Urban Institute: Metropolitan Housing and Communities

Smallest Victims of the Foreclosure Crisis: Children in the District of Columbia

paffairs@urban.org ( Jennifer Comey, Michel Grosz) — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 00:00:00 EST

As foreclosures have been sweeping the nation in the past few years, the effect of the crisis on children tends to be overlooked. In this brief, the first of two, we discuss foreclosure trends as they relate to public school students living in Washington, D.C. between 2003 and 2008. In particular, we describe the demographic makeup of the students affected, the type of housing and neighborhoods in which they live, and the schools they attend. We conclude with recommendations for both the housing and education sectors in mitigating this crisis as the number of foreclosures continues to rise.

What Do We Know About Housing Choice Voucher Program Location Outcomes?

paffairs@urban.org ( Maria Galvez) — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 00:00:00 EST

The Housing Choice Voucher Program serves nearly 2 million low-income households nationwide, the majority in urban areas.Thisliterature reviewexamines the empirical evidence on neighborhood location outcomes for voucher recipients, including research regarding housing and neighborhood preferences.Voucher holders live in most urban neighborhoods, and do not typically experience extremely high poverty rates. However, disparities by race persist, and the program is less effective than the LIHTC program in allowing poor households to reach low-poverty suburbs.Neighborhood quality is lower for nonwhite households compared to whites, but evidence suggests black households may benefit more from the voucher than whites.

Fair Housing in the District of Columbia : Before the United States Commission on Civil Rights

paffairs@urban.org ( Peter A. Tatian) — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 00:00:00 EST

This testimony to the US Commission on Civil Rights discusses the Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice report prepared by the Urban Institute for the District of Columbia in 2005. The testimony highlights the key impediments to fair housing choice identified in the report and describes the recommendations made to address those impediments.

Finally Voting with Their Feet: Unleashing Market Discipline by Providing Choice to Public Housing Residents

paffairs@urban.org ( Molly M. Scott, Mary K. Cunningham) — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 00:00:00 EST

This commentary shares insights from Urban Institute research into the resident choice option for families living in public housing under HUD's new draft legislation, the Preservation, Enhancement, and Transformation of Rental Assistance Act of 2010.

Housing Assistance in Making Connections Neighborhoods

paffairs@urban.org ( G. Thomas Kingsley, Christopher Hayes) — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 00:00:00 EST

This brief examines the scope and composition of housing assistance being provided through HUD programs to residents of the 10 neighborhoods that have been a part of the Annie E. Casey Foundation's Making Connections initiative. It also describes selected characteristics of the families that receive housing assistance and how their circumstances changed between surveys conducted in 2002/03 and 2005/06 in comparison to unassisted renters and homeowners living in these neighborhoods. At the latter date, the average share of eligible households that received assistance was 25 percent, the same as the national average, but there was considerable variation across sites.

Using Data to Promote Collaboration in Local School Readiness Systems

paffairs@urban.org ( G. Thomas Kingsley, Leah Hendey) — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 00:00:00 EST

This brief reviews results of an Annie E. Casey Foundation sponsored project that challenged local data intermediaries in eight cities (all partners in the National Neighborhood Indicators Partnership, NNIP) to use their data to promote strengthening of their local school readiness systems. The project showed it was possible to develop rich neighborhood level information on factors affecting early childhood development in all cities and that the effective presentation of such information in reports and public forums did help build momentum for coherence in school readiness initiatives. Particularly valuable were data showing the spatial concentration of early childhood risks in low-income neighborhoods.

Why Housing Choice and Mobility Matter

paffairs@urban.org ( Margery Austin Turner, Susan J. Popkin) — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 00:00:00 EST

HUD's proposal for transforming federal rental assistance expands subsidy recipients' freedom to choose where to live. This essay summarizes research evidence showing that: 1) project-based housing programs limit families' choices about where to live; 2) families benefit when they move with vouchers; 3) assisted mobility programs further expand families' options; and 4) "opportunity moves" can improve families' life chances. Although many families living in federally subsidized housing projects will choose to stay (especially if new investments improve the quality and safety of these communities), expanding opportunities for families to move strengthens federal housing policy by improving the well-being of assisted households.

