CityWork | Alex Fella
@city-work.bsky.social
Periodic professor, writing about housing, cities & the financialization of daily life. Author of Liquid Cities: Climate, Capital, and the Crisis of Affordable Housing (2025).
Maps @ www.citywork.io
📍USA | 📍 CA
Maps @ www.citywork.io
📍USA | 📍 CA
Who, not what, is driving evictions in Virginia?
A small group of just 123 investment firms accounts for nearly 40% of all eviction filings in coastal Virginia.
These firms often don’t appear under a single name on court dockets.
A small group of just 123 investment firms accounts for nearly 40% of all eviction filings in coastal Virginia.
These firms often don’t appear under a single name on court dockets.
January 26, 2026 at 8:09 PM
Who, not what, is driving evictions in Virginia?
A small group of just 123 investment firms accounts for nearly 40% of all eviction filings in coastal Virginia.
These firms often don’t appear under a single name on court dockets.
A small group of just 123 investment firms accounts for nearly 40% of all eviction filings in coastal Virginia.
These firms often don’t appear under a single name on court dockets.
Montreal's rental crisis, visualized by neighborhood over the past 10 years.
Full map at www.commonplaceresearch.org
Data: CMHC/Common Place Research. 2014-2024. Nominal.
Full map at www.commonplaceresearch.org
Data: CMHC/Common Place Research. 2014-2024. Nominal.
November 11, 2025 at 2:16 PM
Montreal's rental crisis, visualized by neighborhood over the past 10 years.
Full map at www.commonplaceresearch.org
Data: CMHC/Common Place Research. 2014-2024. Nominal.
Full map at www.commonplaceresearch.org
Data: CMHC/Common Place Research. 2014-2024. Nominal.
Roughly 1 in 5 Norfolk residents will be affected by Medicaid cuts in Norfolk #Virginia. Though, the impact won't be felt equally across the city. 22 neighborhoods are home to 60% of all Norfolk’s Medicaid recipients.
July 10, 2025 at 2:08 PM
Roughly 1 in 5 Norfolk residents will be affected by Medicaid cuts in Norfolk #Virginia. Though, the impact won't be felt equally across the city. 22 neighborhoods are home to 60% of all Norfolk’s Medicaid recipients.
Norfolk student loan data shows how educational debt can is changing across neighborhood income type. Education becomes manageable debt for some & a crushing burden for others.
June 25, 2025 at 8:16 PM
Norfolk student loan data shows how educational debt can is changing across neighborhood income type. Education becomes manageable debt for some & a crushing burden for others.
Looking at credit card late fees: Households earning $100K+ pay 0.52% of their income in late fees vs. 0.59% for $30-40K households.
June 19, 2025 at 1:09 PM
Looking at credit card late fees: Households earning $100K+ pay 0.52% of their income in late fees vs. 0.59% for $30-40K households.
Affluent majority-homeowner, mostly White, areas showed the greatest increases. Even when adjusting for debt-to-income ratios.
High-renter areas: $35 debt increase
Mixed-tenure areas: $240 increase
Low-poverty areas: $332 increase
High-poverty areas: $98 increase
High-renter areas: $35 debt increase
Mixed-tenure areas: $240 increase
Low-poverty areas: $332 increase
High-poverty areas: $98 increase
June 19, 2025 at 1:09 PM
Affluent majority-homeowner, mostly White, areas showed the greatest increases. Even when adjusting for debt-to-income ratios.
High-renter areas: $35 debt increase
Mixed-tenure areas: $240 increase
Low-poverty areas: $332 increase
High-poverty areas: $98 increase
High-renter areas: $35 debt increase
Mixed-tenure areas: $240 increase
Low-poverty areas: $332 increase
High-poverty areas: $98 increase
Recessions don't do much to help rental affordability. In the #Virginia MSA of Hampton Roads, the 2008 #recession saw the affordable #housing gap narrow slightly by $31. Only because wages rose while rents froze. The COVID recession saw renters lose ground, even as wages rose slightly.
