Backers of President Joe Biden's rent cap proposal said it could benefit many New Yorkers.

The plan calls for capping rent increases at 5% in apartments owned by corporate landlords, or those landlords risk losing federal tax breaks. It comes as statewide rents are rapidly increasing. As of this month, New York City rents are 147% higher than the national average.

Cea Weaver, campaign coordinator for the group Housing Justice For All, said capping rents could greatly benefit New Yorkers struggling with housing costs.

"Many New Yorkers are already benefiting from stronger protections than what Biden has called for," Weaver acknowledged. "But for places that haven't opted into rent stabilization, which is many, in upstate New York especially, this would be hugely important, since half the state rents an unregulated apartment and this is potentially a lifeline."

The rent cap plan will require approval from Congress. It includes the Department of Housing and Urban Development investing $325 million nationwide in "Choice Neighborhood" grants, to support building affordable homes across the country.

Syracuse received $50 million from the program to build 1,400 affordable units. It comes as 31,000 households in Onondaga County spend more than one-third of their income on housing.

Beyond Biden's plan, New York's own good cause eviction protections passed earlier this year can help tenants. Since becoming law in May, four cities have opted in to the program. Though some housing advocates were against making it optional, Weaver noted the protections it offers reverberate in cities taking advantage of it.

"Right now, tenants in New York State have the right to renew their lease unless their landlord has a good reason to deny a lease renewal," Weaver explained. "The statutory protection is to remain in their home. And there's a nix on rent increases if you're rent-stabilized; it depends on what your local rent board voted for."

She notes cities adopting good cause eviction protections are also protecting tenants from almost 9% rent increases. Rochester and some Hudson Valley cities are considering opting in to these protections.


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Construction will begin early next year on new affordable housing dedicated to low-income Oregon farmworkers. This project is the latest by the Farmworker Housing Development Corporation, a nonprofit that is partnering with Energy Trust of Oregon to make their housing more energy efficient. This year, the FHDC hosted workshops teaching more than 200 families how to save energy at home.

Ramon Martinez, communications and advocacy coordinator with the FHDC, said the payoffs are significant. Along with receiving more than $20,000 in incentives to help reduce energy use across their properties, residents' bills are down.

"During the cold months, some people are afraid to turn on the heater, right? But its been great because I've heard successful stories about residents seeing $200, $300 bills, lowering it down to the $100 range," he explained.

Research shows that most farmworkers in Oregon do not have access to affordable housing and often live in over-crowded conditions.

In Oregon and Washington, 32% of farmworker households live in poverty, which is more than twice as much as the general U.S. population. The Farmworker Housing Development Corporation manages 460 units across the central Willamette Valley, providing affordable housing to more than 2,000 people. Along with rental housing, it also helps farmworkers who are interested in becoming homeowners.

Christian Meneses-Zurita, senior asset manager with the FHDC, said it has hosted homebuyer resource fairs and recently started a fund to help farmworkers find housing and pay for education.

"Our affordable housing options can be a stepping stone," Meneses-Zurita said.

More information about the Ramon Ramirez Fund is at www.FHDC.org.

In early 2025, construction will begin on new affordable housing dedicated to low-income Oregon farmworkers.


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One life-altering situation turned a North Carolina woman's stability into homelessness and now, she is sharing her journey to humanize homelessness and advocate for solutions to affordable housing.

Tonya Adams-Ruffin, 54, never imagined she would end up on the streets. A combination of domestic violence and a work accident left her without a home, a situation from which she is still recovering as she transitions into new housing.

"That was one of the hardest things that I had to do," Adams-Ruffin explained. "Not knowing if someone is going to try and hurt you, not feeling safe."

With support from the Interfaith Council for Social Services, Adams-Ruffin is using her experience to lead and advocate for change. After receiving leadership training from the council, she has taken on roles such as working the polls in her community and raising awareness about the realities of being unhoused.

Another way Adams-Ruffin is raising her voice to dispel myths about homelessness involves creating signs to raise awareness, with messages like "We may be homeless, but we're not helpless." The signs are part of her larger effort to spotlight the struggles faced by homeless individuals, challenges extending beyond appearances to include barriers in accessing essential resources such as safety, food and shelter, even from organizations designed to provide them.

"Just because you're homeless, you don't want to have to be in a situation where you can't bathe, eat, lie down when you need to and feel safe," Adams-Ruffin pointed out. "What I would do is say, 'Look, we need to do more with affordable housing.'"

Adams-Ruffin stressed her advocacy thrives through partnership with the council, which helps her amplify her vision for community impact. She is also raising awareness about a national grant to support those facing homelessness.

Alyssa Hinton, voter engagement project lead for the council, said the organization is providing the resources and support Adams-Ruffin needs to make a difference.

"There is a national grant that is up for $25,000 for anyone who has faced or is facing homelessness right now," Hinton noted. "We are priming and prepping our members to be able to apply for that grant. We have ideas. We can get this money. We have a place to do this. Let's do it together."

In 2023, nearly 10,000 people in North Carolina were homeless on any given night.


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Low-income Montana residents are getting help accessing legal aid online.

In some cases, updates to automated legal forms could help residents facing eviction stay in their homes, and also assist people who need help with family law issues.

Montana Legal Services Association will use the $275,000 technology assistance grant to overhaul and redesign its most-used automated, online legal forms.

MLSA's Community Legal Education Coordinator Linden Howard-Murphy said the information from those forms will be integrated into the state's court systems.

"We know that not everyone can afford a lawyer, and we also know that navigating the court system on your own can be extremely overwhelming," said Howard-Murphy. "One of the cornerstones of our work here at MLSA is empowering Montanans with the tools they need to handle their civil legal problems pro se. Pro se means without a lawyer."

MLSA data show there is only one legal aid attorney for every 8,900 Montanans who need civil legal help. Howard-Murphy said upgrading the online forms will help improve those numbers.

Ron Flagg - president of the Washington, D.C.-based Legal Services Corporation, which awarded the grant - said streamlining the online help low-income Montanans can access could be the difference between staying in their home and being evicted.

"And if you're living on the edge, that means you're one medical expense, one fender-bender from not being able to pay your rent," said Flagg. "And having legal assistance available in those cases is a game changer."

The Legal Services Corporation funds 130 nonprofit legal aid programs nationwide.