housing Outcomes for All Article
A man bicycles past a row of houses in Philadelphia.

The United States Must Deliver on Equitable Housing Outcomes for All

Federal investments kept millions of Americans in their homes during the pandemic; in the long term, commitment to bold federal housing policy can eliminate housing insecurity for millions while uplifting historically disadvantaged communities.

Ashfaq Khan

Recognizing and Addressing Housing Insecurity for Disabled Renters Article
A disabled woman is photographed in her Washington, D.C., apartment, which she can barely afford with public assistance, with family members, October 2012. (Getty/The Washington Post/Marvin Joseph)

Recognizing and Addressing Housing Insecurity for Disabled Renters

In light of new analyses showing that people with disabilities continue to face higher rates of housing insecurity, housing policies must center this community’s needs to ensure a more equitable housing system for all.

Jaboa Lake, Valerie Novack, Mia Ives-Rublee

The Pandemic Has Exacerbated Housing Instability for Renters of Color Report
Housing activists gather in the Crown Heights neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York, on July 31, 2020. (Getty/Scott Heins)

The Pandemic Has Exacerbated Housing Instability for Renters of Color

Hardships disproportionately faced by communities of color are being exacerbated by the pandemic and require an equitable recovery that reconciles past harms while also providing solutions for current and future challenges.

Jaboa Lake

Trump’s Plan To Defund Social Security Article
President Donald Trump walks up to speak during a news conference at the White House on August 10, 2020, in Washington, D.C. (Getty/Alex Wong)

Trump’s Plan To Defund Social Security

Permanently terminating the employee payroll tax along the lines President Trump has proposed would empty Social Security’s trust fund by 2026 or earlier.

Seth Hanlon, Christian E. Weller

Expanding the Supply of Affordable Housing for Low-Wage Workers Report
 (A man walks in front of a construction site in Denver on February 8, 2018.)

Expanding the Supply of Affordable Housing for Low-Wage Workers

Policymakers must focus on improving the jobs-housing fit—or connecting jobs with affordable housing—which is essential for working families and for the economy.

Michela Zonta

Kicking Folks Out While They’re Down Report
A newly erected fence blocks the front of a vacant home that Moms 4 Housing activists occupied during a monthslong protest that ended in a court-ordered eviction, in Oakland, California on January 28, 2020. (Getty/Philip Pacheco)

Kicking Folks Out While They’re Down

The early lifting of pandemic restrictions strains emergency housing and homelessness efforts and will exacerbate evictions, foreclosures, and the decades-old housing and homelessness crises.

Rejane Frederick, Jaboa Lake

The Economic Fallout of the Coronavirus for People of Color Article
A woman gives vouchers for groceries, provided by the food bank Feeding South Florida, to people lined up in their vehicles on April 6, 2020, in Sunrise, Florida. (Getty/Joe Raedle)

The Economic Fallout of the Coronavirus for People of Color

Occupational segregation, employment discrimination, and exploitation make economic downturns, such as the one created by the COVID-19 pandemic, worse in communities of color by destabilizing jobs, undermining small businesses, and increasing income shocks and unexpected expenses.

Connor Maxwell, Danyelle Solomon

3 Ways HUD Is Using Regulatory Attacks to Dismantle Fair Housing Protections Article
A man walks his dogs through the Park View neighborhood in Washington, D.C., February 2019. (Getty/The Washington Post/Bonnie Jo Mount)

3 Ways HUD Is Using Regulatory Attacks to Dismantle Fair Housing Protections

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has proposed multiple rules that target housing access for marginalized communities and weaken protections against discrimination.

Areeba Haider

A Right to Counsel Is a Right to a Fighting Chance Report

A Right to Counsel Is a Right to a Fighting Chance

Guaranteeing legal representation for renters facing eviction not only is a highly effective means of keeping renters in their homes, but it also benefits whole communities by preventing homelessness, preserving affordable rental homes, and more.

Heidi Schultheis, Caitlin Rooney

Racial Disparities in Home Appreciation Report

Racial Disparities in Home Appreciation

Segregation and racial disparities in home appreciation put African Americans at a disadvantage in their ability to build equity and accumulate wealth.

