Research by Author & Topic

Publications by Peter A. Tatian on Cities and Metropolitan Regions

In this testimony before members of the D.C. City Council, Peter Tatian, senior researcher in the Urban Institute's Metropolitan Housing and Communities Policy Center and director of NeighborhoodInfo DC, presents recent data showing that the national foreclosure crisis has not spared households in the District of Columbia. Although the intensity of the foreclosure problem is not as severe as in other parts of the region, the nation's capital has seen a marked and steady increase in foreclosures since the beginning of the housing market downturn.

The District of Columbia's leaders have committed to capitalizing on the city's many assets and taking advantage of its recent growth and prosperity to tackle persistent challenges of inequality and exclusion. This report, prepared for the D.C. Office of Planning, seeks to aid the city's leaders and citizens through tracking and measuring major economic and social indicators. The report provides a baseline assessment of the current situation in the city and its neighborhoods in nine subject categories: demographics; jobs and income; housing; education; health; family, youth, and seniors; safety and security; public investment; and environment.

Although much of the media have focused on the consequences of the foreclosure crisis for financial markets, lending institutions, and homeowners, comparatively less attention has been paid to how housing foreclosures have affected renters. This report, sponsored by the Annie E. Casey Foundation and using local administrative data from NeighborhoodInfo DC, documents the extent to which foreclosures in Washington, D.C., have occurred in renter-occupied homes and apartments. The conclusion outlines several policy options for helping renters during this difficult period.

This report, commissioned by the D.C. Department of Insurance, Securities, and Banking, examines the extent of subprime lending in the District of Columbia and the resulting impacts on residents and neighborhoods. The study found that subprime lending was concentrated in predominantly African-American, moderate-income neighborhoods, areas that are now experiencing a sharp rise in home foreclosures. The report recommends a number of actions to protect the city's homeowners and neighborhoods, including stronger monitoring of mortgage lenders, better outreach and education for home owners and home buyers, and creation of a loan fund to help persons refinance out of bad loans.

This testimony discusses recent data, compiled by NeighborhoodInfo DC, on foreclosures in Washington, D.C. Foreclosures have almost doubled since 2005, and data for the first quarter of 2008 show that the problem continues to worsen. With additional adjustable-rate, subprime loans scheduled to reset over the next two years, the situation is especially serious for homeowners in wards and neighborhoods where foreclosures are concentrated.

The District of Columbia Housing Monitor provides a quarterly look at the Washington, D.C., housing market, tracking home prices, real estate listings, new construction, and affordable housing. This issue's special section provides the most extensive tracking to date of the city's subsidized affordable housing stock, reporting numbers of units by location, program type, ownership, and expiration of affordability restrictions.

This testimony discusses recent data, compiled by NeighborhoodInfo DC, on foreclosures and losses of Section 8 housing units in Washington, D.C. Foreclosures have almost doubled since 2005 and the city has lost close to 2,000 units of federally-subsidized housing since 2000. These developments exacerbate an already serious affordable housing shortage in the nation's capital.

The District of Columbia Housing Monitor provides a quarterly look at the Washington, D.C., housing market, tracking home prices, real estate listings, new construction, and affordable housing. This issue's special section reports on neighborhood-level housing price trends and highlights the continuing strong price growth in neighborhoods east of the Anacostia River.

This fact sheet looks at the latest data on subprime mortgage lending and high interest rate loans from the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) for the 25 jurisdictions that make up the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.

As is true nationally, many home buyers in the District of Columbia have made use of subprime loans to purchase a home. Data indicate that use of subprime loans is highest in Wards 4, 5, 7, and 8, and among African-American and Latino borrowers. High use of subprime loans by these groups point to areas where predatory or illegal practices might be occurring. The D.C. Council can consider several measures to address these concerns, including providing better education and credit counseling for homebuyers, requiring more reporting by mortgage lenders, and testing mortgage lenders for fair housing practices.