Urban Institute: Housing

Can Federal Efforts Advance Federal and Local De-Siloing? - Full Report : Lessons from the HUD-EPA-DOT Partnership for Sustainable Communities

Fri, 17 May 2013 00:00:00 EST

In April 2012, Living Cities asked the Urban Institute to study the Partnership for Sustainable Communities, and the HUD Regional Planning Grants specifically, as a way to understand how the federal government could break down "silos," institutional or political barriers to cooperative and collaborative efforts. The research team reviewed key documents and conducted in-person interviews with personnel at federal agencies as well as organizations leading the regional planning grant projects in five case sites. These findings suggest that federal efforts can, in fact, contribute to breaking down silos both within the federal government and at the regional level.

Can Federal Efforts Advance Federal and Local De-Siloing? - Summary : Lessons from the HUD-EPA-DOT Partnership for Sustainable Communities

Fri, 17 May 2013 00:00:00 EST

Racial Wealth Divide is 3 Times Wider than Income Gap, Threatening Economic Opportunity Integrity

paffairs@urban.org ( Urban Institute ) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 00:00:00 EST

Why have middle-income blacks and Hispanics seen little, if any, improvement in their economic status relative to whites? New research from the Urban Institute's Opportunity and Ownership Project points to an ever-widening wealth chasm.

Less Than Equal: Racial Disparities in Wealth Accumulation

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 00:00:00 EST

Income inequality understates the size of the economic gap between whites and minorities in the United States. In 2010, whites on average had two times the income of blacks and Hispanics, but six times the wealth. Analyses of wealth accumulation over the life cycle show that the racial wealth gap grows sharply with age. Wealth isn't just money in the bank, it's insurance against tough times, tuition to get a better education and a better job, savings to retire on, and a springboard into the middle class.

Sustainable Housing Finance: Perspectives on Reforming FHA : Testimony before the House Financial Services Committee Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance

paffairs@urban.org ( Sarah Rosen Wartell ) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 00:00:00 EST

In testimony before the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance, Urban Institute President Sarah Rosen Wartell described alternatives for reforming the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) to ensure a sustainable housing finance system, focusing on steps Congress can take now to improve FHAs financial health by strengthening its ability to assess and manage risk and mitigate loss.

Housing Assistance for Youth Who Have Aged Out of Foster Care : The Role of the Chafee Foster Care Independence Program

paffairs@urban.org ( Mike Pergamit, Marla McDaniel, Amelia Hawkins ) — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 00:00:00 EST

Each year the Chafee Foster Care Independence Program provides $140 million for independent living services to assist youth as they age out of foster care and enter adulthood. Under this formula grant program, states are provided allocations and allowed to use up to 30 percent of program funds for room and board for youth ages 18 to 21 who have left care. This report describes how states are using these funds to provide housing assistance to these vulnerable youth and explores how the assistance provided through this program fits in with other sources of housing assistance available in the states examined.

How Would Reforming the Mortgage Interest Deduction Affect the Housing Market?

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 00:00:00 EST

Opponents of MID reform warn that reducing the deduction would undermine the value of owner-occupied homes and impede the recovery of the depressed housing market. The best available evidence predicts far less dire effects and suggests that some reforms could actually bolster the housing market recovery. However, the results are far from definitive. As debate continues, the Urban Institute plans to further explore behavioral and market changes, strengthening the evidence upon which policymakers can rely.

Lost Generations? Wealth Building among Young Americans

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 00:00:00 EST

Despite the Great Recession and slow recovery, the American dream of working hard, saving more, and becoming wealthier than one's parents holds true for many. Unless you're under 40. Stagnant wages, diminishing job opportunities, and lost home values may be painting a vastly different future for Gen X and Gen Y. Today's political discussions often focus on preserving the wealth and benefits of older Americans and the baby boomers. Often lost in this debate is attention to younger generations whose wealth losses, or lack of long-term gains, have been even greater.

