Senior Government and Economics Project, Acalanes High School
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Civic Action Assessment of Issue
1) As an American citizen I know that it is my duty to take personal time to give back to my community. It is my role to give back to those who are less fortunate than me in order to provide support to others.
2) I have learned the importance of activism in this class. Being an activist is part of my civic responsibility as an American citizen. It is important because it demonstrates the public’s opinions on national issues.
3) I think that it is my civic obligation to address the problems of my civic action issue. My issue deals with a large portion of the population of MY country, therefore, I am responsible for spreading awareness and brainstorming solutions.
4) I went to the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano with my classmates on November 4th. I had been to this food bank on multiple occasions with another volunteer organization. I think that the food bank is a great opportunity to directly affect the local low income population. By aiding the food bank staff by performing simple tasks, they are able to do more to help those in need. Volunteering at the food bank is not difficult and it is a great way to give back to the community.

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Executive Action Assessment of Issue
(1) a. Under the economy and jobs section on the White House website, there is a fact sheet that states that “President Donald J. Trump is tearing down red tape in order to build more affordable housing.” To accomplish this he has signed an executive order to establish a White House Council on Eliminating Barriers to Affordable Housing Development. The council will consist of members from across 8 Federal agencies and will be chaired by Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Ben Carson. It will engage with State, local, and tribal leaders to identify and remove obstacles that impede the development of new affordable housing.
b. I think that this is an important step and could be very beneficial for the low income population. By creating a group of people solely focused on a this singular issue, more can be accomplished in terms of providing affordable housing.
(2) a. Department of Housing and Urban Development
b. “The Department of Housing and Urban Development administers programs that provide housing and community development assistance. The Department also works to ensure fair and equal housing opportunity for all.”
This mission statement does relate to my issue because it describes the departments duties in regards to housing in the United States. The website states that the department is in charge of housing programs and is working to ensure equal housing opportunity for all.
c. Ben Carson
Background - Ben Carson is an American politician, author and former neurosurgeon serving as the 17th United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development since 2017, under the Trump Administration. Prior to his cabinet position, he was a candidate for President of the United States in the Republican primaries in 2016.
Professional Qualifications for Department - In 2016, Trump announced that he would nominate Carson to the position of Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. During the confirmation process, Carson was scrutinized by some housing advocates for what they perceived as his lack of relevant experience.
Impact of Lack of Relevant Experience - Carson’s lack of experience with housing programs and policies could prove detrimental to the progress of solving the issue of affordable housing.
d. The Housing Service relates to my issue. More specifically the Affordable Rental Housing sub-section. This section reviews government programs that help low-income individuals find affordable rental housing.
e. Unfortunately President Trump has cut funding to the housing budget. I do not agree with these cuts and I think more focused should be placed on this issue. A decrease in funding will create more problems in an area where money is already lacking.
SACAPS
Subject - The subject of this article is Donald Trumps opinion on the homeless population and his lacking efforts to resolve the issue.
Author - Johnathan L. Fisher
Context - In September, Trump ordered federal agencies to come up with a wide-ranging plan to deal with homelessness in California, part of what the Washington Post described as a broader effort to highlight problems in the state as well as U.S. cities.
Audience - The intended audience for this article is likely the people who are concerned with homelessness and are serious as to what the President is doing to combat this issue.
Significance - This article is significant because it highlights the actions of Trump in relation to homelessness in America and more specifically in California. Is also relayed quotes made by Trump about the homeless population and conveys his opinion of people living in poverty.
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State and Legislative Action
(1) a. I am surprised that my issue was not mentioned by either lawmaker. I feel that my issue is current and pressing and should be a concern of Assembly member Kahan and State Senator Glazer. I think that low income housing and homelessness is a federal as well as a state issue. This is why I am surprised by the lack of focus on this topic in the news room tabs on both websites.
b. I am not sure of either of their positions relating to my issue so I sent emails to each lawmaker to gain a better idea of their stances.
c. Neither of them have sponsored bills specifically concerning low income housing and homelessness within the past few years.