The Health Crisis for CHA Families : CHA Families and the Plan for Transformation Series

paffairs@urban.org ( David Price, Susan J. Popkin) — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 00:00:00 EST

The HOPE VI Panel Study research has highlighted that many residents of distressed public housing face severe health challenges. Our research shows that respondents' well-being has improved in important waysthey now live in housing that is substantially higher-quality and in neighborhoods that are dramatically safer. However, in this brief, we present findings that show that despite these improvements, respondents' health has continued to deteriorate rapidly; the level of reported health problems in 2009 are stunning, and the mortality rate is shockingly high.

CHA Transformation: Children and Youth : CHA Families and the Plan for Transformation Series

paffairs@urban.org ( Megan Gallagher) — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 00:00:00 EST

Child outcomes have been a special focus for the HOPE VI Panel Study since the baseline study in 2001. On one hand, children are the most likely to benefit in important ways from improved housing quality such as exposure to lead paint or mold. On the other hand, moving can disrupt their education and friendships and put older youth at risk for conflict with local gangs. This brief examines how relocation has affected the well-being of the youngest former Madden/Wells residents. We find that these youth are doing relatively well; however, there are some reasons for concern, especially for boys.

The Limits of Relocation: Employment and Family Well-Being among Former Madden/Wells Residents : CHA Families and the Plan for Transformation Series

paffairs@urban.org ( Diane K. Levy) — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 00:00:00 EST

Despite many gains in quality of life standards, the HOPE VI program and related efforts have been less successful in helping residents move toward self-sufficiency. In recent years, the CHA has increased its efforts to promote self-sufficiency for its residents, through both its FamilyWorks case management services and Opportunity Chicago, connecting residents to the labor force. In this brief, we explore what has happened to Madden/Wells respondents' economic status since 2009. Our analysis indicates that although employment rates have not increased, respondents have experienced some gains in economic well-being. However, respondents continue to face considerable economic hardship.

Escaping the Hidden War: Safety Is the Biggest Gain for CHA Families : CHA Families and the Plan for Transformation Series

paffairs@urban.org ( Susan J. Popkin, David Price) — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 00:00:00 EST

In 1999, when the Chicago Housing Authoritys (CHA) Plan for Transformation began, the agencys housing developments were notorious for being among the most dangerous places in the nation. This brief explores whether the safety gains for early relocates have been sustained and whether those who moved later have benefited equally because these residents tended to be among the most vulnerable, there was good reason to think that they would not fare as well. We find that almost all former residents are now living in safer conditions and that improved safety and quality of life has been the greatest benefit.

After Wells: Where Are the Residents Now? : CHA Families and the Plan for Transformation Series

paffairs@urban.org ( Larry Buron, Susan J. Popkin) — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 00:00:00 EST

Eight years after the Madden/Wells redevelopment started, this brief presents what has happened to the original residents, including the type of housing assistance they received and where they lived in 2009. Despite a number of challenges, we found that by 2009, all of the residents had relocated and nearly one in five former Madden/Wells residents was living in a new mixed-income housing development. Most of the former Madden/Wells residents reported that their current housing and neighborhood was better than Madden/Wells. However, only a minority lived in economically or racially diverse neighborhoods that offer real opportunities for themselves and their children.

The CHA's Plan for Transformation: How Have Residents Fared? : CHA Families and the Plan for Transformation Series

Wed, 11 Aug 2010 00:00:00 EST

This overview presents findings from the Chicago Panel Study, a follow up to the Urban Institutes five-site HOPE VI Panel Study, to assess how the residents are faring as the Plan for Transformation progresses. We find that after 10 years, the story for CHA families is far more positive than many observersincluding ourselves would have predicted at the outset. Regardless of where they have moved, most families in our study are living in considerably better circumstances. However, the study also highlights the serious challenges that remain, most significantly, residents extremely poor health and persistently low rates of employment.