How Chicago's Public Housing Transformation Can Inform Federal Policy

paffairs@urban.org ( Susan J. Popkin ) — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 00:00:00 EST

For more than a decade, the Urban Institute has been following the experiences of CHA families as they were relocated and their buildings were demolished and replaced with new, mixed-income housing. In this brief, the author distills a decade's worth of research and outlines lessons from this research that have important implications for cities across the nation grappling with how to improve their most troubled communities and provide decent, affordable housing for vulnerable families in an era of shrinking resources.

CHA Residents and the Plan for Transformation

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 00:00:00 EST

This brief provides an overview of the Urban Institute research on CHA families since 2001. It describes how most former residents now live in better housing in safer neighborhoods. Those who got intensive case management and supportive services through the Chicago Family Case Management Demonstration have significantly lower rates of depression, better physical health, and higher rates of employment. However, even with these gains, many adults struggle with extremely high rates of debilitating chronic illnesses that prevent them from finding full-time employment and many children still grapple with the fallout from growing up with chronic violence.

An Improved Living Environment, But...

paffairs@urban.org ( Larry Buron, Christopher Hayes, Chantal Hailey ) — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 00:00:00 EST

Chicago's Plan for Transformation improved housing quality for residents in our study; most reported living in extremely distressed units in 2001 but by 2011, just 25 percent reported such severe problems. Although their neighborhoods are still poor and racially segregated, they have higher rates of collective efficacy, less social disorder, and fewer signs of physical disorder. Many respondents are experiencing material hardship, including food insecurity and trouble paying bills and utilities. Voucher holders, in particular, are moving frequently with no perceptible improvement in housing or neighborhood quality. In fact, voucher holders report more housing problems than residents in public housing.

Improving the Lives of Public Housing's Most Vulnerable Families

paffairs@urban.org ( Susan J. Popkin, Elizabeth Davies ) — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 00:00:00 EST

Demonstration participants, who were particularly vulnerable and hard to house in 2007, received intensive supportive services focused on improving family stability, mental health, and self-sufficiency. Our analysis finds significant gains in employment for working-age Demonstration participants living in traditional public housing (and subject to the CHA work requirement). In contrast, the health of Panel Study respondentscomparable CHA residents who did not receive intensive services deteriorated steadily over the past decade. Despite these overall positive results, chronic disease remains a major challenge and mortality rates for these CHA residents are shockingly high.

Chronic Violence: Beyond the Developments

paffairs@urban.org ( Chantal Hailey , Megan Gallagher ) — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 00:00:00 EST

Youth in our study who lived through CHA's Plan for Transformation remain in crisis. Many exhibit the short-term effects of growing up around violence, including high rates of criminal and delinquent behaviors. In 2011, fear and violence was affecting youth whose families had relocated with vouchers more than it was affecting those who had relocated to mixed-income or public housing. To manage their exposure to violence, some youth socially isolate themselves, or their families continue to seek refuge by moving. Still, some children are witnesses, victims, and perpetrators of violence as they leave their protective networks and enter new communities.

Chicago Public Housing Transformation Offers Lessons for National and Local Authorities

paffairs@urban.org ( Urban Institute ) — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 00:00:00 EST

After more than a decade of physical and social transformation and $1 billion, the Chicago Housing Authority's singular Plan for Transformation offers valuable lessons for federal policymakers and local housing authorities trying to improve their most troubled neighborhoods and improve the quality of life for public housing residents, an Urban Institute research and policy synthesis explains.

Addressing FHA's Financial Condition and Program Challenges Part II : Testimony before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs

paffairs@urban.org ( Sarah Rosen Wartell ) — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 00:00:00 EST

In testimony before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, Urban Institute President Sarah Rosen Wartell described the role that the Federal Housing Administration has played historically and during the most recent financial and housing market crises, explained the origin of losses expected from the FHA insurance portfolio, and suggested ways to avoid costs, such as more analytic capacity and additional tools and authorities to act nimbly to manage, price, and mitigate risk.

