Urban Institute: Housing

The Corporation for Supportive Housing's Returning Home Initiative: System Change Accomplishments after Three Years

paffairs@urban.org ( Martha R. Burt, Jocelyn Fontaine, Caterina Gouvis Roman ) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:00:00 EST

In 2006, the Corporation for Supportive Housing launched its Returning Home Initiative (RHI) with two goals: 1) to establish permanent supportive housing as an essential reentry component for formerly incarcerated persons with histories of homelessness, mental illness, and chronic health conditions; and 2) to promote local and national policy changes to integrate the corrections, housing, mental health, and human service systems. The Urban Institute assessed the process of system change stimulated by RHI activities in New York, Los Angeles, and Chicagothree communities receiving significant RHI investment. This brief summarizes the influence of RHI-funded activities in each of these cities.

Addressing the Foreclosure Crisis: Action Oriented Research in Three Cities

paffairs@urban.org ( G. Thomas Kingsley, Kathryn L.S. Pettit, Leah Hendey ) — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

The National Neighborhood Indicators Partnership is a network of local civic groups and university institutes in 32 cities that operate neighborhood-level data systems. This report documents the results of a project that challenged three of these groups to apply their data creatively to enhance local responses to the foreclosure crisis in a one year time frame. All had an impact. The Atlanta group developed neighborhood data on foreclosure trends region-wide and presented it at several major convenings that motivated stakeholders for the first time to work toward a coordinated regional approach to response planning. In Chicago, the group linked the client database of a major housing counseling organization to records on foreclosure outcomes and helped the agency examine outcomes for the households they counseled. The Washington D.C. team also analyzed a mix of neighborhood indicators area-wide (e.g., foreclosure risk, market strength, and access to transportation) and worked with the Council of Governments to use the analysis as a basis for targeting resources more effectively in Neighborhood Stabilization Planning.

Targeting Chronically Homeless Veterans with HUD-VASH

paffairs@urban.org ( Mary K. Cunningham ) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

Hundreds of veterans are sleeping on the street or in the emergency shelter system in the District of Columbia. This brief examines data from the vulnerability index survey, completed by the DC Department of Health and Human Services and Common Ground, a nonprofit supportive housing provider. These data indicate that homeless veterans in DC have numerous health problems, leaving them highly vulnerable to premature mortality. The DC Veteran Affairs Medical Center should prioritize these highly vulnerable homeless veterans for HUD-VASH vouchers, which link housing subsidies with supportive services.

National Foreclosure Mitigation Counseling Program Evaluation: Preliminary Analysis of Program Effects

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

The National Foreclosure Mitigation Counseling (NFMC) program is a special federal appropriation, administered by NeighborWorks America, that is designed to support a rapid expansion of foreclosure intervention counseling in response to the nationwide foreclosure crisis. This report presents the results of preliminary analyses that attempt to measure the effects of the NFMC program on counseled homeowners. Overall, our analysis suggests that the program is having its intended effect of helping homeowners facing loss of their homes through foreclosure.

Family Mobility and Neighborhood Change : New Evidence and Implications for Community Initiatives

paffairs@urban.org ( Claudia J. Coulton, Brett Theodos, Margery Austin Turner ) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

Americans change residences frequently. Residential mobility can reflect positive changes in a family's circumstances or be a symptom of instability and insecurity. Mobility may also change neighborhoods as a whole. To shed light on these challenges, this report uses a unique survey conducted for the Making Connections initiative. The first component measures how mobility contributed to changes in neighborhoods' composition and characteristics. The second component identifies groups of households that reflect different reasons for moving or staying in place. The final component introduces five stylized models of neighborhood performance: each has implications for low-income families' well-being and for community-change efforts.

Foreclosures in the Nation's Capital 2009

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EST

This brief, a companion to the Housing in the Nation's Capital 2009 report, describes the impact of the foreclosure crisis on the Washington metropolitan region, examining the level and trends of foreclosures, outlining potential secondary effects for families and neighborhoods, and looking towards the future of the region's housing market. It concludes with policy implications in four areas: foreclosure prevention, neighborhood stabilization, recovery assistance for displaced households, and services for children in foreclosed homes.

