Andrew Small
Andrew Small is a freelance writer in Washington, D.C., and author of the CityLab Daily newsletter (subscribe here). He was previously an editorial fellow at CityLab.
Also: “White flight” in America’s suburbs, and perusing D.C.’s Metro gift shop.
What We’re Following
California in the crosshairs: The Trump administration just escalated its battle with California over “sanctuary city” laws. On Tuesday night, the Justice Department filed its first lawsuit against a local or state government over immigration policies, claiming that three new state laws “reflect a deliberate effort to obstruct the United States’ enforcement of federal immigration law.”
Governor Jerry Brown called it a “political stunt,” and tensions have been rising as local officials resist federal deportation efforts. Last week, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf warned of raids by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, which saw more than 150 arrests in Northern California. Attorney General Jeff Sessions singled out Schaaf in his speech before California law enforcement. CityLab’s Tanvi Misra is on the story and will have the details of what’s at stake soon.
Catch up with CityLab:
- Jeff Sessions vs. the State of California (updated today)
- The effect of Trump's immigration crackdown, in 3 maps
- The new “digital” sanctuaries
Flipping the script: Secretary Ben Carson is changing the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s mission statement, and key clauses about inclusion and discrimination are on the chopping block, The Huffington Post reports. As Nikole Hannah-Jones points out, one of HUD’s earliest mandates has been to enforce the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the Fair Housing Act, designed to protect buyers and renters from discrimination. The latter law is marking the 50th anniversary of its passage this year.
—Andrew Small
More on CityLab
Chart of the Day
On Tuesday, CityLab explained what’s driving California’s housing crisis. Now this chart from the California Housing Partnership digs into what rent burdens looks like at an individual level. To meet the median asking rent in California ($2,004 per month) at an affordable level, you’d need an income of $6,680 per month, but average pay for some workers just barely exceeds the asking price.
As the L.A. Times points out, there’s a stark policy problem at play too; while homeowners received nearly $6 billion in state tax credits, only $215 million in tax credits subsidize renters.
What We’re Reading
How ride-hailing piggybacks on distaste for the bus (Real Life Magazine)
In Boston sidewalk analysis, city finds inequality (Boston Globe)
“The Wire,” 10 years later (The Guardian)
Under Trump, TIGER grants are officially on the way out (Streetsblog)
San Francisco will remove a statue of white settlers towering over a Native American (Hyperallergic)
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About the Author
