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.

Landmark federal housing law tries new ways to boost local building
Stateline

Landmark federal housing law tries new ways to boost local building

Jul 24, 2026
Robbie Sequeira
Championed as one of the most consequential and bipartisan federal housing laws in decades, the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act enacted this month makes significant changes across federal housing policy. Included in the 139-page law are a host of...
States move to limit classroom screen time
Stateline

States move to limit classroom screen time

Jul 23, 2026
Robbie Sequeira
After school cellphone bans passed many statehouses with bipartisan support in recent legislative sessions, state lawmakers are turning to legislation governing how long students should spend looking at screens. This year, four states passed laws restricting or regulating screen time...
Trump administration targets state AI laws over ideology
Stateline

Trump administration targets state AI laws over ideology

Jul 10, 2026
Robbie Sequeira
The Trump administration is continuing its pushback against state artificial intelligence laws that it views as ideologically biased, proposing a new Federal Trade Commission policy. The proposed policy statement, which is open for public comment through July 31, would affect...
States try new measures to get chronically absent students back to class
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States try new measures to get chronically absent students back to class

Jul 08, 2026
Robbie Sequeira
This year, at least six states enacted laws trying to reduce the number of students chronically absent from school. The measures include requiring monitoring of absences and publicly releasing data, developing new guidance on the best ways to address the...
To promote more housing, cities and states target parking minimums
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To promote more housing, cities and states target parking minimums

Jul 08, 2026
Robbie Sequeira
In 1923, the city of Columbus, Ohio, enacted the first known off-street parking requirement for new apartment buildings. The city’s rules got stricter over time. In 1954, a Columbus apartment building with 100 one-bedroom units had to have at least...
Feds encourage public housing authorities to impose work rules, time limits
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Feds encourage public housing authorities to impose work rules, time limits

Jun 30, 2026
Robbie Sequeira
Dozens of public housing authorities, tribes, property owners and community groups have joined a new coalition organized by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to promote work requirements and time limits for people who receive federal housing help...
2 years after Grants Pass, 14 states, 350 cities have tougher laws on street homelessness
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2 years after Grants Pass, 14 states, 350 cities have tougher laws on street homelessness

Jun 25, 2026
Robbie Sequeira
Two years after the U.S. Supreme Court’s Grants Pass v. Johnson decision — which allowed governments to enforce public camping bans without violating the Eighth Amendment prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment — more than 350 cities and 14 states...
States ease child labor laws ahead of summer hiring season
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States ease child labor laws ahead of summer hiring season

Jun 22, 2026
Robbie Sequeira
For some teenagers across the country, the summer is the first opportunity to gain work experience for their nascent resume. In a handful of states, however, teens who find jobs will find fewer protections under child labor laws. Four states...
States are changing fire codes to make housing cheaper. Some safety experts are worried.
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States are changing fire codes to make housing cheaper. Some safety experts are worried.

Jun 22, 2026
Robbie Sequeira
States and cities are loosening building code requirements in an effort to lower construction costs and boost affordable housing. Some of these changes include allowing low-rise apartment buildings to have just one stairway, reducing how often building codes are updated...
As AI use in schools grows, lawmakers and districts scramble to set up guardrails
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As AI use in schools grows, lawmakers and districts scramble to set up guardrails

Jun 10, 2026
Robbie Sequeira
With many students and educators already using widely available artificial intelligence tools, state lawmakers and school districts are playing catch-up on AI policies. In Maryland, for example, AI usage policies for K-12 schools are “all over the map,” Democratic state...
Year-over-year homelessness declines
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Year-over-year homelessness declines

Jun 01, 2026
Robbie Sequeira
There were fewer homeless people in the United States on a single night in January 2025 than in January 2024, but homelessness increased in 28 states, according to the latest federal count. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development...
High-profile child deaths spark push for welfare agency transparency
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High-profile child deaths spark push for welfare agency transparency

Jun 01, 2026
Robbie Sequeira
After two 5-year-old Indianapolis girls separately died from abuse in the last two years, Indiana Republican state Rep. Julie McGuire said lawmakers could not get basic answers from the state agency responsible for the safety of children. Kinsleigh Welty had...