Housing in the Nation's Capital 2009

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EST

This is the seventh in a series of annual reports about housing in the Washington metropolitan region. It assembles and analyzes the most current data on housing conditions in the District of Columbia and the surrounding suburbs. This year's report focuses on the impact of the foreclosure crisis on the region, examining the level and trends of foreclosures, outlining potential secondary effects for families and neighborhoods, and looking towards the future of the region's housing market. It concludes with policy implications in four areas: foreclosure prevention, neighborhood stabilization, recovery assistance for displaced households, and services for children in foreclosed homes.

Rising Tide of Foreclosures and Mortage Delinquencies Will Add Turmoil to Metro DC Housing Market and Families' Lives : Pressures Mount for Prime Loans and Minorities

paffairs@urban.org ( The Urban Institute ) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EST

The metropolitan Washington housing market, just beginning to stabilize at midyear, will have to deal soon with tens of thousands of additional foreclosed homes thrown onto the market, an Urban Institute study forecasts.

Rising Poverty Threatens Neighborhood Vitality

paffairs@urban.org ( Margery Austin Turner ) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EST

High poverty rates, especially among African Americans and Latinos, threaten the well-being of neighborhoods as well as families. We can anticipate that the number of neighborhoods with dangerously high poverty rates is higher today than in 2000, representing a tragic reversal of the downward trend between 1990 and 2000. Historically, public policies played a central role in establishing and enforcing patterns of racial segregation, alongside discriminatory practices by the private sector and individuals. But no single causal process explains the persistence of residential segregation in America today. To ensure the well-being and sustainability of all neighborhoods, public policies must intervene to break the cycle.

Transformation of Affordable-Housing Policy Illuminated in New Historical Analysis

paffairs@urban.org ( The Urban Institute ) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EST

The Housing Policy Revolution: Networks and Neighborhoods from the Urban Institute Press traces the shift in U.S. housing policy from the Washington-led bureaucracies of the 1960s to today's highly collaborative, tax-supported networks of advocates, local governments, bankers, and property developers.

Promoting Neighborhood Diversity: Benefits, Barriers, and Strategies

paffairs@urban.org ( Margery Austin Turner, Lynette A. Rawlings ) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EST

Despite substantial progress since passage of the Fair Housing Act four decades ago, neighborhoods remain highly segregated by race and ethnicity. This paper summarizes existing research evidence on both the costs of segregation and the potential benefits of neighborhood diversity. It uses decennial census data to show that a growing share of US neighborhoods are racially and ethnically diverse, but that low-income African Americans in particular remain highly concentrated in predominantly minority neighborhoods. Because the dynamics that sustain segregation today are complex, strategies for overcoming them must address not only discrimination, but information gaps, affordability constraints, prejudice, and fear.

Permanent Supportive Housing in the District of Columbia: Taking Stock and Looking Forward

paffairs@urban.org ( Martha R. Burt, Sam Hall ) — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EST

With the generous support of the William S. Abell Foundation, the Urban Institute (UI) surveyed District permanent supportive housing (PSH) agencies and specific PSH projects, asking their staff to detail current projects and future ambitions. This research brief is an analysis of the stock of PSH in the District as of early fall 2008, demographic information on PSH tenants at that time, and a look at how the District might move forward toward fulfilling its commitment to create 2,500 new units of PSH and ultimately eliminating chronic homelessness.

High Cost and Investor Mortgages : Neighborhood Patterns

paffairs@urban.org ( G. Thomas Kingsley, Kathryn L.S. Pettit ) — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 00:00:00 EST

Neighborhoods likely to be the hardest hit by foreclosure impacts in 2009 are those that experienced the highest densities of subprime (high-cost) lending during the peak 2004-2006 period. This brief examines patterns of such lending in the 100 largest metropolitan areas. The very highest subprime densities were found in minority neighborhoods that were, interestingly, at the higher rather than the lower end of the income spectrum. But there was considerable variety in characteristics among the most troubled. Of the fifth of census tracts that ranked highest in subprime density, 35 percent had predominantly white populations and 60 percent were in the suburbs.

The Uncharted, Uncertain Future Of HOPE VI Redevelopments : The Case for Assessing Project Sustainability

paffairs@urban.org ( Martin D. Abravanel, Diane K. Levy, Margaret McFarland ) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 00:00:00 EST

HOPE VI supports demolishing large, dilapidated public housing and replacing it with smaller-scale, more appealing properties. What makes this feasible (mixed financing; private-sector entities; and mixed-income, mixed-tenure complexes) also creates conditions that challenge and can undermine long-term sustainability. Sustainability has not yet been assessed and whether it should or can be assessed has been questioned. With input from housing practitioners and insight from a trial exploration of two HOPE VI redevelopments, this report demonstrates the need for, and feasibility of, conducting an assessment that can assist both private owners and public agencies in sustaining this valuable resource.

