To donate by check, phone, or other method, see our More Ways to Give page.

×
      LATEST NEWSOPINIONCLIMATEECONOMY POLITICS RIGHTS & JUSTICEWAR & PEACE
      LATEST NEWS
      OPINION

      housing crisis

      'For Rent' sign in Washington, DC

      American Renters All Singing the 'Bourgeois Blues'

      There is no single solution to the growing problem of unaffordable housing, but with political will and organizing action at the local, state, and federal levels it could be dealt with.

      Rebecca Gordon
      Mar 17, 2023

      In 1937, the American folklorist Alan Lomax invited Louisiana folksinger Huddie Ledbetter (better known as Lead Belly) to record some of his songs for the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. Lead Belly and his wife Martha searched in vain for a place to spend a few nights nearby. But they were Black and no hotel would give them shelter, nor would any Black landlord let them in, because they were accompanied by Lomax, who was white. A white friend of Lomax’s finally agreed to put them up, although his landlord screamed abuse at him and threatened to call the police.

      In response to this encounter with D.C.’s Jim Crow laws, Lead Belly wrote a song, “The Bourgeois Blues,” recounting his and Martha’s humiliation and warning Blacks to avoid the capital if they were looking for a place to live. The chorus goes,

      Keep ReadingShow Less
      Opinion
      housing crisis
      Man holds a placard during a rally for housing rights

      As Housing Crisis Deepens, Corporate Landlords Applaud 'Weak' Biden Renter Protections

      "The Biden administration has apparently decided to assume that corporate landlords are good-faith actors with their tenants' best interests at heart, despite all of the evidence to the contrary, and just plain common sense."

      Julia Conley
      Jan 26, 2023

      Economic justice advocates on Thursday said that to determine the strength of the Biden administration's new nonbinding push for renter protections from the federal and state governments and private sector, one needs to look only at the elated response from corporate landlords.

      The Revolving Door Project (RDP) pointed to comments from the National Apartment Association (NAA) and the National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC), lobbying groups that represents landlords, that followed the White House's unveiling on Wednesday of its "Resident-Centered Housing Challenge" and "Blueprint for a Renters Bill of Rights."

      Keep ReadingShow Less
      News
      housing crisis
      SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER
      Quality journalism. Progressive values. Direct to your inbox.
      Follow Us
      Most Popular

      3 Children, 3 Adults Killed in Shooting at Christian Elementary School in Nashville

      'The Billionaire Bailout': FDIC Chair Says the Biggest Deposit Accounts at SVB Held $13 Billion

      'Noah's Wounds Were Not Survivable': Parents Allow Detailed View of AR-15 Carnage

      Internet Archive to Appeal 'Chilling' Federal Ruling Against Digital Books

      Trump Rally in Waco Called Not a Dog Whistle, But a 'Blaring Air Horn' to Far-Right

      'This Scam Is a Non-Starter': Dems Blast McCarthy's Latest Call for Painful Cuts

      Biden Urged to Crack Down on 'Terrifying' Use of AI by Medicare Advantage Insurers

      The Rule of Law Being Eviscerated by Republican Judges

      It Is Time to Show the American People Photographs of Children Massacred by Gun Violence

      Progressives Slam House Passage of GOP Book Banning Bill That Turns Children Into 'Pawns'

      SUPPORT OUR WORK.
      We are independent, non-profit, advertising-free and 100%
      reader supported.