Measuring Performance: A Guidance Document for Promise Neighborhoods on Collecting Data and Reporting Results

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 00:00:00 EST

Promise Neighborhoods is a place-based initiative intended to turn neighborhoods of concentrated poverty into neighborhoods of opportunity. They do this by providing high-quality schools along with a continuum of services spanning from early childhood through college and enhance family and community supports. The Promise Neighborhoods Initiative model has a strong commitment to results-based planning and improvement using real-time data. This guidance document recommends data collection strategies and data system structures to ensure Promise Neighborhoods can manage and produce measurable results. While this guidance document is written specifically for Promise Neighborhoods, these recommendations can be applied to other place-based initiatives.

Expanding Choice: Practical Strategies for Building a Successful Housing Mobility Program

Fri, 15 Feb 2013 00:00:00 EST

The Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program provides low income households the ability to affordably rent decent housing practically anywhere in the United States. And yet, voucher holders largely live in a relatively small number of low opportunity neighborhoods. In order to fully exercise their housing choice, program participants need quality information about the housing options available and tools to overcome real and perceived barriers in the private rental market. Drawing on the best available research and model programs from across the country, this toolkit provides practical advice on how to plan and implement a housing mobility program to overcome these challenges.

The Role of Investors in the Single-Family Market in Distressed Neighborhoods: The Case of Atlanta

paffairs@urban.org ( Dan Immergluck ) — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 00:00:00 EST

In the wake of the recent foreclosure crisis, many thousands of single-family homeshave been left vacant, providing an opportunity for investment purchases. Increasingly, these properties are not resold to new owners, but are instead converted to rentals in response to greater demand from households no longer seeking to buy their homes. This is the first of three case studies that examine the dynamics of investor-purchased foreclosure properties. The author looks at home purchases in Fulton County, Atlanta, focusing on the outcomes of foreclosure properties with specific attention paid to single-family investors attempting to rent out properties in low-income communities.

Coping with the Great Recession: Disparate Impacts on Economic Well-Being in Poor Neighborhoods

paffairs@urban.org ( Robert I. Lerman, Sisi Zhang ) — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 00:00:00 EST

Did the Great Recession hit poor neighborhoods especially hard? Surprisingly, between 2007 and 2009, residents in the poorest neighborhoods did not suffer worse losses in employment and wages than did other neighborhoods. Poor neighborhoods saw unusually high job losses among men but not among women. Because residents in poor neighborhoods had especially low homeownership rates, they were less likely to face big losses in home equity. Homeowners in poor neighborhoods were slightly less likely to sustain homeownership, but they werent locked out of jobs because of immobility. In fact, these homeowners fared better in the job market than renters.

Foreclosure Indicators by Servicer in Prince George's County

Mon, 26 Nov 2012 00:00:00 EST

Using a series of maps, Foreclosure Indicators by Servicer in Prince George's County highlights how foreclosure indicators including share of notices, days delinquent, and amount to cure - vary by servicer in Prince George's County, Maryland. Among other findings, our analysis of loan-level Notice of Intent to Foreclose (NOI) filings from July 2011 through June 2012 revealed stark contrasts in when mortgage servicers issue NOIs. These differences in servicer behavior could have serious implications for troubled homeowners and whether they can keep their homes. This analysis is a continuation of NeighborhoodInfo DC's ongoing tracking of the foreclosure crisis in the Washington, D.C. region.

Housing and Schools: Working Together to Reduce the Negative Effects of Student Mobility

paffairs@urban.org ( Jennifer Comey, Sophie Litschwartz, Kathryn L.S. Pettit ) — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 00:00:00 EST

How has the recession and its resulting family instability impacted childrens residential and school mobility? Officials from housing, homeless, and school programs discussed the full spectrum of residential mobility in two recent Urban Institute roundtables: from chronic mobility, eviction, and foreclosure to doubled-up households and homelessness. Attendees explored programs and policies to reduce residential and student mobility, as well as brainstormed new ways for different organizations to work together. The discussion centered on examples of school districts, government agencies, and nonprofit housing counseling agencies working together to mitigate the negative effects of mobility.