Michela Zonta

Lack of Housing and Mental Health Disabilities Exacerbate One Another Article
A homeless man beds down for the night at a warming shelter in Washington, D.C., January 2015. (Getty/The Washington Post/Jahi Chikwendiu)

Lack of Housing and Mental Health Disabilities Exacerbate One Another

Understanding the relationship between homelessness and mental health disabilities is key to preventing and ending homelessness for people with mental illness, particularly as housing costs continue to rise.

Heidi Schultheis

Homes for All Report

Homes for All

It is time for the federal government to contribute more aggressively to the U.S. supply of affordable housing, as it did in the past.

Michela Zonta

The Latest HUD Proposal Would Exacerbate the Housing Insecurity Crisis Article
A woman looks over an album of family photos after an eviction team removed all her possessions from her foreclosed home in Colorado, February 2009. (Getty/John Moore)

The Latest HUD Proposal Would Exacerbate the Housing Insecurity Crisis

By tripling the minimum rent and imposing counterproductive so-called work requirements, the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s proposed legislation would increase economic hardship for households already most at risk of eviction and homelessness.

Heidi Schultheis, Michela Zonta, Rejane Frederick

5 Features of Successful Housing Finance Reform Report

5 Features of Successful Housing Finance Reform

A reformed housing finance system should prioritize people at all income levels, including renters, and support liquidity and affordability across the mortgage market.

Sarah Edelman, Gregg Gelzinis

Recovering from Hurricane Maria Requires an Extensive Federal Response Article
Victims of Hurricane Maria carry supplies in Morovis, Puerto Rico, October 7, 2017. (AP/Ramon Espinosa)

Recovering from Hurricane Maria Requires an Extensive Federal Response

After weathering two devastating storms, Puerto Rico is still struggling to recover as the federal government fails to provide short-term and long-term relief.

Erin Cohan, Sarah Shapiro, Rebecca Cokley, 6 More Sarah Edelman, Gregg Gelzinis, Connor Maxwell, Scott Sargrad, Eliza Schultz, Cristina Novoa

The ‘Trump Loophole’ Would Benefit Millionaires, Not Small Businesses Fact Sheet

The ‘Trump Loophole’ Would Benefit Millionaires, Not Small Businesses

President Trump's and House Republicans' proposed "small-business" tax cut would create a new loophole for millionaires—including Wall Street financiers, lobbyists, lawyers, and wealthy business owners like Trump—while doing little or nothing for real small businesses.

Alexandra Thornton, Seth Hanlon

The Art of a Devastating Deal for Distressed Communities Article
A home facing foreclosure is seen in San Antonio, February 2009. (AP/Eric Gay)

The Art of a Devastating Deal for Distressed Communities

Community development, housing, and small-business cuts in Trump’s budget would leave struggling communities even worse off.

Joe Valenti, Sarah Edelman

The Trump Budget’s Attack on People with Disabilities Article
Three-year-old Cody Snyder, who has cerebral palsy, plays in his front yard in Bloomingdale, Ohio, with his mother Dawn on June 5, 2007. (AP/Mark Stahl)

The Trump Budget’s Attack on People with Disabilities

The Trump budget would be particularly damaging for Americans with disabilities.

Katherine Gallagher Robbins, Harry Stein, Jackie Odum, 2 More Michela Zonta, Rachel West

Trump at 100 Days: Case Studies of Trump’s Self-Serving, Special Interest Government Report
The White House is seen in Washington, April 23, 2017. ((AP/Manuel Balce Ceneta))

Trump at 100 Days: Case Studies of Trump’s Self-Serving, Special Interest Government

President Trump and those who serve in his administration make policy that benefits themselves and special interest elites like them at the expense of ordinary Americans who placed their faith in him.

Liz Kennedy, Danielle Root

The Big Lie that Conservative Policies Are Good for Small Business Article
A small-business owner is seen in the kitchen of his restaurant in Belzoni, Mississippi, on  March 23, 2017. (AP/Rogelio V. Solis)

The Big Lie that Conservative Policies Are Good for Small Business

This column busts five myths about how business regulation, tax giveaways, competition, and the Affordable Care Act affect small businesses.

Kate Bahn, Regina Willensky Benjamin

The 2008 Housing Crisis Report

The 2008 Housing Crisis

Contrary to conservative arguments, the 2008 housing crisis was caused by unregulated and loosely regulated private financial entities—not the federal government’s support for homeownership.

