PRRAC Update  

August 22, 2013 

 

 

  

Welcome to the PRRAC Update!  Every other Thursday, PRRAC sends out a brief digest of news, recent publications, and other points of interest related to our work in housing, education, and health. We welcome feedback and encourage you to forward to others. To join the PRRAC email list, click here.

 

 

PRRAC participating in March commemoration event next week:  PRRAC Executive Director Phil Tegeler will join other national civil rights activists in a roundtable Monday morning at the Newseum in Washington, DC.  "Healing America For Our Children," Monday, Aug. 26, 2013 at 10:00, with Benjamin Jealous, president of the NAACP, Jacqueline Pata, executive director of the National Congress of American Indians, Janet Murguía, president of the National Council of La Raza, Marc Morial, president of the National Urban League Inc., Kathleen Ko Chin, president of the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum, Dr. Gail Christopher of the W.K Kellogg Foundation, and others!   Register here.

 

There are a large number of 50th anniversary talks, services, and other events happening this week and next, including the march and rally on Saturday, and closing events at the Lincoln Memorial on Wednesday.  For a list of anniversary events see the March website.

 

More evidence on the Low Income Housing Tax Credita comprehensive new study of LIHTC siting in the New York metro area was just released by the Fair Housing Justice Center - underscoring our continuing calls for fair housing guidelines and incentives at the federal level to create a more geographically balanced program.  Some of the key findings:  in New York City and 7 surrounding counties, 71% of LIHTC affordable housing units were located in areas of high or extreme poverty, and 77% were located in predominantly minority neighborhoods. In suburban areas, 63% of elderly LIHTC units were located in low-poverty areas, while only 25% of the family units were located in these areas. While more than half of all LIHTC affordable housing units received tax credits from the allocation agency based in New York City, only 2% of these units were located in low-poverty neighborhoods and only 9% were located in predominantly white areas.   

 

Excellent national conference on October 2ndwe are pleased to support the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies' ambitious PLACE MATTERS conference, "Exploring the Intersections of Health and Economic Justice," with HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan, Professor David Williams, Touré, Richard Wilkinson (author of "The Spirit Level"), Ayanna Gregory, and many others - - information and registration here. 

 

"The March on Washington and the Urban Institute": A quick refresher on LBJ's "Great Society" and the role of social science in civil rights policy - worth reading...

 

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Are you a federal employee?  Please consider contributing to PRRAC through the Combined Federal Campaign!  Our 2013 CFC designation code is 11710  (if you are not a federal employee you are also allowed to contribute the regular way - here...)