Benefits of Living in High-Opportunity Neighborhoods : Insights from the Moving to Opportunity Demonstration

paffairs@urban.org ( Margery Austin Turner, Austin Nichols, Jennifer Comey ) — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 00:00:00 EST

The Moving to Opportunity (MTO) demonstration tested the long-term benefits of helping poor families move from severely distressed housing projects to low-poverty neighborhoods. Evaluation results recently released by HUD find significant gains in health but not in employment, incomes, or educational attainment among experimental families. One possible reason gains were limited is that few families spent much more than a year living in high-opportunity neighborhoods. This brief summarizes new evidence that the MTO families that lived longer in neighborhoods with lower poverty and higher education levels did achieve better outcomes in work and school, as well as in health.

Comparing Home Closing Costs : Title Charges Vary Widely in Five Metro Housing Markets

Fri, 07 Sep 2012 00:00:00 EST

This factsheet summarizes key findings from a study that analyzes variation in settlement costs using data from FHA-insured, 30-year fixed-rate loans in five metropolitan areas. Title charges varied widely, from a median of $1,867 in Broward County to $914 in Philadelphia. Even after controlling for metropolitan area and characteristics of homebuyers, houses, neighborhoods, and settlement agencies, more than one-half of the variation in title charges remains unexplained. Substantial differences in title charges between settlement agents within a market suggest that consumers may benefit by shopping for settlement services. Regulators may want to consider helping consumers make more informed choices.

Supportive Housing for Returning Prisoners: Outcomes and Impacts of the Returning Home-Ohio Pilot Project

Wed, 15 Aug 2012 00:00:00 EST

This evaluation of a supportive housing reentry pilot project, "Returning Home-Ohio", yielded positive outcomes for program participants. The pilot project, developed jointly by the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction and the Corporation for Supportive Housing, was designed for disabled prisoners returning from state prison to five Ohio cities. A process, impact, and cost evaluation employing a quasi-experimental design with multiple data sources found that RHO participants were significantly less likely to be rearrested or reincarcerated within one year of release and significantly more likely to be delivered substance abuse and mental health services, relative to a comparison group.

Weathering the Recession: The Financial Crisis and Family Wealth Changes in Low-Income Neighborhoods

paffairs@urban.org ( Leah Hendey, Signe-Mary McKernan, Beadsie Woo ) — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 00:00:00 EST

This report looks closely at what happened to assets, debts and home equity for families living in low-income neighborhoods during the Great Recession, using data from the longitudinal Making Connections Survey. We find that both average savings and debt amounts increased between 2005/06 and 2008/09, but asset and debt levels remained lower for vulnerable families, and low-income families disproportionally lost equity during the crisis. Yet even in 2008/09, home equity was substantial and an important component of wealth ($66,000, more than four times as much as families had in savings) for the nearly half of families who were homeowners.

Changes in Wealth of Low-Income Neighborhood Residents: A Local View of the Financial Crisis

paffairs@urban.org ( Leah Hendey, Signe-Mary McKernan, Beadsie Woo ) — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 00:00:00 EST

Using longitudinal Making Connections Survey data on 2,500 families in low-income neighborhoods, this fact sheet finds that access to credit and residents perceptions of their neighborhood are all related to wealth holdings, even after controlling for household characteristics. Residents who believed their neighborhood had shared values increased their total debt and equity from 2005/06 to 2008/09. High rates of subprime lending were associated with less saving and borrowing, perhaps signaling less access to credit. Our findings suggest that both household and place characteristics matter to wealth families accrue and illustrate the importance of paying attention to place and local conditions.

Foreclosures in Prince George's County: 2011

Thu, 02 Aug 2012 00:00:00 EST

Foreclosures in Prince George's County: 2011 is the second in a three-part series about Prince George's County, Maryland published by NeighborhoodInfo DC. This brief addresses the persistent effects of the national foreclosure and credit crisis of 2008 by summarizing foreclosure activity in Prince George's County throughout 2011 using the latest loan-level Notice of Intent to Foreclose data. We provide countywide averages, as well as the individual changes in the county's ZIP codes. A special focus of this publication is the attorneys general settlement and mortgage servicers in Prince George's County.

