Jennifer Ludden

President Biden visited Maui Monday to survey the damage from the wildfires. Shelters are emptying as people who were displaced move into short-term housing, which has its own logistical challenges.

Many people in public housing are especially vulnerable to extreme heat, and there's no federal requirement for air conditioning. That leaves some tenants struggling to pay for it on their own.

Many public housing residents are especially vulnerable to extreme heat, but there's no federal requirement for air conditioning. That leaves cash-strapped local agencies struggling to provide it.

Surprise charges for things like paying rent online or removing trash can add up and make an apartment less affordable. Advocates warn they can also put renters at risk for debt or even eviction.

Many cities have devoted considerable focus and money to house people, only to see the number living outside continue to rise.

New laws aim to change the power imbalance in rent court, where tenants with no lawyer are more likely to lose. But some cities have a shortage of attorneys or no set way to pair them with renters.

Despite more attention and money to reduce homelessness, the numbers in many U.S. cities keep going up. Experts say a key reason is the persistent lack of affordable housing.

When people are facing eviction, a "rent court" judge has the final say. But there can be a big power imbalance. More than a dozen cities now say tenants have a right to legal counsel.

A group called Patriotic Millionaires has failed to get Congress to raise their taxes or boost the minimum wage. Now they're taking their concerns about inequality to swing-state voters.

We take a look at what the debt deal means for Americans in two key sectors: Social safety net programs, as well as energy and climate.

The debt-ceiling deal that Congress is considering adds work requirements for some people on food stamps. Researchers say the bigger issue is that the requirements don't actually help many find work.

A major point of contention in debt-ceiling negotiations is tougher work requirements for safety-net programs.

Businesses like Cook Medical in Indiana say the housing shortage makes it harder to recruit and keep middle-income workers. Now, more companies are building places for employees to rent or even buy.

Compensation for descendants of enslaved people is broadly controversial, and especially so among whites and Republicans. Researchers say one reason may be misperceptions about the racial wealth gap.

Pulitzer winner for Evicted Matthew Desmond examines why the U.S. has more poverty than other rich nations. He finds it spends big on social programs, but gives the most to those who need it least.

Black and Latinx homes are more likely to be undervalued by real estate appraisers, who are mostly older white men. New recruiting and technology aims to change how appraisals are done and by whom.

Accusations of racial bias are fueling changes in the home appraisal industry. Companies say modernizing the technology and data they use will help limit discrimination.

Real estate appraisers are overwhelmingly older, white and male. Now, with a growing body of research on racial bias in appraisals, there's a new push to bring in more diverse people.

American suburbs mandated single-family homes generations ago, often to segregate areas by race and class. New laws allow more-affordable options like townhomes but construction so far has been slow.

Single-family homes define America's suburbs, and they've been mandated by law for generations. Now some states and cities are changing that to try and create more affordable housing.