Colin McArthur, Sarah Edelman

5 Things to Watch in President Trump’s Skinny Budget Article
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin listens as President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting on the federal budget on February 22, 2017, in the White House. (AP/Evan Vucci)

5 Things to Watch in President Trump’s Skinny Budget

The impact of President Trump’s budget on working families will depend on the answers to these five questions.

Harry Stein, Scott Nathan

A Plan for Rebuilding America and Investing in Workers and Jobs Report

A Plan for Rebuilding America and Investing in Workers and Jobs

The start of the 115th Congress presents an important opportunity to strengthen communities, expand employment, raise wages, and build the infrastructure that will power the U.S. economy in the 21st-century.

Kevin DeGood

Treasury Secretary Nominee Steve Mnuchin’s Bet Against Seniors Article
Treasury Secretary nominee Steve Mnuchin arrives at Trump Tower in New York on November 30, 2016. (AP/Richard Drew)

Treasury Secretary Nominee Steve Mnuchin’s Bet Against Seniors

The Department of the Treasury requires a trustworthy leader. Based on the record of Financial Freedom, Mnuchin’s reverse mortgage company, it is unclear whether he meets this qualification.

Colin McArthur, Sarah Edelman

Toward Jobs and Justice Report

Toward Jobs and Justice

A strong housing foundation is a key component of economic security.

Michela Zonta, Sarah Edelman

The Role of Midwestern Housing Instability in the 2016 Election Article
This December 3, 2014, photo shows an abandoned house in Detroit, one of thousands of dilapidated buildings in Detroit. (AP/Beth J. Harpaz)

The Role of Midwestern Housing Instability in the 2016 Election

Although the national housing market outlook has improved in recent years, Midwestern voters—and the election results—may have been influenced by negative equity rates, housing instability, and a struggling mortgage market.

Michela Zonta, Sarah Edelman, Colin McArthur

Housing the Extended Family Report
Dilsia Acosta holds her grandson, March 2016. (AP/Allen G. Breed)

Housing the Extended Family

The housing needs of an increasing number of extended families are not being fully met by the current housing market.

Michela Zonta

A Progressive Agenda for Inclusive and Diverse Entrepreneurship Report
A pedestrian crosses a street in the main business section of Montezuma, Georgia, April 2014. (AP/David Goldman)

A Progressive Agenda for Inclusive and Diverse Entrepreneurship

Women and people of color face significant structural barriers to starting a small business and have lower rates of business ownership, but progressive policies that expand access to capital and support entrepreneurial education can help overcome these barriers.

Kate Bahn, Regina Willensky Benjamin, Annie McGrew

Opportunities for Promoting Credit for Affordable Housing in Rural America Report
A ranch home is pictured in Nevada, April 21, 2016. (AP/Scott Sonner)

Opportunities for Promoting Credit for Affordable Housing in Rural America

The affordable housing challenges facing rural communities demand a careful look at strategies that can boost credit and help rural communities thrive.

Shiv Rawal, Sarah Edelman, Gerado Sanz

Raising Wages and Rebuilding Wealth Report
Millions of Americans are still feeling the effects of a painful economic period.

Raising Wages and Rebuilding Wealth

To achieve economic security, middle-class Americans need policies that promote good jobs; a growing, inclusive economy; and affordable child care, higher education, health care, housing, and retirement.

Carmel Martin, Andy Green, Brendan Duke

Creating Safe and Healthy Living Environments for Low-Income Families Report
A man walks past a blighted building in the Penn-North neighborhood of Baltimore, with a residential tower in the Reservoir Hill neighborhood in the background at top right, on May 9, 2015. (AP/Patrick Semansky)

Creating Safe and Healthy Living Environments for Low-Income Families

Given how central homes and communities are to people’s lives, federal and local leaders must work to ensure low-income families live in environments that are conducive to their success.

Tracey Ross, Chelsea Parsons, Rebecca Vallas

Protecting Communities on the Road to Recovery Report
DASP needs additional protections to ensure that note purchasers handle the assets they purchase responsibly.

Protecting Communities on the Road to Recovery

Strong standards are critical to ensure that the Distressed Asset Stabilization Program protects homeowners and neighborhoods still recovering from the housing crisis.

Sarah Edelman, Michela Zonta, Shiv Rawal