What Explains Variation in Title Charges? A Study of Five Large Markets

Wed, 18 Jul 2012 00:00:00 EST

Title charges include title insurance premiums and charges for settling a loan. Title charges vary considerably from a median of $1,971 in California to $625 in North Dakota. This report analyzes variation in settlement costs using data from over 3,000 FHA-insured, 30-year fixed-rate home purchase loans in five metropolitan areas. Even after controlling for metropolitan area, various characteristics of homebuyers, houses, neighborhoods, and settlement agencies, more than one-half of the variation in title charges remains unexplained. Substantial differences in title charges between settlement agents within a market suggest that consumers would benefit by shopping for settlement services.

Homeownership Policy at a Critical Juncture: Are Policymakers Overreacting to the Great Recession?

paffairs@urban.org ( Robert I. Lerman, C. Eugene Steuerle, Sisi Zhang ) — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 00:00:00 EST

Is supporting homeownership still viable policy for low- and moderate-income families? Although middle-aged families are less likely to own homes than a decade ago and many recent purchasers are underwater, homeownership is still the primary saving vehicle for low- and moderate-income families, and longer-term homeowners generally managed to achieve net saving or gains despite the losses of the Great Recession. Nearly 90 percent of families that owned homes as of 1999 were still homeowners in 2011, and market conditions are increasingly favorable for homeownership. This suggests that losses incurred during the recent bust mask emerging opportunities and sensible housing policies.

The Built Environment and Household Vulnerability in a Regional Context

paffairs@urban.org ( Rolf Pendall, Brett Theodos, Kaitlin Franks ) — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 00:00:00 EST

This brief explores vulnerability, precariousness, and resilience as they apply to people, housing, neighborhoods, and metropolitan areas. We document the relationships between potential personal or household vulnerability and potentially precarious housing conditions. Microdata from the American Community Survey suggest that an important minority of people have multiple vulnerabilities; these vulnerabilities associate with residence in precarious housing. By beginning from the level of individuals, we build the groundwork for a more robust approach toward tackling concentrated disadvantage within the context of fostering resilient regions. We suggest that policy be directed toward precarious situations most likely to afflict the most vulnerable populations.

Public Roundtable on National Homeownership Month : Testimony Before the Council of the District of Columbia

paffairs@urban.org ( Peter A. Tatian ) — Tue, 26 Jun 2012 00:00:00 EST

In this testimony before the Council of the District of Columbia, Peter Tatian, senior researcher in the Urban Institutes Metropolitan Housing and Communities Policy Center and director of NeighborhoodInfo DC, presents recent data showing that, while the foreclosure mediation law passed by the Council in November 2010 has significantly slowed the foreclosure process, many Washington, D.C., homeowners remain troubled. These data suggest that the city should continue to take steps to protect homeowners, renters, and neighborhoods from the negative impacts of foreclosures.

Experience of People of Color, Women, and Low-Income Homeowners in the Home Affordable Modification Program

paffairs@urban.org ( Neil S. Mayer, Matt Piven ) — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 00:00:00 EST

Mortgage foreclosure has been a central component of the current recession, as an outcome of the economic and housing market crisis and as a cause of the recessions depth and continuation. The foreclosure problem has hit people of color particularly hard. A key question is whether people of color and other vulnerable populations are receiving assistance in proportion to their shares among those in mortgage difficulty. Using public data on the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP), this study finds that race, ethnicity, gender, and income have very little impact on homeowners direct participation in and net benefits from HAMP.