Vibrant Neighborhoods, Successful Schools : What the Federal Government Can Do to Foster Both

paffairs@urban.org ( Margery Austin Turner, Alan Berube ) — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EST

Every parent recognizes the inextricable connections between where we live and the quality of our childrens education. Although public policies have historically contributed to disparities in both neighborhood affordability and school quality, federal programs focused on affordable housing rarely take public schools into account and school officials typically assume that they have no influence over housing patterns. This paper focuses on four principles regarding the vitality and performance of schools and communities, discussing opportunities for constructive policy interventions, summarizing what we know about their likely effectiveness, and recommending next steps for the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Education.

Metropolitan Conditions and Trends: Changing Contexts for a Community Initiative

paffairs@urban.org ( Leah Hendey, G. Thomas Kingsley ) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EST

This brief reviews recent social and economic trends in the ten metropolitan areas that form the context for the neighborhood programs being operated as a part of the Annie E. Casey Foundation's Making Connections initiative. It finds that these areas are strikingly different along a number dimensions and in are many ways representative of the diversity in conditions and trends across America's metropolitan areas. Since 2002, for example, two of these areas attained among the nation's highest rates of employment growth (Denver and Seattle) while two others experienced serious declines (Oakland and Milwaukee). Although there were important differences in magnitudes, all sites did share in a number of trends: minority groups growing as a share of total population, improvements in several social indicators (e.g., in crime and teen pregnancy) but, disturbingly, notable increases in child poverty.

The Impacts of Foreclosures on Families and Communities: A Primer

paffairs@urban.org ( G. Thomas Kingsley, Robin E. Smith, David Price ) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EST

The foreclosure crisis is now having dramatic effects throughout America. In mid-2008, recognizing that this phenomenon was still quite new, the Open Society Institute asked the Urban Institute to scan available research to document what we know about: (1) the way foreclosures impact families; (2) how foreclosures affect communities; and (3) the efforts now underway, or being suggested, to address the crisis, focusing on actions at the local level. This report summarizes a longer report presenting the results of this review.

Facts and Findings about Foreclosures, Families, and Communities

paffairs@urban.org ( The Urban Institute ) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EST

"The Impacts of Foreclosures on Families and Communities" details what is known about how foreclosures adversely affect households and their neighborhoods from children and the elderly to public safety and local property tax revenues. It also looks at policies, programs, and response strategies to prevent or mitigate the fallout.

The Impacts of Foreclosures on Families and Communities

paffairs@urban.org ( G. Thomas Kingsley, Robin E. Smith, David Price ) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EST

The foreclosure crisis is now having dramatic effects throughout America. In mid-2008, recognizing that this phenomenon was still quite new, the Open Society Institute asked the Urban Institute to scan available research to document what we know about: (1) the way foreclosures impact families; (2) how foreclosures affect communities; and (3) the efforts now underway, or being suggested, to address the crisis, focusing on actions at the local level. This report presents the results of this review. A final section offers the authors' recommendations on priorities for additional research to fill important gaps in the knowledge base.

A National Commitment to Ending Homelessness among Veterans - Why Affordable Housing Programs Matter : Testimony before the U.S. House Committee on Veterans' Affairs

paffairs@urban.org ( Mary K. Cunningham ) — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EST

In this testimony, Mary Cunningham discusses different housing-based interventions that policymakers could adopt to end homelessness among veterans. Increasing HUD-VASH vouchers and tightly targeting them to high need veterans, as well as increasing rapid rehousing programs and affordable housing programs for low-income veterans who are homeless primarily for economic reasons are discussed.

New Life for US Housing and Urban Policy : Address to the opening plenary of the City Futures Conference, Madrid, June 4, 2009

paffairs@urban.org ( Margery Austin Turner ) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EST

Three big themes animate the Obama Administration's emerging urban policy framework: competitiveness, equity of opportunity, and sustainability. These themes recognize that the well-being of urban places and the welfare of people are inextricably linked. To achieve the new Administration's urban policy vision, enormous challenges must be overcome including jurisdictional balkanization, federal budget pressures, and macro trends whose long-term impacts can't be fully anticipated. In the face of these challenges, the research community has an opportunity to contribute hugely to the realization of the new urban agenda, but only if we are prepared to make our work genuinely useful to policymakers.