(2) a. AB-1239 (planning and zoning: housing element)
b. February 21st, 2019
c. The Planning and Zoning Law requires a city or county to adopt a comprehensive, long-term general plan that includes various mandatory elements, including a housing element.
d. I think that this is a valuable bill because it requires cities to adopt a long term plan rather than attempt to solve the issue with short term adjustments. I would encourage my representatives to support this bill because I think that it could be very beneficial to the low income population of California.
(3) a. Congressman Desalunier - Desalunier has supported legislation marks such as:
- Homeless Veteran Families Act (H.R. 4099) – provides the VA with the authority to help ensure that dependent children of homeless veterans have access to stable, safe housing
- Equal Pay Day Resolution (H.Con.Res. 117) – recognizing April 10th as Equal Pay Day
These help to establish better conditions for undeserved individuals.
Senator Harris - Harris has spronsored bills related to the issues of homelessness and low income Americans:
- (S.2613) Sponsored — A bill to provide a path to end homelessness in the United States, and for other purposes.
- (S.2544) Cosponsored — A bill to provide tax relief for the victims of Hurricane Florence, Hurricane Michael, and certain California wildfires.
(Helps people who have been made homeless by natural disasters.)
- (S.2467) Cosponsored — A bill to establish a program to award grants to entities that provide transportation connectors from critically underserved urban communities and rural communities to green spaces.
(Provides transportation from low income areas to locations with opportunities for paid work.)
- (S.2404) Cosponsored — A bill to establish an expansive infrastructure program to create local jobs and raise the quality of life in every community, to launch middle class career pathways in infrastructure, and to invest in high quality American jobs, and for other purposes.
(By providing better paying jobs, rates of homelessness and poverty in America could be lowered.)
Senator Feinstein - Feinstein has introduced and supported bills such as:
- Washington—Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Representatives Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) and Steve Stivers (R-Ohio) today introduced the Fighting Homelessness Through Services and Housing Act (S. 923), a bill to increase federal resources to battle homelessness. Specifically, the bill authorizes $750 million in grants annually for the next five years for local governments to combat homelessness.
- Washington—Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio) today introduced the Homeless Children and Youth Act to amend the definition of homelessness used by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Representatives Steve Stivers (R-Ohio) and Dave Loebsack (D-Iowa) introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives.
- Washington—Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today applauded California Governor Gavin Newsom’s revised state budget that included $1 billion to combat homelessness.
(Supported Newsom’s state budget to combat homelessness. Supports the effort to reduce poverty.)
(4) a. Yes, there are many bills that pertain to my issue.
b. S. 1106
c. This bill would require the federal government to give refundable tax credits to help people whose rent exceeds 30% of their gross income.
d. This bill would help families and individuals that struggle with paying rent and ultimately reduce homelessness.
e. I would vote yes because I think that it is unfair for people with low incomes to pay unreasonably high rent without support from the government.
f. This bill originated in the Senate. It has been reviewed by the Committee on Finance. The House and Senate have yet to vote on this bill.
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Political Interest Groups, and PAC Assessment
National
a. CASA in Action
b. The members of CASA in action are focused on issues common for the working class in the United States. The main issues addressed are neighborhood safety, housing affordability and the quality of education. They are especially considerate of immigrants and also the Latino community.
c. (1) “Fighting for a robust economy and good-paying jobs with benefits.”
(2) “Advocating for quality and affordable education.”
(3) “Championing for affordable and accessible health care.
(4) “Leading immigration reform that protects DREAMers and TPS holders.”
(5) “Passage of statewide driver’s license access for immigrants.”
d. In December 2017, CASA in Action worked with FIRM (Fair Immigration Reform Movement) to organize a mass action on Capitol Hill, in which thousands of activists marched on Washington holding photos of individuals who had been deported, demanding the restoration of DACA, the passage of DREAM, restoration of TPS, and a halt to family separation.
e. CASA in Action is based in the Mid-Atlantic. I could not attend one of their meetings.
f. CASA in Action asks for volunteers to help with tasks such as: Phone banking and door-to-door canvassing, mobilization events and activities and digital mobilization.
g. This interest group also focuses on community Self-Defense: with fear of deportation assuming center stage, each body of their work incorporates:
- Know Your Rights trainingBystander trainings
- Periodic community surveys to determine ICE/police collaborative practices
- Raid response self-protection groups
State
a. Housing California
b. Housing California is the voice in the state Capitol for children, seniors, families, all people experiencing homelessness, and everyone who needs a safe, stable affordable place to call home.
c. (1) Educate lawmakers and their staff about how their proposed legislation affects the issues of housing and homelessness to create widespread, long-term stabilizing impacts on California's housing.
