A Little Louder

Latest Episodes:

Episode 39: Five things that need fixing in the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program Nov 22, 2021

Show notes

On this episode of A Little Louder, John sits down with Texas Housers staff attorney Elizabeth Roehm to discuss updates to the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program in our state. While some things remain the same with the Texas Department of Housing & Community Affairs, 2022 is shaping up to be a time we can effect real change.

Elizabeth and John discuss the strategies necessary to create truly affordable housing in higher opportunity areas, and how Texas Housers – alongside a few strong partners – will be fighting for this in the new year.

Episode 38: The American Rescue Plan Act and Tenants' Rights Nov 05, 2021

Show notes

On this episode, John is joined by Texas Housers Advocacy Director David Wheaton to give us an update on Texas allocating zero dollars for housing in its American Rescue Plan Act funds and how a coalition of housing organizations are choosing to act now. Texas Housers' Southeast Texas Co-Director Julia Orduña also joins the show to talk about updates with the Texas Rent Relief and Emergency Rental Assistance programs respectively and the urgency to prioritize low-income renters in certain cities and counties.

Episode 37: ERA and the Eviction Crisis in Texas Sep 07, 2021

Show notes

John is back in the studio and he is joined by several Housers to talk about rent relief and evictions in Texas. With the CDC moratorium on evictions ending in late August, courtesy of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling, many tenants are in danger of becoming unhoused or doubling up with family or friends, further endangering their safety as well as that of others. The sole measure that can protect renters now is the prompt delivery of rent assistance, so they may pay their back rent.

Texas Housers has been tracking how quickly and equitably this rent relief has been reaching tenants, in particular low-income households and households of color, and we have released our most recent findings in the report "Evaluating the Effectiveness of the Emergency Rental Assistance Program in Texas Vol.2". Senior researcher Ben Martin, research analyst and report author Erin Hahn, Southeast Texas regional director Julia Orduña, and community navigator Ally Harris all join John on the podcast to talk about how rent relief and other eviction diversion tactics are playing out in local government and in households across the state.

Episode 36: Who Can Afford The Rent In Texas? Jul 14, 2021

Show notes

The National Low Income Housing Coalition has released its Out of Reach report for 2021 and John and Christina are back in studio to discuss how Texas fits into the analysis. Turns out, low-wage workers have a hard time finding affordable housing in Texas, with very little help from state government. The A Little Louder hosts are joined by Texas Housers Senior Research Analyst Ben Martin who helps dissect Out of Reach '21 and what can be done to fix this critical issue for far too many Texans.

Episode 35: Eviction Courtwatch During COVID-19 Jun 08, 2021

Show notes

John is joined by Texas Housers' Julia Orduña and Ally Harris to talk about their experiences watching eviction court during the COVID-19 pandemic. The CDC moratorium should protect many individuals who appear before a Justice of the Peace due to non-payment of rent. However, far too many defendants and even some judges are not aware of the extent of these protections. Ally and Julia tell A Little Louder about what they have observed, the Houston Eviction Solidarity Network and other volunteer programs like it that are court watching, and what needs to change.

Episode 34: President Biden's Executive Orders On Housing Jan 29, 2021

Show notes

It's a new year and a new administration has moved into the White House. On the first day of the Biden presidency, the 46th President of the United States signed several executive orders regarding issues such as the pandemic, criminal justice, the economy, and housing. On this episode of A Little Louder, John and Christina both provide historical context to the power of the Fair Housing Act and talk about restoring the federal government's power to protect low-income households. The two also touch on what the Department of Housing and Urban Development is pursuing under new HUD Secretary nominee Marcia Fudge.

Episode 33: Relief for renters during a pandemic Dec 24, 2020

Show notes

In late December, Congress passed a long-overdue stimulus package that provides $25 billion in rental assistance and extends the CDC ban on evictions through Jan. 31, among other provisions. While the critical relief will pull millions of people out of economic despair, a housing crisis is looming if state and local officials do not prepare for an onslaught of evictions this winter. John and Christina bring in Texas Housers policy analyst Eli Barrish to talk about what the federal rental relief will mean for Texans, the state of eviction protections and rental relief, and how Texas Housers is working to keep Texans safe and housed.

Episode 32: Searching For A Landlord To Take My Voucher Dec 04, 2020

Show notes

In this episode, John and Christina explore the unnecessarily hard road for voucher holders in Texas. In the Lone Star State, Source of Income discrimination is a major issue for low-income families looking for a place to live. For Samara Nero, she tells us it took a lot of effort, extensions, and months upon months of searching for someone to take her voucher. Thankfully, there are advocates fighting against discriminatory landlords, like Demetria McCain from the Inclusive Communities Project in Dallas who also joins the podcast to talk about her work regarding SOI discrimination.

Read the Inclusive Communities Project's recent report on voucher discrimination here.

Episode 31: Housing Segregation, George Floyd, and Honoring True Housers Nov 06, 2020

Show notes

For our latest episode of A Little Louder, John and Christina experiment with a unique format. They discuss what they're reading, lift up the work of some great Housers, calling out stuff that "ain't right," and providing brief history lessons in the housing world. We also give a preview of the 2020 Houser Awards on Nov. 10.

Episode 30: Who is this housing for and where does it go? Oct 30, 2020

Show notes

Every year, Texas receives millions of dollars in tax credits to help developers build affordable housing. It's big money and a highly competitive process. The formula that decides who gets the federal subsidies in Texas is called the Qualified Allocation Plan, which is drafted by our state housing agency, the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. We speak with Texas Houser Elizabeth Roehm to break down what's new in the 2021 proposed QAP and challenge some new proposed rules that could curb opportunity for Texas tenants.

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