Heather K Way in the Media

San Antonio Express-News April 23, 2024

Report: Rising number of ‘junk fees’ burden Texas renters

Clinical Professor Heather Way sheds light on the lack of transparency from landlords when it comes to hidden junk fees in rental housing. A January 2024 report by Way and three students in the Housing Policy Clinic also was referenced.

ProPublica April 23, 2024

New Legislation Would Expand Access to Disaster Relief, Provide Help With Titles for Large Number of Black Landowners

Clinical Professor Heather Way comments on a new legislative package that aims to provide support and funding for heirs’ property owners.

KERA News April 15, 2024

Report: ‘Junk fees’ add a hidden burden to Texas tenants already struggling with high rents

Clinical Professor Heather Way speaks on the Housing Policy Clinic's new report, which focuses on how "junk fees"–added fees that tenants pay for mandatory services–have contributed to rising rent costs and a lack of affordable housing.

Texas Standard April 12, 2024

How many landlords pad rent with ‘junk fees,’ and what can be done

Clinical Professor Heather Way is interviewed about the Housing Policy Clinic's new report, "Combating Junk Fees in Texas Rental Housing: A Pathway to Fairer and More Transparent Leasing Practices."

Texas Monthly April 4, 2024

Exclusive: How a Right-wing Texas Think Tank Ducked Its Property Taxes

Clinical Professor Heather Way discusses the controversy surrounding the Texas Public Policy Foundation's qualification for property tax exemption.

UTSA professors’ research explores bias in housing demolitions and code enforcement

Research by Professor Heather Way that outlines the rates at which homes are vacated and demolished in San Antonio relative to other large Texas cities is referenced in a story about professors at UTSA developing a method to help reduce demolitions and assess bias within code enforcement.

Houston Chronicle March 21, 2024

New Houston Housing Authority board votes to increase loans for tax break deals

Professor Heather Way discusses how Section 392 tax break deals have increased since state legislators passed a reform bill targeting PFC (public facility corporation) deals, noting that the Houston Housing Authority is particularly capitalizing on the program.

Houston Chronicle December 22, 2023

Texas lawmakers tried to stop a tiny government from arranging big tax breaks. It hasn’t worked.

Professor Heather Way comments on the challenges Texas policymakers face in balancing public perks for developers with meaningful affordable housing concessions.

Houston Chronicle November 1, 2023

Houston Housing Authority eschews controversial PFC tax breaks, uses very similar tax break instead

Clinical Professor Heather Way laments that the Houston Housing Authority bypassed recent reforms to the Public Facility Corporation tax break law.

Texas Monthly November 1, 2023

Black-Owned Land Is Under Siege in the Brazos Valley

Clinical Professor Heather Way provides insight into how state property code influenced a court's ruling on property appraisals in a piece about developers that are using heirs' property laws to dispossess Black landowners in Brazos County.

KVUE October 27, 2023

‘It makes me feel unwelcome in this community’ | Property association fee hikes make low-income, affordable homes difficult to keep

Clinical Professor Heather Way and the Entrepreneurship and Community Development Clinic's work regarding proposed improvements to Austin's affordable homeownership program is referenced.

The Dallas Morning News August 28, 2023

Brewery to spur East McKinney development has residents wanting change, fearing costs

Professor Heather Way discusses how gentrification inherently leads to displacement for lower income families and calls for cities to proactively mitigate the impacts of development projects.