Urban Institute: Metropolitan Housing and Communities

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.

On the Road to Adulthood: A Databook about Teens and Young Adults in DC

paffairs@urban.org ( Jennifer Comey, Eshauna Smith, Peter A. Tatian) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EST

Many young people in the District of Columbia are failing to make a successful transition to adulthood. Their challenges include poor preparation for the high-skills labor market and long-standing health problems. Recent District government efforts have centered around school reform and early childhood, but these areas are not sufficient to improve the well-being of older youth. This report provides comprehensive data indicators and analysis on the state of older youth (age 12-24) in the District and examines the role of area nonprofits that work with young people, their families, and neighborhoods.

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.

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.

Every Kid Counts in the District of Columbia: 15th Annual Fact Book 2008

paffairs@urban.org ( Jennifer Comey, David Price, Michel Grosz) — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 00:00:00 EST

The 15th annual Fact Book is a comprehensive data source for indicators of child well-being in the District of Columbia. Over 50 data indicators are tracked over time. This publication provides a broad perspective on the status of children and youth in the District. We seek to inform and educate our readers about the issues affecting children and their families in the District. We encourage community residents, policy makers, professionals, and others who work with and/or on behalf of children and families to create conditions that foster the optimal health and development of our children.

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.

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.

Progress in Arts and Culture Research: A Perspective

paffairs@urban.org ( Maria Rosario Jackson) — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 00:00:00 EST

New research on arts and culture points to a range of impacts in US communities. Arts and culture - including informal activities such as gatherings in parks and community centers where group traditions are maintained and/or invented, church-based artistic activity, and through the convergence of professional working artists in neighborhoods - shape communities in a variety of ways ranging from community health to community development and the creation of social capital. Planners and policymakers would do well to incorporate new research findings about arts and culture into their work on the design and revitalization of communities

Legislating-for-Results Municipal Action Guides

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 00:00:00 EST

The Urban Institute and National League of Cities developed this series of 10 guides for city and county elected officials, and their staffs, to help them obtain and use information about the results of their governments' services in helping their citizens. The Guides address such issues as: improving strategic planning; improving budgeting decisions; reviewing programs throughout the year; helping motivate their government's employees and contractors; and two-way communications with citizens on what citizens are getting for their money. Specific actions are suggested, and examples are provided.

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.

Governing for Results: Improving Federal Government Performance and Accountability : Suggestions for the New Federal Administration

paffairs@urban.org ( Harry P. Hatry) — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 00:00:00 EST

Providing the best possible government services to our citizens requires accountability and effective measurement of performance. It's been 15 years since Congress passed the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993, which requires each federal agency to develop strategic plans, annual performance plans, and performance reports. The time is right to review the performance improvement process so the new administration can build on, and exceed, previous results.

Magnetizing Neighborhoods through Amateur Arts Performance

paffairs@urban.org ( D. Garth Taylor) — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EST

There is a significant correlation between the amount of amateur, informal arts activity in neighborhoods and neighborhood stability and/or improvement. This correlation is evidence of magnetization - an increase in the desirability, commitment, social integration, and quality of life in a community area. Arts create shared experience, they encourage intergenerational activity and make public spaces enjoyable, among other effects. For those reasons, components of comprehensive community development should include space for amateur and semi-professional activity.

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.

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.

Five Questions for G. Thomas Kingsley

paffairs@urban.org ( G. Thomas Kingsley) — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST

The fallout from subprime mortgages is spreading through neighborhoods, cities, and states. These high-risk loans have jeopardized not only the individual families facing foreclosure, but whole communities. The Urban Institute is highlighting this critical and urgent topic at the first of three 40th anniversary roundtable events. G. Thomas Kingsley answers questions about the subprime mortgage crisis and the Institutes research on broader consequences

The Chicago Family Case Management Demonstration : Developing a New Model for Serving "Hard to House" Public Housing Families

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST

The Chicago Family Case Management Demonstration is an innovative initiative designed to meet the challenges of serving the Chicago Housing Authority's (CHA) "hard to house"; residents. It involves a unique partnership of city agencies, service providers, researchers, and private foundations, all with a deep commitment to finding solutions for the most vulnerable families affected by the CHA's Plan for Transformation. The rigorous evaluation allows for continuous learning and mid-course corrections, and helped the team develop a validated model that other housing authorities can use. This report highlights the lessons learned during the first year implementation of the Demonstration.