CityScape Symposium on Residential Mobility

Thu, 10 May 2012 00:00:00 EST

There is a growing recognition that the influence of residential mobility in shaping urban outcomes has been both seriously undervalued and badly understood. On April 26, Metro Center hosted an all-day symposium to begin to remedy these deficiencies. The day was devoted to the presentation and discussion of seven new papers by leading researchers in this field, with topics ranging from the varied nature of the moves that occur in low-income neighborhoods to their effects on spatial patterns and the well-being of families and neighborhoods.

Field-Building Research Agendas: Critical Issues in Housing and Urban Policy, Executive Summary

paffairs@urban.org ( Margery Austin Turner ) — Mon, 07 May 2012 00:00:00 EST

The What Works Collaborative is a foundation-supported partnership that conducts timely research and analysis to help inform an evidence-based housing and urban policy agenda. In its latest effort, the Collaborative engaged with experts to identify unanswered questions critical to policy development, and from this derive "field-building" research agendas. These agendas are intended to help guide investments that will inform and advance policy and practice over the next three to five years on five broad policy domains: housing as a platform for overcoming social and economic distress, housing markets, housing finance, successful neighborhoods, and the physical landscape of the next American economy. This summary is part of a series of field-building research agendas produced under the What Works Collaborative. More information can be found on the What Works Collaborative web page.

Housing as a Platform for Formerly Incarcerated Persons

paffairs@urban.org ( Jocelyn Fontaine, Jennifer Biess ) — Mon, 07 May 2012 00:00:00 EST

This policy framing paper is one of three that explores the potential for housing combined with support services to create better outcomes for vulnerable populations. The U.S. population of formerly incarcerated individuals has increased dramatically over the past decade, resulting in sweeping consequences to individuals and families, communities, safety, and public spending. Against the backdrop of these reentry challenges, this paper discusses how housing can be a platform or pathway toward more successful reentry and reintegration for formerly incarcerated persons. The authors then identify research needed to inform policymakers and practitioners in meeting the housing and service needs of this at-risk group. This framing paper is part of a series of field-building research agendas produced under the What Works Collaborative. More information can be found on the What Works Collaborative web page.

Housing as a Platform for Improving Outcomes for Older Renters

paffairs@urban.org ( Brenda Spillman, Jennifer Biess, Graham MacDonald ) — Mon, 07 May 2012 00:00:00 EST

This policy framing paper is one of three that explores the potential for housing combined with support services to create better outcomes for vulnerable populations. The aging of the U.S. population will have profound implications for society, the economy, and the health care system. This paper focuses on mitigating the impacts on low-income older renters and on how housing can provide a platform for supporting their independence and well-being. The authors establish a theoretical basis and empirical evidence that shows a link between favorable housing and positive life outcomes. They propose research that can inform policymakers and practitioners in meeting the housing and service needs of this at-risk group. This framing paper is part of a series of field-building research agendas produced under the What Works Collaborative. More information can be found on the What Works Collaborative web page

Housing as a Platform for Improving Education Outcomes among Low-Income Children

paffairs@urban.org ( Mary K. Cunningham, Graham MacDonald ) — Mon, 07 May 2012 00:00:00 EST

This policy framing paper is one of three that explores the potential for housing combined with support services to create better outcomes for vulnerable populations. Many experts believe that housing can be a platform for academic achievement among low-income students by providing a stable environment where children access high-performing schools and succeed academically. While existing evidence links a lack of safe, high quality housing with low academic performance, little research explores how housing can be a positive pathway to achieving better school outcomes. The authors develop a field building research scheme that addresses this gap to help inform policymakers and practitioners working to meet the needs of this at-risk group. This framing paper is part of a series of field-building research agendas produced under the What Works Collaborative. More information can be found on the What Works Collaborative web page.