What Does It Take to Help Families Move to Better Neighborhoods? : The Housing Mobility Demonstration Proposed in the Preservation, Enhancement and Transformation of Rental Assistance Act (PETRA) Is Long Overdue

paffairs@urban.org ( Mary K. Cunningham) — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 00:00:00 EST

This commentary describes the need for a research demonstration that examines the impact and cost of housing mobility services.

An Examination of the Social and Physical Environment of Public Housing Residents in Two Chicago Developments in Transition

paffairs@urban.org ( Caterina Gouvis Roman, Carly Knight) — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EST

This report was designed to shine a spotlight on the immediate physical and social environment of residents who were living in two distressed public housing developments in 2007. While past research has similarly described the high incidence of depression and the high levels of disorder and violence within older, urban public housing developments, this report was intended to bring those factors together to uncover the pathways that influence mental health. We find evidence that suggests that physical and social disorder create cues that take a toll on residents through negative feelings about neighborhood cohesion and the neighborhood's ability to come together in a time of need. In addition, we find that economic stressors, which include threats of eviction, not being able to pay bills, or buy food for oneself, is associated with depression.

Rolf Pendall Becomes the Director of the Urban Institute's Metropolitan Housing and Communities Policy Center

paffairs@urban.org ( The Urban Institute) — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EST

Rolf Pendall, an expert on land use controls and the former director of graduate studies in city and regional planning at Cornell University, joined the Urban Institute today as the director of the Metropolitan Housing and Communities Policy Center.

Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area Foreclosure Monitor - Spring 2010

Thu, 24 Jun 2010 00:00:00 EST

The Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area Foreclosure Monitor is a quarterly publication co-published by NeighborhoodInfo DC and the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. The Monitor gives a snapshot of the impact of foreclosures on the region, as well as broader sales market trends. Almost 149,000 households were at least 30 days late on their mortgage payments, with almost one-quarter of those already in foreclosure. While foreclosures remain a serious problem, the sales market showed signs of improvement by December 2009. The sales volume was up from the year before, and the median sales price rose 6.6% in one year to $315,000.

The Resident Choice Option: Reasons Why Residents Change from Project-Based Vouchers to Portable Housing Vouchers

paffairs@urban.org ( Mary K. Cunningham, Molly M. Scott) — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 00:00:00 EST

This policy memo examines reasons why a small share of assisted housing residents may opt to change from project-based vouchers to portable, tenant-based vouchers.We found that in addition to structural reasons related to the local housing market and local programmatic polices, households move for several reasons, including finding a better unit; moving closer to family, services, or schools; or, for some programs that required services or additional tenancy rules, transitioning toward more independent housing. In addition, housing authority staff also reported that some households moved because of poor quality housing and unsafe neighborhoods.

Residential Instability and the McKinney-Vento Homeless Children and Education Program : What We Know, Plus Gaps in Research

paffairs@urban.org ( Mary K. Cunningham, Robin Harwood, Sam Hall) — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 00:00:00 EST

This brief describes the McKinney-Vento Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program (ECHY), summarizes the research, and outlines future research questions of concern to policymakers.

Facing the Urban Challenge: The Federal Government and America's Older Distressed Cities

paffairs@urban.org ( Alan Mallach) — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 00:00:00 EST

Many of the nation's older, industrial cities have experienced a sharp drop in jobs and population over the last several decades, and the recession has only aggravated this problem. The federal government's role in addressing urban decline has historically been uncoordinated and inconsistent, even as these cities are home to invaluable institutional and physical assets. If the government chooses to promote remediation and growth, a new unified approach will be required. This paper examines the causes and effects of widespread urban decline and proposes strategies for a renewed federal response that targets assets and facilitates new uses for vacant space.

Reforming the Mortgage Interest Deduction

Wed, 26 May 2010 00:00:00 EST

The mortgage interest deduction (MID) is the largest single federal subsidy for owner-occupied housing, but the benefits are not evenly distributed among taxpayers. Only individuals who itemize deductions can benefit from the MID, and the value of the deduction increases with the marginal tax rate. If the government wishes to promote homeownership, a refundable tax credit available to all taxpayers would be more effective. This report presents new distributional estimates both of the current deduction's benefits by income group, family type, and race/ethnicity and of proposals to eliminate, scale back, or replace the MID with more broad-based tax incentives.