(2) Advance the field of community development through our Annual Conference (the largest affordable housing and homelessness conference in the nation), networks, trainings, and media and communications.
(3) Marshal the power of our wide and growing network of supporters and members who deal with other facets of community development, so that those we serve can access resources beyond housing -- from jobs, schools, and public safety to healthy food and transportation.
(4) Organize residents of affordable homes to use their powerful voices to influence policies that affect their lives and include them in the fight so California meets housing needs of all.
(5) Build strong, broad coalitions and be a thought leader about housing and homelessness issues among homebuilders, nonprofit developers, homeless service providers, the health and mental-health communities, transportation experts, energy-efficiency experts, criminal justice reform advocates, child welfare workers, and others.
d. Housing California sponsored this bill: SB 282 (Beall) Supportive Housing for People on Parole Experiencing Homelessness: In 2018, Housing California sponsored legislation that aimed to reform a program at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) called the Integrated Services for Mentally Ill Parolees Program (ISMIP).
e. Housing California holds an annual conference. The 2020 Housing California Annual Conference will take place April 14-16 at the Town & Country in San Diego.
f. Housing California emphasizes the effects of income discrimination as it relates to housing and they are attempting to remedy the issue.
PAC
a. National Multifamily Housing Council
b. NMHC provides a forum for insight into the apartment industry, advocacy and action that enable both members and the communities they build to thrive.
c. Raised - $1,188,509
Spent - $1,228,960
Cash on hand - $1,106,338
d. Spent on Republicans - $251.5k
Spent on Democrats - $223.5k
e. (1) MAXUS PROPERTIES, INC.
(2) EDWARD ROSE & SONS
Their donors are mostly property corporations... To me, this indicates economic motives.
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Political Party Action
Republican (www.gop.com) - Responsible Homeownership and Rental Opportunities
a. The Republicans believe that in order to advance responsible homeownership, it is necessary to scale back the federal role in the housing market. They also state that the Federal Housing Administration should no longer support high income individuals and promote the idea that discrimination should have no place in the mortgage industry.
b. I do agree with most of the things the Republicans stated, however I do not identify as a Republican. I also don’t think that they mentioned minority groups on their platform as much as is necessary for this specific issue. I’m sure that there were proposals that I was unable to fully comprehend but from what I did understand, I think that their ideas could possibly lead to a more successful housing industry. (Successful in terms of Americans that are able to find homes, not the fiscal success of the housing industry.
Democrat (www.democrats.org) - Expanding Access to Affordable Housing and Homeownership
a. The goal of Democrats is to create a path towards financial stability for the middle class and put sustainable homeownership in reach of more American families. In order to achieve this they would like to preserve and increase the supply of affordable rental housing by building new affordable rental housing developments in areas of economic opportunity. They would also revive housing production programs, repair public housing, and increase funding for the housing choice voucher program and other rental assistance programs.
b. I really like the sound of these ideas and I think the Democrats have the right intentions when it comes to this issue. Their plans seem rather costly and and time consuming, but they would get Americans directly integrated into neighborhoods with an abundance of job opportunities.
Libertarian (www.lp.org) - Property and Contract
a. Libertarians believe that government should have no control over prices of goods and services including wages, rents, and interest. “For voluntary dealings among private entities, parties should be free to choose with whom they trade and set whatever trade terms are mutually agreeable.” They are essentially saying that pricing and payments for housing should be without government supervision or influence.
b. I disagree with the Libertarians view on property and housing. I do not think they provide enough consideration to low income individuals in this proposal. If the government had no control over housing or pricing, many Americans would not be able to afford a place to live.