Critical Housing Finance Challenges for Policy Makers

Mon, 07 May 2012 00:00:00 EST

The recovery and long-term performance of U.S. housing markets unquestionably hinges on the availability and terms of financing. Yet, with the housing finance system currently undergoing profound changes, there are significant questions about what the future supply of mortgage finance will look like. Lending institutions are exercising extreme caution in their underwriting, and there are legitimate concerns that this tightening will go too far so that homeseekers and financers of multifamily rental housing will be starved of credit. This What Works framing paper highlights four critical policy challenges in the area of housing finance: mortgage lending to underserved groups; financing for the evolving rental housing market; lending in distressed neighborhoods; and the role of mortgage finance in supporting environmentally sustainable housing. This framing paper is part of a series of field-building research agendas produced under the What Works Collaborative. More information can be found on the What Works Collaborative web page

Challenges Facing Housing Markets in the Next Decade, Developing a Policy-Relevant Research Agenda

paffairs@urban.org ( Vicki Been, Ingrid Gould Ellen ) — Mon, 07 May 2012 00:00:00 EST

The housing needs of low-income families occur in the context of the larger private housing market, a market which has been profoundly influenced by government policies. The recent housing boom and bust has left policymakers struggling to understand and address unprecedented challenges, while longer term problems are presenting themselves on the horizon. This What Works Collaborative framing paper focuses on four pressing housing policy challenges and the research needed to address them: the long-term damage stemming from the housing crisis; rising poverty coupled with high income inequality and volatility; persistent concentration of poor and minority households in low-quality housing and low-opportunity neighborhoods; and the need for environmentally sustainable buildings and communities. This framing paper is part of a series of field-building research agendas produced under the What Works Collaborative. More information can be found on the What Works Collaborative web page

Building Successful Neighborhoods

Mon, 07 May 2012 00:00:00 EST

Increasingly, researchers and practitioners recognize the need for neighborhood revitalization policies that improve conditions in neighborhoods where low-income and minority households are concentrated. Although there is a rich literature describing past efforts to revitalize distressed neighborhoods, this literature provides little concrete guidance for todays policymakers. This What Works framing paper focuses on basic neighborhood improvement strategies and the specific mechanisms at work that provide levers for revitalization. The paper lays out strategies for neighborhood revitalization focusing on strengthening community-level and city-wide institutions to support and reinforce success, and regional strategies for equitable housing and community development. This framing paper is part of a series of field-building research agendas produced under the What Works Collaborative. More information can be found on the What Works Collaborative web page

Study Estimates Public Housing Transformation's Effect on Crime in Atlanta and Chicago, Advancing Understanding of Successes and Challenges

paffairs@urban.org ( Urban Institute ) — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 00:00:00 EST

Crime declined throughout Chicago and Atlanta as the two cities undertook the nations largest public housing transformations, but some destination neighborhoods for families leaving public housing with vouchers saw smaller than expected decreases. Many neighborhoods to which public housing families relocated experienced no adverse effect on neighborhood crime, demonstrating a much smaller impact of public housing transformation on crime than popular accounts imply. But in neighborhoods where relocated households were more concentrated, the studys rigorous econometric modeling techniques indicated that crime did not fall at the expected rate.

Public Housing Transformation and Crime: Making the Case for Responsible Relocation

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 00:00:00 EST

Our analysis indicates a complex relationship between public housing transformation and crime in Chicago and Atlanta, though the efforts led to small net decreases in crime over a study period where crime declined significantly. In neighborhoods with public housing demolition, crime rates fell substantially, while in destination neighborhoods for households relocated with vouchers, they did not fall as much as expected. On average, neighborhoods with a modest or high density of relocated households saw higher crime rates than areas without relocated households. These findings suggest a need for thoughtful relocation strategies that support both assisted residents and receiving communities.

Choice Neighborhoods Initiative: Testimony by Susan Popkin : Before the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs subcommittee on Housing, Transportation, and Community Development

paffairs@urban.org ( Susan J. Popkin ) — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 00:00:00 EST

Public housing expert Sue Popkin testifies before the U.S. Senate the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative.

