Poverty and Race Research Action Council

11/14/2025

The latest from our Executive Director — Thomas Silverstein:

“If nothing else, this article should be taken as a call to avoid binary thinking as we decide how to try to reduce affordable housing development costs. Avoiding binary thinking will mean that we acknowledge that some cost-inducing policies reduce costs that would be borne elsewhere. It will mean that we look for ways of solving the problems that cost-inducing policies seek to address through policy frameworks that are outside of affordable housing program design. It will mean that we look for ways of reducing costs that do not involve trade-offs with social justice implications.”

08/12/2025

07/31/2025

"With so much funding at stake, Hawai‘i Appleseed is working to raise public awareness about how QAP works and how the community can be involved.

“Where we come in is like talking to and engaging the public in a meaningful way … Your average community member isn't like, ‘Of course, it's time to comment on the QAP and I should really get into it this year and write out my testimony encouraging that it reflects the values that I think are important for our local community,’” said Hawai‘i Appleseed Housing Policy Director Arjuna Heim.

“The financing factor of all of it is the most complicated and kind of opaque, but also makes or breaks if a project is real or not.”

She explained that there needs to be more community conversation about what it wants to see the QAP reflect."

Thankful for our partnership with Hawai‘i Appleseed and their leadership on this critical issue.

Have you ever wondered how the state determines which affordable housing projects get state and federal funding? HPR's Ashley Mizuo reports on the process and some changes under consideration.

06/11/2025

Check out our explainer on a proposed rule that HUD published yesterday that threatens to roll back nearly 50 years of progress. Affirmative marketing is key to ensuring that our federally-assisted housing programs live up to their potential to advance civil rights.

Link to the pdf of this document.

06/03/2025

“It’s critical we have disparate impact to fight against race discrimination,” said Thomas Silverstein, executive director of the Poverty & Race Research Action Council (PRRAC), who is watching at least a dozen housing and lending cases that could fall apart without it.

The principle has been fundamental to ending “practices that perpetuate inequalities in our society that have their roots in Jim Crow, redlining and the state-sanctioned discrimination of the past.”

https://wapo.st/43onnu5

05/05/2025

Our Executive Director Thomas Silverstein explains why the Trump administration's attack on our civil rights statutes' disparate impact standard is contrary to law, fairness & commonsense in Slate.

03/20/2025

In addition to being completely unlawful (!), the President's executive order will also contribute to resegregation:

Washington, DC – In response to news that President Trump plans to sign an executive order and take other actions to close the Department of Education, Advancement Project executive director Judith Browne Dianis issued this statement:

03/13/2025

Professor Susan Sturm's new book, "What Might Be: Confronting Racism to Transform Our Institutions," delves into some of the embedded paradoxes of pursuing anti-racism work within existing institutions. Susan will be doing a book talk in conversation with PRRAC Board Chair Olati Johnson, at the PRRAC offices on March 19, 5:00-7:00. RSVP here:

02/19/2025

NLIHC is calling on advocates to act with the fierce urgency of now to protect vital HUD programs and staff!

Without essential HUD resources, it will be significantly more difficult for states and communities to access the federal funding they need to build affordable housing, address homelessness, recover from disasters, and more! - https://bit.ly/4gNPJBe

02/16/2025

Great statement from Senator Murray!

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and a senior member and former Chair of the Senate Education Committee, issued the following statement in response to the post on X by DOGE and the letter sent by the Trump administration ...

02/13/2025

CT Rep Jahana Hayes - speaking truth to truth-deniers!

"Hayes, D-5, a former teacher of the year from Waterbury, introduced a House Resolution declaring racism a public health crisis with U.S. Rep. Delia C. Ramirez of Illinois."

Connecticut congresswoman leads the effort to recognize the impact of racism in the United States.

02/11/2025

🛠️🏠 "Moving LIHTC Towards Social Housing: A Toolkit" is now available!

Alliance for Housing Justice & Poverty and Race Research Action Council break down how advocates can reshape LIHTC spending to secure affordability, tenant protections & community control—aligning public funds with principles & advancing housing justice.

Download "Moving LIHTC Towards Social Housing: A Toolkit" here http://allianceforhousingjustice.org/social-housing/qap-lihtc