Green Party (www.gp.org) - Housing and Homelessness
a. The Green Party simply provides a list of measures they would take to address housing and homelessness. The list is as follows:
- Guarantee tenant's rights
- Defend and expand cities' right to enact local rent control laws, including vacancy control/recontrol, that fit the needs of their communities.
- Preserve and Increase Affordable Housing Supply
- Provide funding for publicly built affordable housing, including funding for non-profit corporations that build affordable housing.
- Enforce and strengthen the federal Fair Housing Act and other federal and state fair-housing laws that prohibit discrimination based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, familial status and national origin.
(These are the main focuses of the Green Party when it comes to this issue). Their platform is similar to the Democratic response to housing and homelessness in America.
b. I think that the Green Party cares a lot about low income individuals/families and I applaud their determination to support minority groups. I think this is a prominent component of housing and homelessness in America.
Peace and Freedom (www.peaceandfreedom.org) - Housing and Rent Control
a. The Peace and Freedom party recognizes the right of everybody to quality, secure housing. They would like to see community controlled housing through public financing. They also emphasize the issue of poverty and state that the homeless population in America would become their first priority. They would push for rent and eviction control laws and enforce local housing quotas. This calls for much government involvement in housing.
b. I think that the Peace and Freedom party holds views that are rather extreme, but I agree with their intent.
c. In terms of morals and intentions, I most strongly support the Democratic platform. However, I found that the Republican proposal seemed the most likely to prove successful. I thought this because it seems cost efficient and well thought out. I was surprised to see that they also promoted a decrease in involvement from the Federal government within the housing market.
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Constitutional Issues
PART 1
1. Bank of America Corp. et al. v. City of Miami, Florida
2. May 1, 2017
3. The City of Miami sued the Bank of America Corporation under the Federal Housing Act. They argued that the banks were engaging in predatory lending which targeted minorities with high risk loans.
4. (a.) Does the language in the Fair Housing Act that limits standing to sue to “aggrieved person[s]” mean that Congress meant to impose a more narrow standing requirement than that in Article III of the Constitution?
(b.) Does the proximate cause standard in the Fair Housing Act require that the plaintiffs show more than the possibility that the defendants could have foreseen the harm that occurred through a chain of consequences?
5. Article III
6. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the City of Miami on the basis that “The ‘aggrieved persons’ language of the Fair Housing Act does not impose a more narrow standing standard than Article III does and allows a city to sue, but the proximate cause standard requires the plaintiffs to show more than the possibility that a defendant could have foreseen the harm.”
7. The Court held that the proximate cause requirement is met when a plaintiff can show that there is a “direct relation” between the alleged conduct and alleged injury.
In simpler terms: The Bank could not be held responsible for the financial misfortune of minority groups unless there was evidence to prove that they were aware of the risk of the loans. (There was)
8. I agree with the court’s decision because they based provided sufficient evidence in order to show Bank of America Corporation’s knowledge of the risk of their practices.
"Bank of America Corp. v. City of Miami." Oyez, www.oyez.org/cases/2016/15-1111. Accessed 23 Oct. 2019.
PART 2
Title of article - “Should People Profit From Housing? Bernie Sanders Says Yes, and No”
SUBJECT - Bernie Sanders has proposed fundamental changes to the functions of the housing market. He would like to allow for profit, but not certain kinds of profit, or profit by certain kinds of actors. The national rent control standard Sanders has proposed would cap the amount that landlords can raise rents in order to shield tenants from escalating housing costs and the excesses of capitalism in the housing market.
AUTHOR - Emily Badger of The New York Times
CONTEXT - This is Bernie Sanders housing proposal for the 2020 election.
INTENDED AUDIENCE - The intended audience for this article is likely the Democratic Party because it was on the New York Times website and it was about Bernie Sanders.
BIAS OF AUTHOR - The author is relatively unbiased and provides facts about Sanders’ plan.
SIGNIFIGANCE - This article is significant because it privides insight on a Liberal opinion of housing in America.
AGREE? I don’t necessarily agree with Bernie Sanders’ plan but I do think that changes need to be made to the U.S. housing system.