The Foreclosure Crisis and Children: A Three-City Study

paffairs@urban.org ( Kathryn L.S. Pettit, Jennifer Comey ) — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 00:00:00 EST

This National Neighborhood Indicators Partnership cross-site study describes how foreclosures affected children in Baltimore, New York City, and Washington, D.C. between 2003 and 2008. The number of children living in foreclosed homes rose sharply over the time period and the majority of students affected were African-American. Foreclosure prompted more residential mobility and school switching compared to other students in all three cities. Whether foreclosure resulted in students switching to schools of lower quality compared to other school switchers was mixed across the three cities. Students moving homes due to foreclosure experience similar changes in neighborhood quality as other movers.

Planning the Housing Opportunity and Services Together Demonstration : Challenges and Lessons Learned

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

The multisite Housing Opportunity and Services Together (HOST) demonstration is an ambitious effort to test strategies that use housing as a platform for services to improve the life chances of vulnerable children, youth, and adults. This brief provides an overview of the project's early challenges and successes to offer practitioners insights on the planning and design of "dual generation" interventions and to inform policy supporting comprehensive place-based initiatives.

Underwater Mortgages Causing Downward Economic Spiral

paffairs@urban.org ( Peter A. Tatian ) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

Underwater mortgages are depressing housing demand by creating blockages in the mortgage finance system. Families in trouble because of a loss of income can't make their monthly payments, refinance, or sell their homes. By coupling effective counseling with robust solutions for troubled homeowners-such as loan modifications, refinancing, and rental housing options-we can get on the road to economic recovery much faster, writes Peter Tatian in a commentary for U.S. News & World Report's Debate Club.

Has Foreclosure Counseling Helped Troubled Homeowners? : Evidence from the Evaluation of the National Foreclosure Mitigation Counseling Program

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

The National Foreclosure Mitigation Counseling (NFMC) program is a special federal appropriation, administered by NeighborWorks America, designed to support a rapid expansion of foreclosure intervention counseling in response to the nationwide housing crisis. This brief summarizes the final results of the Urban Institutes evaluation of the first two rounds of the NFMC program. Overall, the program is having its intended effect of helping troubled homeowners by improving the quality of mortgage modifications, increasing the frequency and sustainability of cures of delinquencies and foreclosures, and reducing the number of foreclosure completions for counseled homeowners.

National Foreclosure Mitigation Counseling Program Evaluation: Final Report Rounds 1 and 2

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

The National Foreclosure Mitigation Counseling (NFMC) program is a special federal appropriation, administered by NeighborWorks America, designed to support a rapid expansion of foreclosure intervention counseling in response to the nationwide housing crisis. This report presents the final results of the Urban Institutes evaluation of the first two rounds of the NFMC program. Overall, the program is having its intended effect of helping troubled homeowners by improving the quality of mortgage modifications, increasing the frequency and sustainability of cures of delinquencies and foreclosures, and reducing the number of foreclosure completions for counseled homeowners.

Supportive Housing for the Disabled Reentry Population : The District of Columbia Frequent Users Service Enhancement Pilot Program

paffairs@urban.org ( Jocelyn Fontaine, Douglas Gilchrist-Scott, Aaron Horvath ) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EST

Using qualitative and quantitative data, this report discusses the history, performance, and progress of the District of Columbia Frequent Users Service Enhancement Pilot Program, implemented by the Corporation for Supportive Housing. As a supportive housing reentry program focused on disabled individuals with histories of homelessness and incarceration, the program intended to provide housing and coordinate services for 50 "frequent users" leaving the city jail. Over the first year of operations, the program successfully identified and targeted more than a dozen frequent users and linked them to supportive housing through effective cross-system coordination. Policy implications of the evaluation findings are discussed.

Evaluation Design for the Next Phase Evaluation of the Assets for Independence Program, Final Literature Review

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 00:00:00 EST

Based on our review and synthesis of the individual development account (IDA) literature, findings in this report include that IDA accounts (in the short-term, five years after program entry) help low-income families become homeowners, start or expand a business, or pursue secondary education. Studies to date have found no relationship between IDA program participation and net worth. The report reviews empirical evidence on the effect of IDA program participation and project design features on outcomes and highlights remaining gaps in the literature.