Foreclosures in the District of Columbia : Testimony Before the Council of the District of Columbia, Committee on Public Services and Consumer Affairs

paffairs@urban.org ( Peter A. Tatian) — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST

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

The Experiences of Public Housing Agencies That Established Time Limits Policies Under the MTW Demonstration

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST

Recipients of housing assistance under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Public Housing and Housing Choice Voucher programs can keep their benefits as long as they remain income eligible and abide by program requirements. Under HUD's MTW demonstration, however, a small number of housing agencies that administer these programs chose to impose time limits on various program benefits, including housing assistance. This report documents their rationale for doing so, companion policy and programmatic changes they made in conjunction with time limits, their design decisions and implementation experiences and, to the extent knowable, effects on recipients and housing agencies.

A Study of Closing Costs for FHA Mortgages

paffairs@urban.org ( Susan Woodward) — Wed, 28 May 2008 00:00:00 EST

This report analyzes FHA borrower closing costs using data from 7,600 FHA-insured, 30-year fixed-rate home purchase loans. Total closing costs paid to mortgage originators are substantial, averaging just under $3,400. Borrowers in neighborhoods with more minorities and lower educational attainment consistently pay higher costs than others. Loans with simpler terms are less expensive. Borrowers who use "no-cost" loans and so can shop on interest rate alone pay $1,200 less than borrowers who pay some lender or broker fees in cash. This suggests that consumers have a tougher time comparing alternatives when trade-offs are involved and that mortgage loan markets are not fully transparent or competitive.

Committee on Oversight and Government Reform : Testimony to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Domestic Policy Subcommittee and the Committee on Financial Services Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity

paffairs@urban.org ( G. Thomas Kingsley) — Thu, 22 May 2008 00:00:00 EST

Neighborhoods with high concentrations of foreclosures and increasing vacancy rates are likely to generate substantial unanticipated costs for resident families and jurisdictions. Any formula distributing resources to help cover those costs must be carefully constructed if it is to be equitable. In this testimony, Kingsley makes six points related to that goal.

Artist Space Development: Making the Case

paffairs@urban.org ( Maria Rosario Jackson, Florence Kabwasa-Green) — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EST

The development of affordable spaces for artists to live and/or work is certainly an important matter for artists, but it can also be an important issue for people concerned with a range of social issues, including economic development, civic engagement, community collective action and community quality of life. This report considers how artist space developments have been positioned and the arguments made to garner support for them, the advocacy strategies used, and the impacts claimed or anticipated.

Artist Space Development: Financing

paffairs@urban.org ( Christopher Walker) — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EST

In 2003, an Urban Institute report concluded that lack of affordable space posed critical constraints in artists ability to pursue their work effectively. Scarcity of affordable space not only made it difficult for artists to work but also disrupted entire communities of artists who relied on each other for ideas and support. In response to this finding, this report looks at both a range of ways in which more affordable artist spaces can be created and the impact of artists spaces on neighborhoods and cities.

New Findings on the Benefits and Limitations of Assisted Housing Mobility

paffairs@urban.org ( Susan J. Popkin) — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EST

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) launched the Moving to Opportunity (MTO) demonstration in 1994 in five cities: Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York. MTO targeted families living in some of the nations poorest, highest-crime communities and used housing subsidies to offer them a chance to move to lower-poverty neighborhoods. Research on the families conducted in 2002 raised some important questions about the impact of the program. Findings from the follow up Three-City Study of MTO, in 2004 and 2005, answer some of the questions but also highlight the complexity of the MTO experience and the limitations of a relocation-only strategy in being able to bring about fundamental changes in the lives of very low income families.

District of Columbia Housing Monitor : Winter 2008

paffairs@urban.org ( Peter A. Tatian, G. Thomas Kingsley) — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EST

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

As D.C. Housing Market Slows, Affordability Concerns Remain

paffairs@urban.org ( The Urban Institute) — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EST

Single-family home prices in the District of Columbia rose nearly 7 percent between the second quarters of 2006 and 2007 despite a decline in sales volume, according to the latest issue of District of Columbia Housing Monitor. Prices of condominiums declined slightly.

Have MTO Families Lost Access to Opportunity Neighborhoods Over Time?

paffairs@urban.org ( G. Thomas Kingsley, Kathryn L.S. Pettit) — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EST

Families in HUD's Moving to Opportunity program had the chance to move to neighborhoods with lower poverty, lower crime rates and, presumably, more opportunities for employment, good schools and better quality of life. Did they benefit from the moves and did they remain there to continue those benefits? This brief identifies patterns of moving for MTO families and the characteristics of the neighborhoods both from and to which they moved.

Girls in the 'Hood: The Importance of Feeling Safe

paffairs@urban.org ( Susan J. Popkin, Tama Leventhal, Gretchen Weismann) — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EST

The Moving to Opportunity program targeted families living in some of the nation's poorest, highest-crime neighborhoods and offered them a chance to move to lower poverty areas. One hope was that, away from concentrated poverty and the risks associated with itincluding poor physical and mental health, risky sexual behavior and delinquencyfamilies would fare better. This brief examines how adolescent girls benefited from moving out of high poverty and discusses why girls might have fared so much better than boys.