The Impact of Foreclosures on Home Ownership and Affordable Housing in the District of Columbia

paffairs@urban.org ( Peter A. Tatian ) — Fri, 29 May 2009 00:00:00 EST

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.

State of Washington, D.C.'s Neighborhoods

Thu, 14 May 2009 00:00:00 EST

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.

Foreclosures and Renters in Washington, D.C.

paffairs@urban.org ( Peter A. Tatian ) — Wed, 13 May 2009 00:00:00 EST

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.

Five Questions For Mary Cunningham

paffairs@urban.org ( Mary K. Cunningham ) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 00:00:00 EST

Mary Cunningham, author of "Preventing and Ending HomelessnessNext Steps," answers five questions about how to combat homelessness. Evidence-based approaches have cut homelessness among chronically homeless single adults and new strategies are now being adopted to help homeless families. Investing in proven strategies is crucial as the economic crisis puts more people at risk of ending up in shelters and threatens to reverse the progress communities have made toward ending and preventing homelessness.

Susan Popkin to Head the Urban Institute's New Program on Neighborhoods and Youth Development

paffairs@urban.org ( The Urban Institute ) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 00:00:00 EST

Susan Popkin, a senior fellow at the Urban Institute and an expert on public housing, has been named the director of the Institutes new Program on Neighborhoods and Youth Development.

Evaluation of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction and Corporation for Supportive Housing's Pilot Program : Interim Report: Oct 2007 - Sept 2008

Wed, 08 Apr 2009 00:00:00 EST

The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction and the Corporation for Supportive Housing Ohio Office developed a pilot program that provides permanent supportive housing to individuals released from several Ohio prisons. The Pilot intends to reduce recidivism and homelessness/shelter usage and decrease the costs associated with multiple service system use. The Urban Institute is evaluating the Pilot to explore whether it is meeting its intended goals. This Interim Report covers the first year of the evaluationdescribing the Pilot and its eligibility requirements; the UI evaluation methods; and the characteristics and preliminary outcomes of the Pilot's first 57 clients.

Systems to Improve the Management of City-Owned Land in Baltimore

paffairs@urban.org ( William Ballard, G. Thomas Kingsley ) — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 00:00:00 EST

Baltimore participated in a 2004 National Neighborhood Indicators Partnership (NNIP) pilot project to enhance local capacity to manage land markets through innovative use of parcel-level information. The city already had a program in place to acquire and re-market abandoned properties. The NNIP project focused on helping officials use the program-generated property information for more effective land management. New information systems were created to manage the complex business rules, to store the property data, and to provide staff with desktop access to information. An integrated disposition system reduced staff time, improved performance, and enhanced the city's service to its business partners.

District of Columbia Forum on Housing Options for Frequent Users of Jail and Shelter: Presentation of Urban Institute Data Analysis

paffairs@urban.org ( Sam Hall ) — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 00:00:00 EST

Presentation at Reentry Housing Forum, "Reducing the Revolving Door of Incarceration and Homelessness in the District of Columbia." Gives information on the number of people using jail only; shelter only; jail and shelter; jail, shelter, and Fire and Emergency Medical Services (FEMS); multiple spells in each, days in each, and a mental illness disability, for people using the D.C. Jail between October 1, 2004 and March 31, 2008, public emergency shelters between October 1, 2005 and September 30, 2007, and FEMS between January 1 and August 31, 2008. It also presents costs to the three systems providing data.

Widening Effects of the Corporation for Supportive Housing's System-Change Efforts in Los Angeles, 20052008

paffairs@urban.org ( Martha R. Burt ) — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 00:00:00 EST

This, the fourth evaluation report for this project, describes extensive developments in Los Angeles during 2007-2008 and how they build on earlier work. The pipeline for permanent supportive housing is expanding, as are activities to improve the health of homeless people, smooth the transition from jail to community, and address the needs of the most vulnerable homeless people. Numerous coordinating and collaborating structures have begun or are expanding as part of these developments. Cautious optimism is in order compared to four years ago, but there is still a long way to go.

Reducing the Revolving Door of Incarceration and Homelessness in the District of Columbia: Population Overlaps

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 00:00:00 EST

As part of the Reentry Housing Forum, "Reducing the Revolving Door of Incarceration and Homelessness in the District of Columbia," this paper presents the number of days of jail and shelter and the number of responses by Fire and Emergency Medical Services (FEMS) for people using the D.C. Jail between October 1, 2004 and March 31, 2008, public emergency shelters between October 1, 2005 and September 30, 2007, and FEMS between January 1 and August 31, 2008, as well as the cost of these services to District agencies.

