Molly Richard

Reporters should include it in their articles when the White House refuses to respond to a question because a reporter has pronouns in their bio. PRINT IT. EVERY TIME. OVER AND OVER.

Recently, Boston University Initiative on Cities affiliates Dr. Molly Richard, a Postdoctoral Scholar at Boston University’s Center for Innovation in Social Science (CISS), and Dr. Kenton Card, an IOC Visiting Urban Scholar and current Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs, University of Minnesota (CURA), prominently shared their insights and research on housing and “good cause” or “just cause” eviction protections in the United States through different platforms. Both made the case that passing new tenant protection legislation across the country had major benefits for renting families, reducing evictions and homelessness, and did not come at the expense of housing production. 🏘️ On February 24, 2025, Dr. Richard testified as an expert panelist for Rhode Island’s Special Legislative Commission to Study and Provide Recommendations to Update and Clarify the “Residential Landlord and Tenant Act” on good/just cause eviction protection laws (citing Dr. Card and colleagues' research) and the causes of and solutions to homelessness. 📄 On March 3, 2025, Dr. Card, in collaboration with Evan A. Davis (CURA), Edward Goetz (CURA), and Jeremy Schwartz (Loyola University Maryland), published a report and op-ed with evidence that good/just cause eviction protections do not harm housing production and supply. Learn more about Dr. Richard and Dr. Card's activities: https://www.bu.edu/ioc/2025/03/14/ioc-affiliates-published-and-presented-research-on-housing-and-eviction-protections/

Recently, @buoncities.bsky.social affiliates @mollyrichard.bsky.social (@buciss.bsky.social) and @kentoncard.bsky.social (IOC Visiting Urban Scholar & @curaumn.bsky.social) prominently shared their work on housing and good/just cause eviction protections in the U.S.

🔗 www.bu.edu/ioc/2025/03/...

Just-cause eviction protections do what they are intended to do without negative impacts "The first recent studies have shown that just-cause eviction legislation meets its stated goals," said Dr. Molly Richards. "It leads to decreased evictions and eviction filings."

Just-cause eviction protections do what they are intended to do without negative impacts

"The first recent studies have shown that just-cause eviction legislation meets its stated goals," said Dr. Molly Richards. "It leads to decreased evictions and eviction filings."

When it comes to affording housing in Greater Boston, renters struggle more than owners, new data shows - The Boston Globe Far more renters than owners in the Boston metro area spent 30 percent or more of their income on housing between 2019 and 2023.

Almost half of renters in Greater Boston are cost-burdened.

This is why we need cities and towns to be able to pass rent control to stabilize rents and transfer fees to fund affordable housing, and we need more affordable rental supply overall.

www.bostonglobe.com/2024/12/30/b...

The Dark History of New Year's Day in American Slavery By Olivia B. Waxman — "Of all days in the year, the slaves dread New Year's Day the worst of any," one 1842 account explained. Here's why.

As books are burned & banned, it’s important that all of U.S. history is forever amplified and not hidden.

The holiday season meant something very different for American slaves, my ancestors.

ibw21.org/reparations/...

When Families Need Housing, Georgia Will Pay for Foster Care Rather Than Provide Assistance In more than 700 cases over five years, Georgia reported inadequate housing as the sole reason for taking a child into foster care, a WABE and ProPublica analysis found. Advocates say it would be chea...

In Georgia, a mom facing eviction reached out to DFCS for help. They offered her nothing. Soon the agency took her kids away because of "inadequate housing."

The state then paid *$6,200 a month* to house her kids in foster care.

One of the most important and infuriating stories I read this year:

“I Have Lost Everything”: The Toll of Cities’ Homeless Sweeps Cities often take belongings — including important documents and irreplaceable mementos — when they conduct sweeps of homeless encampments. ProPublica gave notecards to people across the country so th...

For the past year, @propublica.org has been reporting on the toll when a city "sweeps" an encampment. We handed out cards so folks could write in their own words what it meant to have their belongings trashed.

We're publishing dozens of those stories here:

projects.propublica.org/impact-of-ho...

Renters’ Affordability Challenges Worsened Last Year The number of cost-burdened renter households hit yet another record high last year, according to the most recent data from the American Community Sur

The number of cost-burdened renters has hit yet another record high, and affordability has worsened up and down the income scale, leaving low-income households with less than ever before. @airbrycki.bsky.social @aherm.bsky.social @sophiawedeen.bsky.social.

www.jchs.harvard.edu/blog/renters...

While cost burdens have climbed the income scale, lower-income renter households continue to bear the brunt of the affordability crisis. Among households earning less than $30,000, median rents rose 18 percent from 2001 to 2023 as their incomes fell by 12 percent, all in inflation-adjusted terms. These trends have pushed up the share of income these renters spend on housing. In 2023, lower-income renters dedicated a staggering 80 percent of their household incomes to rent and utilities, compared to 60 percent in 2001 and 68 percent in 2019. With this increase, their residual incomes—the amount a household has left over each month after paying rent and utilities—plummeted to a record low of $250, a 55 percent decrease since 2001 (Figure 3). Residual incomes for this group dropped 44 percent between 2019 and 2023 alone.

"lower-income renter households continue to bear the brunt of the affordability crisis...In 2023, lower-income renters (<$30k) dedicated a staggering 80% of their household incomes to rent and utilities, compared to 60% in 2001 and 68% in 2019."
From @airbrycki.bsky.social @harvard-jchs.bsky.social.

If you want to hear about cutting edge homelessness research, policy, and how we can protect vulnerable communities in the next administration, don’t miss this webinar today at 3pm EST:

It’s been a big hit. Please share your DIY cat houses.

I heard this is a wholesome space so to start off at the intersection of my housing and cat interests: here’s the gingerbread house / ski chalet I built for my cat, Bernoulli, over the weekend.

Hello! It’s my first day here. Here to post and follow about housing & homelessness, action research, teaching in higher ed, touching grass, being queer, and loving my cats. 👋