Do Better Neighborhoods for MTO Families Mean Better Schools?

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EST

One expected benefit of moving poor families from the concentrated poverty of some inner city neighborhoods to better, less poor neighborhoods, was that the children would attend better schools, with more resources and more advantaged peers who might be models for hard work and higher achievement. This brief looks at the schools MTO children attended after their move, how they did or did not differ from the schools in their pre-move neighborhoods, and what factors mattered to families choosing schools for their children.

Can Escaping from Poor Neighborhoods Increase Employment and Earnings?

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EST

Is there a correlation between exposure to racially integrated, low poverty areas and employment outcomes? Does moving from a poor, inner city neighborhood to a less poor area bring greater proximity to job opportunities, or contacts with new networks of neighbors who might steer movers to jobs? Does living in a community where more people work increase motivation to work or to increase income? In examining these questions for the MTO experimental movers, this brief finds that factors in addition to where people live affect their employment and earnings.

Assisted Housing Mobility and the Success of Low-Income Minority Families: Lessons for Policy, Practice, and Future Research

paffairs@urban.org ( Margery Austin Turner, Xavier de Souza Briggs) — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EST

The federal Moving to Opportunity program (MTO) was designed to help poor minority families move from distressed, high poverty neighborhoods to better locations, thereby improving their quality of life and long term chances for well-being. Low income families living in concentrated poverty face a variety of challenges to their safety, health, and economic health, including poor schools, high crime and unemployment. This brief examines areas where the MTO program helped movers with those challenges, areas still problematic even after moving, and factors affecting those outcomes and considers policy implications for the next generation of assisted housing mobility initiatives.

Struggling to Stay Out of High-Poverty Neighborhoods: Lessons from the Moving to Opportunity Experiment

paffairs@urban.org ( Jennifer Comey, Xavier de Souza Briggs, Gretchen Weismann) — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EST

MTO offered families living in concentrated poverty the chance to move to lower poverty areas, away from the high unemployment and high crime rates areas with the challenges and risks they present. This brief looks at whether the program was successful in helping families move away from those neighborhoods and stay away from them, noting both the reasons for subsequent moves and the characteristics of the neighborhoods to which they made those moves.

Statement to the DC Council, Joint Public Oversight Roundtable on Affordable Housing : Testimony before the Council of the District of Columbia, Committee on Housing and Urban Affairs and Committee on Public Services and Consumer Affairs

paffairs@urban.org ( Peter A. Tatian) — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EST

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

Every Kid Counts in the District of Columbia: 14th Annual Fact Book 2007

Fri, 08 Feb 2008 00:00:00 EST

The 14th annual Fact Book is a comprehensive data source for indicators of child well-being in the District of Columbia. Over 50 data indicators are tracked over time. This publication provides a broad perspective on the status of children and youth in the District. We seek to inform and educate our readers about the issues affecting children and their families in the District. We encourage community residents, policy makers, professionals, and others who work with and/or on behalf of children and families to create conditions that foster the optimal health and development of our children.

A Performance Analysis of SBA's Loan and Investment Programs

paffairs@urban.org ( Megan Gallagher, Rachel Brash) — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 00:00:00 EST

This report addresses two questions about outcomes for firms receiving assistance through SBA's 7(a), CDC 504, or SBIC programs between 1999 and 2001: 1) what happens to sales, employment, and survival before and after firms receive SBA financing; and 2) what explains the changes observed in sales or employment after firms receive SBA financing? Descriptive analyses found that prior to financing and each year thereafter, average sales increased over time, as did average employment. Multivariate analyses found that firm age, industry, and region of the country were significantly related to percent change in sales and employment for all three programs.

An Analysis of the Factors Lenders Use to Ensure Their SBA Borrowers Meet the Credit Elsewhere Requirement

paffairs@urban.org ( Kenneth Temkin, Brett Theodos) — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 00:00:00 EST

SBA programs are required to serve only borrowers unable to secure loans from another source. This report examines whether lenders comply with the credit elsewhere requirement, based on interviews with 23 commercial bank lenders that originate both SBA and conventional small business loans. Overall, lenders: are aware of the credit elsewhere requirement, say that SBA programs allow them to serve borrowers who do not meet standard conventional underwriting guidelines, indicate there is little overlap between SBA and conventional lending. SBA loans are offered with longer terms than conventional loans allowing borrowers, who commonly lack sufficient NOI, to meet DSCR requirements.