Reducing the Revolving Door of Incarceration and Homelessness in the District of Columbia: Data Sources, Methods, and Limitations

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 00:00:00 EST

As part of the Reentry Housing Forum, "Reducing the Revolving Door of Incarceration and Homelessness in the District of Columbia," this paper presents the number of people who used jail only; shelter only; jail and shelter; jail, shelter, and Fire and Emergency Medical Services (FEMS); multiple spells in each, and a mental illness disability, for people using the D.C. Jail between October 1, 2004 and March 31, 2008, public emergency shelters between October 1, 2005 and September 30, 2007, and FEMS between January 1 and August 31, 2008.

Reducing the Revolving Door of Incarceration and Homelessness in the District of Columbia: Availability of PSH for the Disabled Reentry Population

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 00:00:00 EST

As part of the Reentry Housing Forum, "Reducing the Revolving Door of Incarceration and Homelessness in the District of Columbia," this paper reports the extent to which currently available permanent supportive housing serves ex-offenders, as well as the willingness of supportive housing providers to serve this population if appropriate supportive services are available.

Reducing the Revolving Door of Incarceration and Homelessness in the District of Columbia: Cost of Services

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 00:00:00 EST

Renters A Key to Housing Market

paffairs@urban.org ( Robert I. Lerman ) — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 00:00:00 EST

If Congress and the Obama administration want to encourage housing demand without breaking the government bank, says Institute Fellow Robert Lerman, they should allow low-income recipients of rent subsidies to buy homes and use their subsidies to help pay the monthly mortgage, tax and insurance costs.

Preventing and Ending Homelessness - Next Steps

paffairs@urban.org ( Mary K. Cunningham ) — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 00:00:00 EST

Across the country, communities are working to end homelessness by investing in Housing First approaches that help families and single adults get back into permanent housing. Until recently, many of these communities were reducing homelessness. Today, the housing crisis and economic recession threatens progress and puts millions of Americans at risk of homelessness. Many expect the homeless numbers to swell-and some communities are already reporting sharp increases, particularly among families. This brief examines the current state of homelessness, how community responses are changing, what is working, and, most important, what policymakers should be doing to move forward, not backward.

A Guide to Home Mortgage Disclosure Act Data

paffairs@urban.org ( Kathryn L.S. Pettit, Audrey Droesch ) — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 00:00:00 EST

The Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) requires most lending institutions to report on home mortgage loan applications, including the application outcome, loan- and applicant-related information, and property location. Annual data collected through HMDA provide a unique set of files with information at the neighborhood level. This guide describes the HMDA original source data and the HMDA indicators available on DataPlace. The guide also illustrates how HMDA indicators can be used to shed light on such issues as neighborhood investment trends, changes in the racial and economic composition of home buyers, disparities in home loan access, and subprime lending.

Federal Programs for Addressing Low-Income Housing Needs : A Policy Primer

paffairs@urban.org ( Margery Austin Turner, G. Thomas Kingsley ) — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 00:00:00 EST

Housing costs constitute the single biggest expenditure in most family budgets, and many low-income families have difficulty finding housing they can reasonably afford. Although most family-strengthening and community change initiatives recognize the urgency of the housing problems facing low-income families, they often have difficulty figuring out how to constructively address them. Federal housing programs are numerous and confusing, implementation is balkanized, funding falls woefully short of needs, and policy debates often focus on narrow technical issues. This primer demystifies federal rental assistance programs and provides the most current information available on how many (and who) they serve and how their scale is changing. It also summarizes key challenges facing housing policy today and in the coming yearschallenges that may create opportunities for federal, state, and local engagement and innovation.

Policy Primer Demystifies Federal Afforable Housing Programs

paffairs@urban.org ( The Urban Institute ) — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 00:00:00 EST

Although the ongoing foreclosure crisis has focused the nations attention on housing problems and policies, the struggles of renters have largely been overlooked. A new guide demystifies federal rental assistance programs, providing the latest information on who they serve and how their scale has changed, details on funding flows and federal-state-local-private responsibilities, explanations of how participants are selected, and overviews of challenges facing housing policy.

