The Weekly Wrap: Labor Groups Sue To Stop Dismantling of USAID

Welcome back to The Weekly Wrap, our Friday roundup of stories that explain the problems oppressing people in cities and elevate the solutions that bring us closer to economic, environmental and social justice. If you enjoy this newsletter, share it with a friend or colleague and tell them to subscribe.

If your work has been impacted by the new federal administration, we want to hear from you. We’re accepting related op-eds and are open to learning more about your experience. Email us with your story.

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Labor Groups Sue To Stop Dismantling of USAID

The workforce at the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, is expected to be cut to less than 300 people (from more than 10,000 globally) on Friday at 11:59 p.m. Eastern, as the Trump administration attempts to dismantle the independent humanitarian agency. A pair of labor groups that represent USAID workers sued Trump for this action and the administration’s freeze on most foreign aid, CNN reports. The lawsuit notes, “halting USAID work has shut down efforts to prevent children from dying of malaria, stopped pharmaceutical clinical trials, and threatened a global resurgence in HIV. Deaths are inevitable,” according to the outlet.

More Possible Protections for LA Renters Affected by Wildfires

The wildfires in Los Angeles County are 100% contained but recovery is far from over. Residents are still dealing with the aftermath, including securing safe, affordable housing. In late January, a tenant advocacy group found that there were significant rent increases across the county despite laws banning rent gouging after disasters. And for price-gouging landlords, $50,000 fines are on the table, Los Angeles Times reports. Supervisors Lindsey Horvath and Kathryn Barger, whose districts were partially decimated by fire, asked county lawyers to draft a resolution that would increase the maximum penalty for price gouging in L.A. County by $40,000, up from $10,000. Other elected officials previously proposed the fine be increased to $30,000.

As Trump Administration Demands Changes to Government Websites, Research Groups Work to Save Access To Information

The Trump administration has been directing federal agency staff to remove specific references on government sites. The administration has been “rapidly removing climate language and scientific data from federal agency websites,” according to Inside Climate News reports. (The first Trump administration took a similar action.) On other sites, information about vaccines, veterans’ care, hate crimes, scientific research, diversity, and gender, among many other topics, have been removed. Other government sites have also gone dark periodically, according to Wired, which is systematically checking the status of nearly 1,400 government sites.

In numerous cases, researchers and other groups are making sure information from previous versions of the web pages is archived. Plus, the Wayback Machine also archives websites.

Here’s How America’s First Car-Free Neighborhood Is Doing

Two years in, Culdesac Tempe, which calls itself the “first car-free neighborhood in America,” seems to be a success for the residents to live there. The community site, about 15 miles east of Phoenix, is 17 acres, with about 300 tenants living in 288 apartments. The goal of the $200 million project was to make walkability its centerpiece, according to Dwell. Residents have received free e-bikes and transit passes to assist with their commutes.

Colorado Democrats Pave the Way for Churches To Build Housing

Housing advocates believe churches can play a role in addressing the U.S. housing shortage. This week, Democratic lawmakers in Colorado are playing a supporting role in that effort, introducing legislation that would make it easier for houses of worship to build housing on their land, no matter the zoning code. That’s according to the Colorado Sun. “The movement’s supporters say there’s at least 5,000 acres of undeveloped church land in Denver, Jefferson, Arapahoe and Douglas counties alone,” the Sun reports. If signed into law, it would be the first state in the country to allow religious institutions to build in this way. It would also allow public schools and universities to build housing on their land.

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MORE NEWS

• Trump doubles down on Gaza takeover proposal despite bipartisan opposition. The Guardian

• NEA throws out its grant program for underserved communities. Hyperallergic

• 30 Philly businesses plan to close for Super Bowl Sunday to protest Trump’s immigration policies. Philly Voice

• S.F. police could crack down on illegal vending under California bill. San Francisco Chronicle

• The Senate has confirmed Scott Turner to lead Housing and Urban Development. NPR

• Transportation memos favor places with higher birth and marriage rates. Bloomberg CityLab

• Lawsuit: New city rules make it harder to access ‘low-barrier’ homeless shelters. City Limits

RESOURCE & OPPORTUNITIES

• The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy and Claremont Lincoln University are seeking a new cohort of fellows for the Lincoln Vibrant Communities initiative. Apply by Feb. 18.

• The African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund’s Descendant and Family Stewardship Initiative is offering grants to descendant- and family-led organizations safeguarding a historic Black site. Submit a letter of intention by Feb. 24.

• AARP is accepting applications for this year’s Community Challenge Grant Program for projects that help make communities more livable for people of all ages. Apply by March 5.

• The Mellon Foundation is offering general operating support for community-based archives in the U.S. and its territories. Apply by March 12.

• The Urban Institute and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation are funding efforts to collect, analyze and use data through their Local Data for Equitable Communities grant program. (Disclosure: RWJF currently funds Next City.) Attend an info session on Feb. 18 and submit a proposal by March 18.

• The Rx Foundation has launched a new funding cycle for its Building Capacity for Health Advocacy grants. Attend an info session on Feb. 13 and submit a letter of interest by March 31.

• Check out Next City’s jobs board for new opportunities.

EVENTS

• Wednesday, Feb. 12 at 10 a.m. Pacific: Common Future, PolicyLink, and Brava Leaders are hosting a webinar to discuss how to craft a shared vision of an equitable economy in a multiracial democracy.

• Thursday and Friday, Feb. 27-28: The Center for Law, Equity and Race and the Black Reparations Project’s two-day event brings together scholars, advocates, elected officials, and community stakeholders to advance the work of reparative justice. Attend virtually or in Oakland, California.