The Weekly Wrap: Texas Goes Big on Single-Staircase Reform

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.

---

Texas Passes Major Single-Stair Reform

Weeks after Austin legalized single-staircase reform to further boost its housing construction boom, the Texas Legislature has now approved a similar change to its state building code. SB 2835, likely the first statewide measure of its kind, allows developers to build six-story apartment buildings (with up to four units per floor) that have a single staircase.

U.S. building codes typically require each unit have access to two stairwells in any apartments over three stories tall due to fire safety regulations; in Canada, this rule impacts two-story developments, too. This prevents construction of point-access block apartments, which offer a slimmer, more affordable, more flexible, better-ventilated and less land-intensive multi-family housing option. Experts say legalizing such single-stair floor plans can enable small-lot infill development to help address the housing shortage through “gentle density.”

Supreme Court Narrows Environmental Impact Review Mandates

The Washington Post reports that the Supreme Court has limited the scope of environmental impact reviews required for governments to greenlight highways, pipelines and other major infrastructure projects.

In 2023, a lower court blocked the expansion of a multibillion-dollar rail line in Utah that would have carried millions of gallons of crude oil, ruling that federal regulators didn’t fully consider the risks of an oil spill to the Colorado River watershed. The project’s backers appealed that ruling to SCOTUS, arguing that narrowing the scope of environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act would speed development. The Supreme Court sided with the rail expansion on Thursday.

“The court’s ruling means that agencies that approve projects like pipelines, railways and dams are not required to consider the faraway, ripple effects of those projects – like increased fossil fuel emissions – moving forward,” Colorado Public Radio reports.

D.C. Mayor Moves To Repeal Sanctuary City Status

In accordance with a recent executive order, the Department of Homeland Security on Thursday published a list of about 600 “sanctuary jurisdictions,” threatening to suspend or terminate their federal funding.

After the 2016 election, Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser declared the District was “doubling down” on being a sanctuary city. But after the current Trump administration began targeting cities with policies preventing local cooperation with federal immigration officials, Bowser has been visibly backing away from this commitment.

The 51st reports that Bowser’s proposed 2026 budget calls for the repeal of the Sanctuary Values Amendment Act, which had been unanimously approved by the D.C. Council. The law prevented federal immigration officials from questioning people in the city’s custody and banned local agencies from adhering to detainer requests from ICE without a warrant or judicial order.

Meanwhile, mayors who have criticized the federal government’s immigration enforcement have been specifically targeted. Exhibit A: the arrest of Newark Mayor Ras Baraka. Exhibit B: the current Congressional investigation into Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell.

Another City’s ‘Big Oil’ Lawsuit Faces a Major Hurdle

In 2020, Charleston, South Carolina, filed a state lawsuit to hold several of the world’s biggest oil and gas companies financially liable for deliberately misleading the public about the climate risks of fossil fuels. This week, a judge is hearing both sides’ arguments for whether the suit should proceed to trial.

The odds seem stacked against Charleston; similar lawsuits by Baltimore City, New York City and Hoboken, New Jersey, were thrown out in the past year. In April, Trump issued an executive order calling such lawsuits a national security threat, and his Justice Department has since preemptively sued Hawaii and Michigan to block them from filing their own suits against Big Oil companies. Charleston’s suit is one of at least 20 climate-related lawsuits brought by state and local governments against fossil fuel companies.

Meanwhile, the daughter of a Washington woman killed by extreme heat has sued seven fossil fuel companies in a separate state lawsuit. It’s reportedly the first climate suit over the death of an individual.

Healthcare System Collapses in Sudan’s Capital City

More than two years into Sudan’s ongoing war, which has led to what aid groups have termed the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, the capital city’s healthcare infrastructure has completely collapsed.

Khartoum once had about 100 public and private medical facilities; not a single one is now operational, the government has found since its army recently recaptured the city from paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, according to NPR. Meanwhile, community-run kitchens have also been forced to close down, leaving children to die of malnutrition.

Sudanese authorities expect that it will cost $300 billion to reconstruct Khartoum’s infrastructure, Reuters reports, plus another $700 billion to do so in the rest of the country. That’s particularly unlikely given that the U.S. government, Sudan’s biggest donor, has slashed foreign aid.

---

MORE NEWS

• Tulsa shows the economic benefits of paying workers to move. CityLab

• Seattle just rezoned the entire city. That was the easy part. The Urbanist

• MTA scores court win as fight over NYC congestion pricing heats up. Gothamist

• Trump administration moves to upend a $37 billion Transportation Department affirmative action program. The Washington Post

• Washington State gives $2 million to help buy Tacoma motel for refugee housing. The Seattle Times

• Why are Black neighborhoods underwater? Science points to the wealthy. Capital B

• L.A.’s mayor declared a homelessness emergency. Now, some at City Hall want to move past it. L.A Times

• Grassroots groups sue over Louisiana law that censors air quality data. Grist

• Trump violating right to life with anti-environment orders, youth lawsuit says. The Guardian

OPPORTUNITIES & RESOURCES

• DEADLINE TODAY: New Profit seeks a cohort of innovative nonprofits expanding economic mobility for more than $110,000 in funding and support. Complete a discovery form by May 30 to be considered for the current grantmaking cycle.

• The National Low Income Housing Coalition is accepting applications for its next cohort of tenant advocates and community leaders in housing justice with lived experience of housing insecurity. Apply by June 6.

• The Black Migrant Power Fund is accepting proposals for its new Intersectional Power Fund, which is focused on supporting and building power with Black trans and gender non-conforming migrants in the United States. Submit your proposal by June 13.

• The Cartier Women’s Initiative, an entrepreneurship program for mission-driven founders around the world, is accepting applications from women-led businesses that aim to create social or environmental impact. Apply by June 24.

• The Walter and Elise Haas Fund is providing general operating support to 25 initiatives rooted in Oakland or San Francisco that promote social cohesion. Submit a letter of interest by June 27.

• The Saks Fifth Avenue Foundation’s local grant program is accepting applications from nonprofits supporting mental health initiatives in their own community. Apply by July 1.

• The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Evidence for Action has a call for proposals for new research that advances racial and Indigenous health equity. Apply by July 16. (Disclosure: RWJF currently funds Next City.)

• Norfolk Southern’s Thriving Communities Grant and the Safety First Grant are accepting applications for initiatives that drive community resilience and local economic development; public safety and first responder readiness; and sustainability and workforce development. Apply by Sept. 1.

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

EVENTS

• June 3 at 1 p.m. Eastern: ImpactAlpha is joined by mobility investor Raggeria Goddard to discuss the urban mobility tech landscape, from EV charging to smart corridors.

• June 4 at 1 p.m. Eastern: Next City is hosting a conversation about racial justice in mobility with Charles T. Brown, author of “Arrested Mobility: Overcoming the Threat to Black Movement” and founder and CEO of Equitable Cities.

• June 5 at 1 p.m. Eastern: The National Community Reinvestment Coalition is holding a launch event for its new report on gentrification and displacement (which Next City covered recently).

• June 12 at 1 p.m. Eastern: The Chronicle of Higher Education is hosting a series of conversations about the Trump administration’s impact on higher education.

• June 10 at 12:30 p.m. Eastern: PolicyLink is hosting a conversation on the legacy of historic Black settlements and descendant-led strategies to secure their future.

• Check out events from Next City and our partners here!