Understanding the Consequences of Hurricane Katrina for ACF Service Populations : A Feasibility Assessment of Study Approaches

paffairs@urban.org ( Fredrica D. Kramer, Kenneth Finegold, Daniel Kuehn ) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 00:00:00 EST

This report is an analysis of alternative datasets and research approaches to assess the effects of Hurricane Katrina on populations served by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services/Administration for Children and Families (ACF). The assessment addresses four overarching research questions, with an emphasis on using existing datasets: 1) where did populations of interest go and where are they living since Katrina; what are the effects on income and employment; what are the needs for ACF programs and services; and how did the disaster affect ACF programs themselves? The report includes an extensive annotated bibliography of analyses through January 2007.

Quality Schools, Healthy Neighborhoods, and the Future of DC

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EST

Over the last decade, the District of Columbia implemented bold steps to improve its public schools while also experiencing population growth, property value increases, and strong city fiscal health. But its child population (0-17 years old) remained essentially the same and a dwindling share of the city's children was attending the public schools. This policy report summarizes analysis from the Quality Schools and Healthy Neighborhoods: Research Report that describes the relationships between education, housing, and neighborhood development in the District, as well as provides policy recommendations for how to make the District of Columbia a more family-friendly city.

Quality Schools and Healthy Neighborhoods: A Research Report

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EST

Over the last decade, the District of Columbia implemented bold steps to improve its public schools while also experiencing population growth, property value increases, and strong city fiscal health. But its child population (0-17 years old) remained essentially the same and a dwindling share of the citys children was attending the public schools. This research report describes in-depth the relationships between education, housing, and neighborhood development in the District of Columbia, and it is the basis for the subsequent policy research report, Quality Schools, Healthy Neighborhoods, and the Future of DC, which outlines recommended policies to make the District a more family-friendly city.

Q&A: New Income and Poverty Statistics and the Social Safety Net

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST

The Census Bureau released its annual report on income, poverty, and health insurance coverage for the U.S. population on August 26, 2008. According to the report, median household income increased by 1.3 percent in 2007, while the overall poverty rate dipped slightly and the number and percentage of people without health insurance decreased. While the overall numbers were positive, not everyone shared in the economic gains. The number and percentage of children in poverty increased, and households in the lowest 40 percent of the income distribution had no significant income gains.

The Case for Evidence-Based Policy: Beyond Ideology, Politics, and Guesswork : (revised 2008)

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST

U.S. public policy has increasingly been conceived, debated, and evaluated through the lenses of politics and ideology. The fundamental question--Will the policy work?--too often gets short shrift or even ignored. A remedy is evidence-based policy -- a rigorous approach that draws on careful data collection, experimentation, and both quantitative and qualitative analysis to determine what the problem is, which ways it can be addressed, and the probable impacts of each of these ways. Examples of how evidence informs good policy and lack of evidence can invite bad include health insurance coverage, welfare reform, sentencing policy, and redress for housing discrimination.

Making Work Pay Enough : A Decent Standard of Living for Working Families

paffairs@urban.org ( Gregory Acs, Margery Austin Turner ) — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST

One-third of America's families with children are low income, meaning their incomes fall below twice the federal poverty level. Although four in five of these families work, many don't bring home enough to cover the everyday costs of living. In this essay, Acs and Turner outline their proposals to enhance low-income families' purchasing power and reduce unusually high housing costs through a package of reforms and policy initiatives that tackle both the income side and expenditure side of family budgets.

Making Work Pay Enough - Summary

paffairs@urban.org ( Gregory Acs, Margery Austin Turner ) — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST

Review of "Making Work Pay Enough"

paffairs@urban.org ( Jared Bernstein ) — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST

This paper is a response to New Safety Net Paper 1, "Making Work Pay Enough: A Decent Standard of Living for Working Families" by Gregory Acs and Margery Austin Turner.

Using the Housing We Have

paffairs@urban.org ( John Weicher ) — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST

This paper is a response to New Safety Net Paper 1, "Making Work Pay Enough: A Decent Standard of Living for Working Families" by Gregory Acs and Margery Austin Turner.

What It Will Take to End Homelessness in D.C.

paffairs@urban.org ( Martha R. Burt, Sam Hall ) — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST

In this commentary for The Washington Post, researchers Martha Burt and Sam Hall recommend, among other things, that Washington, D.C., offer permanent supportive housing to those who have been homeless the longest or have the most severe forms of disability. Making major changes in its data system would help the city have real-time information regarding homeless people.

Subprime Mortgage Lending in the District of Columbia : A Study for the Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST

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.