A Framework for Considering the Social Value of Postal Services

Mon, 24 May 2010 00:00:00 EST

The objective of this study, commissioned by the Postal Regulatory Commission, was to identify the array of benefits provided by the United States Postal Servicethrough its mail service and post officesthat contribute to the social value of the post. We provide a framework that categorizes benefits, beneficiaries, and measures. We also identify possible metrics and methods for estimating the value of these benefits. Research in community and economic development supports the concept of post offices as community assets and of the value of social connectedness and civic engagement, two social benefits frequently associated with postal services. This study provides an organizing scheme for detailed analysis and quantification in the future.

Monitoring Success in Choice Neighborhoods: A Proposed Approach to Performance Measurement

Thu, 20 May 2010 00:00:00 EST

The Choice Neighborhoods Initiative proposed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is intended to transform neighborhoods of extreme poverty and severely distressed housing into revitalized mixed-income communities. This paper considers how to effectively evaluate outcomes and measure success in comprehensive community transformation efforts like Choice Neighborhoods. It is divided into two parts: (1) a general framework for performance management in Choice Neighborhoods, including a logic model, and (2) a detailed, evidence-based approach to Choice Neighborhoods performance measurement, including proposed management reports and performance indicators.

Urban Policy in the Carter Administration

paffairs@urban.org ( G. Thomas Kingsley, Karina Fortuny) — Tue, 18 May 2010 00:00:00 EST

In a 2009 speech, President Obama stated that he has "directed the Office of Management and Budget, the Domestic Policy Council, the National Economic Council and the Office of Urban Affairs to conduct the first comprehensive interagency review in 30 years of how the federal government approaches and funds urban and metropolitan areas so that we can start having a concentrated, focused, strategic approach to federal efforts to revitalize our metropolitan areas." This paper summarizes a rapid scan of available literature to describe what actually happened 30 years ago as the Carter administration conducted that earlier review and policy formulation process.

Improving U.S. Housing Finance through Reform of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac : Assessing the Options

paffairs@urban.org ( Ingrid Gould Ellen, John Napier Tye, Mark A. Willis) — Tue, 18 May 2010 00:00:00 EST

For several decades, the Government-Sponsored Enterprises (GSEs), Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, were the largest players in an American housing finance system that provided effective mortgage financing for many millions of Americans. Since early 2008, the firms' near-insolvency has called their future into question. This paper lays out criteria for evaluating the different proposals for reform of the two firms. We make no recommendations among the proposals, but we do attempt to assess the major advantages and disadvantages of their respective approaches.

The Disruption of the Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program: Causes, Consequences, Responses, and Proposed Correctives

paffairs@urban.org ( Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University) — Tue, 18 May 2010 00:00:00 EST

As a result of the credit market meltdown, the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program, the nation's primary mechanism for producing and preserving affordable rental housing, was severely disrupted in 2008 and 2009. In response, the government created two programs as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Actthe Tax Credit Assistance Program (TCAP) and the Tax Credit Exchange Program (Exchange). This paper examines the experience to date with these two stopgap measures. Its purpose is to assess whether they are effective and sufficient or if additional actions may be necessary to mitigate the vulnerabilities in the LIHTC program.

Federal Post-Disaster Recovery: A Review of Federal Programs

paffairs@urban.org ( Amy Liu) — Tue, 18 May 2010 00:00:00 EST

Approximately 50 stakeholders came together at Brookings to identify and prioritize the biggest barriers within key federal programs that hinder timely, quality, and flexible post-disaster recovery efforts at the state and local levels. The roundtable also served as an opportunity for stakeholders to provide concrete recommendations on how to remedy the federal approach and those programs (or provide new tools) for improving the overall federal partnership with states, localities, nonprofits and the private sector in post-disaster recovery. This brief summarizes the key takeaways, barriers, and suggestions for improvement that emerged from that discussion.

