NOTE: If you are short on time, watch the video and complete this See, Think, Wonder activity: What did you notice? What did the story make you think about? What would you want to learn more about?
SUMMARY
A bipartisan group of mayors and business leaders are teaming up to tackle housing and homelessness issues nationwide. They’re meeting as the Trump administration looks to slash assistance programs amid record-high homelessness. Amna Nawaz spoke with two mayors leading the effort: Mayor Rex Richardson, a Democrat from Long Beach, Calif., and Mayor Mark Shepherd, a Republican from Clearfield, Utah.
View the transcript of the story.
News alternative: Check out recent segments from the NewsHour, and choose the story you’re most interested in watching. You can make a Google doc copy of discussion questions that work for any of the stories here.
WARM-UP QUESTIONS
- What is the housing crisis, and how is it affecting cities across the U.S.?
- Who are some of the leaders working together to solve the housing crisis?
- Why might mayors from different political parties choose to collaborate on housing?
- How much would Trump's budget proposal cut from HUD (Dept. of Housing and Urban Development) rental assistance programs? What would be the effect of such cuts on small towns like Clearfield, Utah, according to Mayor Shepherd?
- Why should both Democrats and Republicans be able to agree on how to address the housing crisis, according to Mayor Richardson?
FOCUS QUESTIONS
- Why do you think housing has become such a major issue that it's bringing people from different political parties together?
- Do you believe local governments (like city mayors) have more power to fix the housing crisis than state or federal leaders? Why or why not?
- Why do you think some people don't want affordable housing built in their communities?
Media literacy: What are some other issues in which Democrats and Republicans agree, which would allow them to work together?
WHAT STUDENTS CAN DO
Watch the video below to learn about the recent rise in homelessness among families in the US.
To learn about how the housing crisis affects people with disabilities, you can complete this Daily News Lesson.
Written by Gianfranco Beran, PBS News Hour Classroom's production assistant, and News Hour's Vic Pasquantonio.
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