Data centers surveyed for energy use, World Cup transit fares, and more.
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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.
A Good Week for NYC Affordable Housing
A host of new policies announced this week could mean boosts to funding for affordable housing in New York City.
Comptroller Mark Levine announced $4 billion in investments from city employee pension funds that will go to affordable housing, which will include mixed-income housing, revitalizing existing housing before it deteriorates and supporting office-to-residential conversions.
Crain’s reports that the Mamdani administration will roll out its own property insurance product for affordable housing; it will cover 20,000 units by 2027 and 100,000 by 2030, and will be subsidized by the city’s expense account. Commercial property insurance has, in some cases, tripled since 2018, according to Crain’s.
And finally, Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Mamdani have proposed a pied-a-terre tax on second homes worth $5 million in the state budget, which could generate $500 million a year in revenue; it’s not clear if that money would be spent on affordable housing or other needs.
U.S. Government To Survey Data Center Energy Use
WIRED reports that the federal Energy Information Administration will conduct the first mandatory nationwide survey of data centers, which will look at their energy use and efficiency. It could finally provide a comprehensive look at the hundreds of sprawling, sometimes clandestine data centers run by big tech companies across the country.
“The EIA’s mandatory survey is an important first step towards holding data centers accountable, but people are hurting right now. I’m pushing EIA to collect and share this data as soon as possible,” Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren told WIRED.
Ticketmaster Found Guilty of Antitrust Violations
The ticketing company behind Ticketmaster has been found guilty of operating an illegal monopoly following a lawsuit filed by 34 states and the District of Columbia, NBC News reports. According to Big Tech on Trial, the damages amount to $1.72 for each ticket sold in all the states involved.
According to David Dayen at The American Prospect, Live Nation could become “the first major company in the age of revived antitrust enforcement to be broken up.” The evidence against LiveNation included executives bragging about “robbing them blind baby,” in reference to customers.
Democratic Senators Turn Against Illegal Arms Sale to Israel
Congress has shut down a measure put forward by Sen. Bernie Sanders to block the sale of bulldozers and weapons to Israel, the Associated Press reports. All Republicans voted against the measure, and the majority of Democrats voted against the sale.
The number of Democrats supporting the measure has doubled since a similar 2024 vote, Al Jazeera reports, part of a sea change in the Democratic base since Israel’s genocide began. But among those who voted against the measure is Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, leading to calls for him to step aside as the party’s leader. Earlier in the week, over 100 protesters were arrested amid calling on Sens. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, who also voted against the measure, to block the weapons sale.
Israel has been using bulldozers to demolish Palestinian villages in the illegally occupied West Bank and its illegal occupation of the south of Lebanon. Earlier in its genocide in Gaza, an Israeli soldier confessed to CNN that he regularly crushed Palestinians alive under bulldozers. Euro-Med Monitor reported on an Israeli bulldozer deliberately cutting a 16-year-old in half after shooting him in the head last December. Euro-Med Monitor has recorded four other incidents in which Israeli bulldozers or tanks deliberately ran over civilians, including a 65-year-old woman.
World Cup Pushes Transit Agencies to Quadruple Fares
New Jersey Transit may charge $150 for a round-trip ticket from New York’s Pennsylvania Station to MetLife Stadium for FIFA World Cup games, the Athletic reports. A return ticket for that trip would typically cost $12.90. The inflated price will be the cost to all riders during the sporting event, even those who typically get reduced fares, like seniors, children, and disabled passengers.
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill explained that the increased fare is in place to help offset the FIFA hosting agreement that forces cities to absorb costs for transportation and enhanced security requirements. New Jersey isn’t the only place increasing public transit fares. Round-trip tickets from the center of Boston to Gillette Stadium — normally $20 — will be $80.
But SEPTA in Philadelphia plans to keep its typical $2.90 price for a one-way ticket, according to Philly Voice.
MORE NEWS
Maryland Legislature passes the nation’s first state advertising set-aside for local newsrooms. Rebuild Local News
OMB’s Vought: CDFIs funded ‘woke’ programs. American Banker
Elon Musk’s xAI cues Colorado over AI anti-discrimination law. Bloomberg
Denton promised net zero. Then it kept building roads. Texas Observer
Vermont’s first neighborhood geothermal project prepares to break ground. Canary Media
Mamdani plan for NYC to open an East Harlem grocery store gets mixed reviews from locals. Gothamist
NAACP lawsuit accuses Elon Musk’s xAI of polluting Black neighborhoods near Memphis. The Guardian
OPPORTUNITIES & RESOURCES
The Agency Fund invites nonprofits, social enterprises, and research teams to apply for funding to scale up solutions that expand human agency. Submit an expression of interest by April 26.
LiberArte is accepting grant applications from artists creating work rooted in racial, social, and climate justice. Apply by April 30.
The Knight Foundation’s $5 million Knight Cities Challenge is accepting applications from individuals and organizations across its 26 communities. Apply by April 30.
The Just Economy Institute fellowship is accepting applications from financial activists leveraging capital as a tool for positive change. Apply by April 30.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation is funding preservation projects in small communities (with populations of 10,000 or less) across the United States. Apply by May 1.
The RRF Foundation for Aging is accepting grant applications from national or Illinois-based nonprofits working to improve quality of life for older adults, including through advocacy, professional education, and workforce training. Submit letters of inquiry by May 1.
Next City is looking for its next cohort of rising urban leaders to join this year’s Vanguard gathering in Chicago, planned for Sept. 15-18. Our network of 600-plus Vanguards includes planners, community developers, nonprofit leaders, artists, designers, local officials, and more. Apply by May 14.
Wells Fargo and Enterprise are launching a new cycle of their Housing Affordability Breakthrough Challenge, a $2 million grant opportunity for scalable housing innovations in design, construction, finance, service delivery, and programs. Apply by May 15.
The Sparkplug Foundation is offering grants to support early-stage programs that focus on music programs, community organizing, and education. Apply by May 22.
Hispanics in Philanthropy’s Líderes Fellowship is accepting applications from mid-career Latine, Afrolatines, and Native leaders working in philanthropy and nonprofits in the American Southwest. Apply by May 31.
Roshan Abraham is a contributing editor for housing and homelessness at Next City. Based in Queens, New York, he has written extensively about city policy, including prisons and policing, housing and homelessness for The Guardian, The New York Times, Slate, The Baffler, Village Voice, The Verge, Pacific Standard, The Appeal, Vice and other outlets. At Vice, he was formerly a staff writer covering the housing beat. He is a former Open City Fellow and Witness Fellow at the Asian American Writers Workshop and a former Equitable Cities Fellow at Next City.