Building Environmentally Sustainable Communities : A Framework for Inclusivity

Fri, 14 May 2010 00:00:00 EST

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has decided to include two key goals in all of its programs: encouraging sustainable communities and enhancing access to opportunity for lower-income people and people of color. This paper examines the relationship between these two goals through a literature review and an original empirical analysis of how these goals interact at the neighborhood and metropolitan area levels. We also offer policy recommendations for HUD.

Seeking Sustainable and Inclusive Communities : A King County Case Study

paffairs@urban.org ( Sheryl Verlaine Whitney) — Fri, 14 May 2010 00:00:00 EST

This case study, written by the former King County Deputy Executive, provides an overview of King County's sustainable development efforts.

Transitional Jobs for Ex-Prisoners : Implementation, Two-Year Impacts, and Costs of the Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) Prisoner Reentry Program

paffairs@urban.org ( Nancy M. Pindus, Janine M. Zweig, Additional Authors) — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 00:00:00 EST

Ex-prisoners face daunting obstacles to employmenta crucial factor in avoiding recidivism. Indeed, two-thirds of ex-prisoners will be rearrested. Transitional jobstemporary, paid jobs where ex-prisoners can find training and supportare a promising model. This extensive evaluation presents interim results for the Center for Employment Opportunities. Discussed are two-year outcomes for recidivism, earnings, education, housing, drug treatment, health, and child support. The first quarter, 66 percent of participants worked compared with 26 percent of the control group. By the fourth quarter, however, after most participants had left CEO, the difference was no longer statistically significant.

Alternative Welfare-to-Work Strategies for the Hard-to-Employ : Testing Transitional Jobs and Pre-Employment Services in Philadelphia

paffairs@urban.org ( Jennifer Yahner, Nancy M. Pindus, Additional Authors) — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 00:00:00 EST

Two welfare-to-work programs for hard-to-employ Temporary Assistance for Needy Families recipients are evaluated: a transitional-jobs model operated by the Transitional Work Corporation (TWC) and Success Through Employment Preparation (STEP), which addresses barriers to employment. TWC participants had significantly higher employment rates and earnings than the control group members, but the difference faded after the first year of follow-up. Moreover, earnings gains and welfare reductions largely offset one another. STEP program participants were not shown to work more, earn more, or receive less welfare than the control group.

Finding Place in Making Connections Communities : Applying GIS to Residents' Perceptions of Their Neighborhoods

paffairs@urban.org ( Claudia J. Coulton, Additional Authors) — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EST

Foundation- and government-sponsored initiatives often want to help disadvantaged neighborhoods and families in tandem. Yet many do not connect with their constituencies because the initiatives find target areas through census tracts and the like, which seldom match residents' definitions of their neighborhoods. Claudia J. Coulton, Tsui Chan, and Kristen Mikelbank (Case Western Reserve University) survey residents from 10 cities served by the Annie E. Casey Making Connections initiative, then employ GIS tools to discover the spaces residents call their neighborhoods as well as compare them with external definitions.

A National Neighborhood Mobility Policy

paffairs@urban.org ( Brett Theodos) — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EST

The United States is a highly mobile nation. In 2008, 13 percent of Americans moved, though most of these moves were short distances: 66 percent of movers stay within the same county, and just 15 percent leave their state. Until now, we have had little information that we could use in tracking the outcomes over time for families who move, and even less that allowed us to understand the dynamics of the places families left and joined. A new report, relying on data on ten low-income neighborhoods from the Annie E. Casey Foundations Making Connections Initiative, allows just that. And the findings are striking.

Atlantic Exchange: Case Studies of Housing and Community Redevelopment in the US and the UK

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EST

Providers of publicly subsidized housing in both the US and the UK have partnered with private sector entities to provide affordable housing for a number of years now. Though the policy contexts differ considerably between the two countries, the problems that housing and community redevelopment efforts seek to address are similar, as are the approaches taken to address them. In the second phase of joint research, the Urban Institute and the Institute for Community Cohesion examined two previously distressed communities that have undergone considerable change in their built environments and resident base. The case studies highlight changes in management, community safety, and place identity in places seeking nothing short of community transformation. This report presents the case studies and suggests lessons drawn from the exchanges that took place during the summer of 2009.