May 2, 2025 at 1:54 PM
Recessions don't do much to help rental affordability. In the #Virginia MSA of Hampton Roads, the 2008 #recession saw the affordable #housing gap narrow slightly by $31. Only because wages rose while rents froze. The COVID recession saw renters lose ground, even as wages rose slightly.
Will a recession bring relief to renters?
Typically, during a recession, rent growth turns negative but not always.
Nationally, the biggest rent drop came during the early 1990s recession, where rent turned negative by 3%. But that doesn’t always happen.
Typically, during a recession, rent growth turns negative but not always.
Nationally, the biggest rent drop came during the early 1990s recession, where rent turned negative by 3%. But that doesn’t always happen.
May 2, 2025 at 11:15 AM
Will a recession bring relief to renters?
Typically, during a recession, rent growth turns negative but not always.
Nationally, the biggest rent drop came during the early 1990s recession, where rent turned negative by 3%. But that doesn’t always happen.
Typically, during a recession, rent growth turns negative but not always.
Nationally, the biggest rent drop came during the early 1990s recession, where rent turned negative by 3%. But that doesn’t always happen.
Shootings in redlined neighborhoods? 363.
Shootings in neighborhoods given an A grade? 3.
Find out more with Snap/Shot from CityWork @ www.citywork.io/gun-violence
Shootings in neighborhoods given an A grade? 3.
Find out more with Snap/Shot from CityWork @ www.citywork.io/gun-violence
March 31, 2025 at 3:12 PM
Shootings in redlined neighborhoods? 363.
Shootings in neighborhoods given an A grade? 3.
Find out more with Snap/Shot from CityWork @ www.citywork.io/gun-violence
Shootings in neighborhoods given an A grade? 3.
Find out more with Snap/Shot from CityWork @ www.citywork.io/gun-violence
What do we mean by “safe neighborhood?” Do we mean ending gun violence, or containing it to places where it’s “supposed” to happen?
My new piece on Substack looks at the latter:
open.substack.com/pub/liquidci...
My new piece on Substack looks at the latter:
open.substack.com/pub/liquidci...
March 27, 2025 at 7:27 PM
What do we mean by “safe neighborhood?” Do we mean ending gun violence, or containing it to places where it’s “supposed” to happen?
My new piece on Substack looks at the latter:
open.substack.com/pub/liquidci...
My new piece on Substack looks at the latter:
open.substack.com/pub/liquidci...
There are $6.1 billion of delinquent apartment loans sitting on the books of community banks. Landlords can’t raise rents fast enough to cover their debt. Investors are crying ‘oversupply’. The graph is starting to look familiar 🤔.
Source: CredIQ
Source: CredIQ
March 7, 2025 at 1:26 PM
There are $6.1 billion of delinquent apartment loans sitting on the books of community banks. Landlords can’t raise rents fast enough to cover their debt. Investors are crying ‘oversupply’. The graph is starting to look familiar 🤔.
Source: CredIQ
Source: CredIQ
Investors made millions. Renters faced 300 evictions.
Get the latest dispatches from renter hell.
liquidcities.substack.com/p/hampton-ro...
#housing #rent #evictions #landlords #wallst #virginia #affordablehousing #rent #finance #cities
Get the latest dispatches from renter hell.
liquidcities.substack.com/p/hampton-ro...
#housing #rent #evictions #landlords #wallst #virginia #affordablehousing #rent #finance #cities
February 27, 2025 at 2:22 PM
Investors made millions. Renters faced 300 evictions.
Get the latest dispatches from renter hell.
liquidcities.substack.com/p/hampton-ro...
#housing #rent #evictions #landlords #wallst #virginia #affordablehousing #rent #finance #cities
Get the latest dispatches from renter hell.
liquidcities.substack.com/p/hampton-ro...
