The Housing Act of 1937 established the first federal housing policy in the US. It aimed to provide assistance to states to eliminate unsafe housing conditions, eradicate slums, and provide decent and affordable housing to low-income families. It also sought to reduce unemployment and stimulate business activity. The Act created the United States Housing Authority and was a landmark in the development of public housing in America.

2.  The Housing Act (1937)
 First ever federal housing policy in the U.S.
 Provided assistance to the states to help:
 Eliminate unsafe and unsanitary housing conditions
 Eradicate the slums
 Provide decent, safe and sanitary dwellings for low income families
 Reduce unemployment and stimulate business activity
 Created the United States Housing Authority (until 1947).

3. – from hud.gov
 Protects people from discrimination when they are renting or
buying a home, getting a mortgage, seeking housing
assistance, or engaging in other housing-related activities.
 Prohibits discrimination in housing because of: race, color,
national origin, religion, sex, familial status and disability.

4.  In sale and rental of housing:
 It is illegal discrimination to take any of the following actions because of race,
color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, or national origin:
 Refuse to rent or sell housing
 Refuse to negotiate for housing
 Otherwise make housing unavailable
 Set different terms, conditions or privileges for sale or rental of a dwelling
 Provide a person different housing services or facilities
 Falsely deny that housing is available for inspection, sale or rental
 Make, print or publish any notice, statement or advertisement with respect
to the sale or rental of a dwelling that indicates any preference, limitation
or discrimination
 Impose different sales prices or rental charges for the sale or rental of a
dwelling
 Use different qualification criteria or applications, or sale or rental
standards or procedures, such as income standards, application
requirements, application fees, credit analyses, sale or rental approval
procedures or other requirements

5.  In sale and rental of housing:
 It is illegal discrimination to take any of the following actions because of race,
color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, or national origin:
 Evict a tenant or a tenant’s guest
 Harass a person
 Fail or delay performance of maintenance or repairs
 Limit privileges, services or facilities of a dwelling
 Discourage the purchase or rental of a dwelling
 Assign a person to a particular building or neighborhood or section of a
building or neighborhood
 For profit, persuade, or try to persuade, homeowners to sell their homes by
suggesting that people of a particular protected characteristic are about to
move into the neighborhood (blockbusting)
 Refuse to provide or discriminate in the terms or conditions of homeowners
insurance because of the race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial
status, or national origin of the owner and/or occupants of a dwelling
 Deny access to or membership in any multiple listing service or real estate
brokers’ organization

6.  In Mortgage Lending:
 It is illegal discrimination to take any of the following actions based on race,
color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, or national origin:
 Refuse to make a mortgage loan or provide other financial assistance for a
dwelling
 Refuse to provide information regarding loans
 Impose different terms or conditions on a loan, such as different interest
rates, points, or fees
 Discriminate in appraising a dwelling
 Condition the availability of a loan on a person’s response to harassment
 Refuse to purchase a loan

7.  The Housing Choice Voucher Program (1974)
 Part of Section 8 rental assistance
 The voucher covers the difference between a fixed percentage of a
tenant’s income (30%) and the fair market rent of a housing unit.
 Half is project based (tenant lives in a specific apartment)
 Half is tenant based (tenant must find a unit in the economy)
 It is not an entitlement program; means tested
 Long wait lists

8.  Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act (1990)
 Provided block grants for housing purposes to state and local
governments
 Allowed state to administer their own housing policies
 Linking housing assistance to social services
 Using a nonprofit sponsor to administer policies
 Facilitating homeownership for low- and moderate- income families
 Preserved excisting government housing units
 Cost sharing between states and the feds

9.  Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act (1990)
 HOME grant. Allow for affordable housing for low- and medium-
income families. States decide how to spend the money.
 SHOP grant. Allow nonprofits to buy home sites and develop or
improve infrastructure so low income families can purchase a home.
Think Habitat for Humanity.
 HOPE grant. Sale of publicly owned home to low-income families.
 Provides for social services to disabled and elderly.
 Social Services near public housing projects

10.  Redlining. Real estate related practice that puts services,
financial and otherwise, out of reach for residents of certain
areas based on race or ethnicity.
 It normally includes the systematic denial of mortgages, insurance, loans
and other financial services based on location (and that geography area’s
history) rather than an individual's qualifications and creditworthiness.
 Redlining is most palpable in minority neighborhoods.
 See short documentary called Redlined: A Legacy of Housing
Discrimination (on Brightspace)

11.  Gentrification. Resettlement of existing low-income
neighborhoods by middle- and upper-class home owners or
investors
 Normally results in forcing poor and indigenous residents out of their
neighborhoods

12.  Who is homeless? – as of 2012 – issued by HUD
 People who are living in a place not meant for human habitation, in emergency
shelter, in transitional housing, or are exiting an institution where they
temporarily resided.
 The only significant change from existing practice is that people will be considered homeless
if they are exiting an institution where they resided for up to 90 days (it was previously 30
days), and were in shelter or a place not meant for human habitation immediately prior to
entering that institution.
 People who are losing their primary nighttime residence, which may include a
motel or hotel or a doubled up situation, within 14 days and lack resources or
support networks to remain in housing.
 HUD had previously allowed people who were being displaced within 7 days to be
considered homeless. The proposed regulation also describes specific documentation
requirements for this category.

13.  Who is homeless? – as of 2012 – issued by HUD
 Families with children or unaccompanied youth who are unstably housed and
likely to continue in that state.
 This is a new category of homelessness, and it applies to families with children or
unaccompanied youth who have not had a lease or ownership interest in a housing unit in
the last 60 or more days, have had two or more moves in the last 60 days, and who are likely
to continue to be unstably housed because of disability or multiple barriers to employment..
 People who are fleeing or attempting to flee domestic violence, have no other
residence, and lack the resources or support networks to obtain other
permanent housing.
 This category is similar to the current practice regarding people who are fleeing domestic
violence.

19.  Why do people become homeless? – endhomelessness.org
 Housing / Lack of affordable housing
 Income / Economic situation
 Health
 Domestic Violence
 Disproportionate opportunity / Racial inequality
 Other: Divorce, trauma, aging out of foster care, released from prison,
substance abuse and alcoholism

20.  Point-in-Time Count.
 A count of sheltered and unsheltered people experiencing homelessness on a single
night in January.
 Conducted every year with the help of community partners and volunteer
organizations
 Includes persons shelthered in emergency shelters, safe havens and transitional
housing
 People who are unsheltered must be counted every two years.