Every Kid Counts in the District of Columbia : 16th Annual Fact Book 2009

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EST

The 16th annual Fact Book is a comprehensive data source for indicators of child well-being in the District of Columbia. It tracks the progression of child well-being over time, as well as differences in child well-being across wards and races/ethnicities. It is organized to reflect the six citywide goals for children and youth in DC: children are ready for school; children and youth succeed in school; children and youth are healthy and practice healthy behaviors; children and youth engage in meaningful activities; children and youth live in healthy, stable, and supportive families; and all youth make a successful transition to adulthood.

Stories: Using Information in Community Building and Local Policy : Third Edition

paffairs@urban.org ( Jake Cowan, G. Thomas Kingsley) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 00:00:00 EST

The National Neighborhood Indicators Partnership (NNIP) is a collaborative effort of the Urban Institute and local organizations in more than 30 cities that operate recurrently updated information systems with neighborhood level data and work to ensure the data will be applied effectively in policy development and community building. This collection of brief case studies describes the local partners successes in using neighborhood indicators to improve their communities in several areas, including neighborhood development, housing, children and schools, crime and prisoner reentry, health and service delivery.

Inclusive Public Housing: Services for the Hard to House

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 00:00:00 EST

While HOPE VI has changed the face of public housing, it has not been a solution for the most vulnerable families. The Chicago Family Case Management Demonstration, an innovative model for serving these residents, provides them with intensive family case management, along with relocation, employment, financial literacy, mental health and substance use supports. This report focuses on one of the major challenges to serving vulnerable families: identifying which clients require the full intensive services. We develop a typology that provides a template for delivering wraparound services to public and assisted housing settings, including vouchers and units integrated into mixed-income developments.

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.

Evaluation Matters : Lessons from Youth-Serving Organizations

paffairs@urban.org ( Mary Kopczynski Winkler, Brett Theodos, Michel Grosz) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EST

Nonprofits face growing demands to demonstrate their impact. Their ability to report on program performance is essential to organizational legitimacy and financial survival. This report chronicles the evaluation experiences of four youth-serving nonprofits that participated in the East of the River Initiative, a multi-year effort to increase the capacity of agencies to assess their performance. We detail key successes and challenges with the goal of sparking a dialogue between nonprofits, funders, and technical assistance providers about the proper value of evaluation in the sector.

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.

Making a Business Case for Reducing Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care : Key Issues and Observations

paffairs@urban.org ( Randall R. Bovbjerg, Harry P. Hatry, Elaine Morley) — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EST

Racial and ethnic disparities in health care are an important problem, for affected individuals, caregivers, and society at large. Numerous remedial efforts have been launched, including the Finding Answers program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). Reform calls for documenting disparities, developing and disseminating information about effective remedies, and generating supportive business cases for improvement. This brief report focuses the need for business cases, which are harder to build than might at first appear, as shown by a literature scan and interviews with entities working to reduce disparities under RWJF grants.

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.

Academic Perspectives on the Future of Public Housing : Before the U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Financial Services, Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity

paffairs@urban.org ( Susan J. Popkin) — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EST

Many policy makers and scholars regard the HOPE VI Program as one of the nation's most successful urban redevelopment programs (c.f. Katz 2009; Cisneros 2009). But despite its very real accomplishments, the HOPE VI program's record in meeting the needs of the original residents who endured the worst consequences of the failures of public housing is mixed. With its proposed "Choice Neighborhoods" initiative, the Obama administration has the opportunity to build on the experiences of nearly two decades of experience with HOPE VI. Incorporating intensive case management and permanent supportive housing for the most vulnerable into Choice Neighborhoods and any other comprehensive redevelopment efforts is one way to ensure that these initiatives truly meet the needs of all public housing families.

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.