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Media Assessment of Issue
Article 1: In America’s Affordable Housing Crisis, More Demand but Less Supply
(Objective) - PBS in partnership with NPR
The subject of my first article is the high demand for affordable housing in the U.S. In the article, the author examines the reasons for lack of housing and the consequences of the shortage. The article was written by Patrice Taddonio for PBS in partnership with NPR. She explains multiple low-income government aid programs and the success of these programs. Since the article is seemingly objective, the intended audience is anybody who is looking for education on the subject. There is no no obvious bias in this article, it is just a collection of facts and statistics. This article is significant because it conveys the foundation of the issue and addresses possible solutions. I do agree with this article because it is a solid delivery of information on my subject.
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/in-americas-affordable-housing-crisis-more-demand-but-less-supply/
Article 2: Steve Levy: Kamala Harris’ $100 billion giveaway to increase black home ownership could do more harm than good
(Conservative Bias) - Fox News
The subject of this article is Kamala Harris’s $100 billion dollar plan for black home ownership and tackling the racial wealth gap. The author of the article is Steve Levy of Fox News. The article provides background on past affordable housing plans, and the pros and cons of each. Levy expresses much concern for government funding and questions the reality of Kamala Harris’s proposal. The intended audience is most likely readers of Fox News, but also people who are curious about ways the affordable housing issue is being addressed. This article is blatantly biased, and encapsulates many well known conservative concerns when it comes to the topic of affordable housing in the U.S. The article is also labeled as an opinion piece on the Fox News website. The article is significant because it provides a strong opinion that is not typically addressed in objective commentary. I don’t know if I agree with this article or not. However, I did find it interesting to hear this opinion and learn about Harris´s plan.
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/steve-levy-kamala-harris-100-billion-giveaway-to-increase-black-homeownership-could-do-more-harm-than-good
Article 3: Grim New Report Shows Rent Is Unaffordable In Every State
(Liberal Bias) - Huffington Post
This article claims that a report shows that rent is ¨Unaffordable¨ in every state. (Especially for those earning minimum wage) The author of this article is Laura Paddlson of Huffington Post. In the article she describes affordable housing as necessary and elaborates on things like mental health and education. The intended audience of this article seems to be the public in general, especially the lower/middle class. This article is left-leaning and biased against conservative lawmakers. It is significant because it portrays the opinion of many middle class citizens on affordable housing. The article provides a lot of facts, so they are difficult to disagree with. I do mostly agree with the opinion of the author but I think that she exaggerates a bit for emphasis.
These accounts agree that the lack of affordable housing is an issue in the United States but they disagree on the best course for action to combat it.
I liked the objective PBS source the best because I felt that it was the most informative and I could easily form my own opinions on the issue.
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Conceptualizing the Issue and Assessing Types of Action
I chose Lack of Affordable Housing and Rise of Homelessness for my civic action issue. I have heard a lot about the lack of affordable housing in recent years, and I am aware of the mental and physical toll that homelessness can take on an individual. When I was in Los Angeles, CA, at the end of my Junior year, I was overwhelmed with sadness at the sight of tents lining the highway. I was unaware of how common homelessness is, especially in highly populated and affluent areas. Homelessness can be caused by many factors, such as unemployment or low income, poverty, mental illness (and a lack of necessary services), substance abuse (and a lack of necessary services). However, the most common cause of homelessness is the lack of affordable housing in the U.S. In order to aid those in need, the government must compensate for the lack of affordable housing by lowering costs and/or creating additional housing. On twitter, I followed Kamala Harris (Senator of California), because is known to be an advocate for the homeless population within California. In addition to her, I followed Habitat for Humanity because I think that they have an interesting approach to the national housing crisis. (This organization uses community involvement and philanthropy to provide housing.) I also followed Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez because she is a congresswoman for the Bronx and Queens and can provide information on homelessness from across the country. I followed Donald Trump because I was curious to see how many of his tweets are concerned with the housing crisis. Lastly, I followed Housing California. I think it is a strong nonprofit focused on homelessness on a smaller scale.
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