#housing #rent #evictions #landlords #wallst #virginia #affordablehousing #rent #finance #cities
Our interactive landlord atlas shows who owns what in Hampton Roads. Fully searchable and free, we’ve compiled information on the true ownership of over 500 buildings representing over 80,000 apartments.
#housing #rent #landlords #eviction
#housing #rent #landlords #eviction
January 31, 2025 at 4:14 PM
Our interactive landlord atlas shows who owns what in Hampton Roads. Fully searchable and free, we’ve compiled information on the true ownership of over 500 buildings representing over 80,000 apartments.
#housing #rent #landlords #eviction
#housing #rent #landlords #eviction
Real estate investors own around 45% of all apartments in our region.
January 31, 2025 at 4:14 PM
Real estate investors own around 45% of all apartments in our region.
Who Owns Our Housing?
After five years in the making, we're proud to announce a new atlas of Hampton Roads landlords. We shine a light on the network of real estate investors in our communities.
Here: www.citywork.io/liquid-citie...
After five years in the making, we're proud to announce a new atlas of Hampton Roads landlords. We shine a light on the network of real estate investors in our communities.
Here: www.citywork.io/liquid-citie...
January 31, 2025 at 4:14 PM
Who Owns Our Housing?
After five years in the making, we're proud to announce a new atlas of Hampton Roads landlords. We shine a light on the network of real estate investors in our communities.
Here: www.citywork.io/liquid-citie...
After five years in the making, we're proud to announce a new atlas of Hampton Roads landlords. We shine a light on the network of real estate investors in our communities.
Here: www.citywork.io/liquid-citie...
Contrast that with senior renters whose lot has improved 12% since 2010. 2023 marks a 22.5% gap between the most burdened group (young renters) and the least (seniors)!
The highest ever gap between age groups.
The highest ever gap between age groups.
January 8, 2025 at 3:39 PM
Contrast that with senior renters whose lot has improved 12% since 2010. 2023 marks a 22.5% gap between the most burdened group (young renters) and the least (seniors)!
The highest ever gap between age groups.
The highest ever gap between age groups.
New rent data shows a growing generational divide. Young renters now face the highest burden, with 67% of young households paying over 30% in rental cost.
January 8, 2025 at 3:39 PM
New rent data shows a growing generational divide. Young renters now face the highest burden, with 67% of young households paying over 30% in rental cost.
Norfolk has a noise problem. Culprits include the railroad and the city’s highway system, conspicuously cutting through neighborhoods.
The 24-hour LAeq (map) shows basically everywhere between Downtown and the railroad has the equivalent of a dishwasher running all the time.
The 24-hour LAeq (map) shows basically everywhere between Downtown and the railroad has the equivalent of a dishwasher running all the time.
November 29, 2024 at 12:33 PM
Norfolk has a noise problem. Culprits include the railroad and the city’s highway system, conspicuously cutting through neighborhoods.
The 24-hour LAeq (map) shows basically everywhere between Downtown and the railroad has the equivalent of a dishwasher running all the time.
The 24-hour LAeq (map) shows basically everywhere between Downtown and the railroad has the equivalent of a dishwasher running all the time.
A growing number of renters in Hampton Roads are racking up rent debt. This is a feature, not a bug, of the rental housing market. 11% of Virginia Beach renters collectively owe nearly $15,000,000 in rent.
Get the full report here: www.citywork.io/housing/hamp...
#rent #housing #evictions #va
Get the full report here: www.citywork.io/housing/hamp...
#rent #housing #evictions #va
November 27, 2024 at 6:05 PM
A growing number of renters in Hampton Roads are racking up rent debt. This is a feature, not a bug, of the rental housing market. 11% of Virginia Beach renters collectively owe nearly $15,000,000 in rent.
Get the full report here: www.citywork.io/housing/hamp...
#rent #housing #evictions #va
Get the full report here: www.citywork.io/housing/hamp...
#rent #housing #evictions #va