Robbie Sequeira

Robbie Sequeira

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Robbie Sequeira is a staff writer covering housing and social services for Stateline. He's covered a variety of issues, from decisions in state and local government to the everyday lives of residents in Minnesota, Iowa, Georgia and his hometown, The Bronx. In his six-year career, Sequeira has earned awards for reporting on labor issues, homelessness and politics. A massive Yankee and reality TV show fan, Robbie is always eager to connect with those who have a tip or a story to share.

Feds provide guidance on new federal K-12 scholarship tax credit program
Stateline

Feds provide guidance on new federal K-12 scholarship tax credit program

Oct 01, 2026
Robbie Sequeira
The U.S. Department of the Treasury released new guidance Thursday for participating states, scholarship-granting organizations and taxpayers as the federal scholarship tax credit program prepares to take effect in January. Created through President Donald Trump’s massive tax and spending law...
Voters to weigh different approaches to housing affordability in November
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Voters to weigh different approaches to housing affordability in November

Oct 01, 2026
Robbie Sequeira
Voters in four states will decide housing-related ballot measures in November, providing testing grounds for different strategies to boost affordable homes. The six measures across California, Hawaii, Massachusetts and Rhode Island are the highest number in a single election year...
K-12 spending, absenteeism programs face risks as feds stop key monitoring, watchdog says
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K-12 spending, absenteeism programs face risks as feds stop key monitoring, watchdog says

Sep 25, 2026
Robbie Sequeira
The U.S. Department of Education’s suspension this year of a comprehensive monitoring process puts billions of K-12 dollars at heightened risk of undetected waste, fraud and abuse, according to a new report by the nonpartisan U.S. Government Accountability Office. The...
Trump admin aims to shift homelessness grants toward addiction treatment, enforcement
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Trump admin aims to shift homelessness grants toward addiction treatment, enforcement

Sep 16, 2026
Robbie Sequeira
In its latest effort to overhaul federal homelessness funding, the Trump administration is proposing to provide more money to localities that prioritize treatment-first policies such as sober living, more cooperation with law enforcement and more temporary and transitional housing. It’s...
Fewer students, too many schools: Communities confront closures and consolidations
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Fewer students, too many schools: Communities confront closures and consolidations

Sep 15, 2026
Robbie Sequeira
Declining birth rates mean fewer students. And that means more districts grappling with whether to close or merge schools. “The big shrink” is how Marguerite Roza, director of Georgetown University’s Edunomics Lab , described what is happening nationally. “When there...
Schools, libraries sound alarm over potential changes to federal internet program
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Schools, libraries sound alarm over potential changes to federal internet program

Sep 10, 2026
Robbie Sequeira
A multi-billion-dollar federal program that helps schools and libraries afford broadband internet is under review by the Trump administration, leaving education officials and advocates worried about potentially significant cuts. The E-Rate program provides about $3 billion annually for internet access...
The largest US school districts restrict student AI use
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The largest US school districts restrict student AI use

Sep 08, 2026
Robbie Sequeira
The country’s two largest school districts — New York City and Los Angeles — banned most student use of artificial intelligence in classrooms for this school year as anxiety over AI’s effect on learning intensifies. The Los Angeles Unified School...
More states are putting panic alarms in schools
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More states are putting panic alarms in schools

Sep 02, 2026
Robbie Sequeira
Three states this year have enacted laws that require or allow schools to use mobile, wearable, wireless or silent panic alarms to quickly summon emergency responders. The new laws in Illinois, Virginia and West Virginia bring the number of states...
Despite record low in veteran homelessness, half the states saw increases
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Despite record low in veteran homelessness, half the states saw increases

Aug 20, 2026
Robbie Sequeira
Veteran homelessness dipped slightly from 2024 to 2025, according to the latest results from the January 2025 point-in-time count. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development counted 32,495 veterans experiencing homelessness, 387, or 1.2%, fewer than the previous year...
Cities turn to AI to speed housing permitting
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Cities turn to AI to speed housing permitting

Aug 20, 2026
Robbie Sequeira
New housing projects can sometimes stall out as a developer applies to city or county planning boards and goes through cycles of inspections, reviews and approvals. Now, cities are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence to address one of the most...
Schools spend billions on AI, but struggle to figure out what’s worth it
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Schools spend billions on AI, but struggle to figure out what’s worth buying

Aug 12, 2026
Robbie Sequeira
As a new school year begins, some classrooms may use artificial intelligence tools to flag a student struggling with classwork, track attendance or try to raise reading scores. But as school districts make decisions on which tools are safe and...
Education Department hands more states flexibility with federal dollars
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Education Department hands more states flexibility with federal dollars

Aug 07, 2026
Robbie Sequeira
The Trump administration is increasing its efforts to turn more control of federal education money to the states as it continues working to dismantle the Education Department. Six states have received waiver s allowing them to consolidate more than $109...