Volume 6 Number 2
February 2009

In this Issue
Preserving a Piece of History
Sharing the Risks and Rewards of Homeownership
Excelling in Housing and Community Design
Housing Counseling with HUD Support
In the next issue of ResearchWorks

In the Next Issue of ^ResearchWorks...

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• The latest issue of Cityscape features a symposium that explores how higher education institutions have stepped forward to facilitate rebuilding in the storm-damaged Gulf Coast region. We'll take a brief look at the advocacy research and service-learning projects described in the symposium that are contributing to the education of students and faculty, building local capacity, and increasing knowledge of effective strategies for community development.

• HUD's Housing Opportunities for Persons with Aids (HOPWA) program recently awarded $10.4 million in grants to organizations in nine states that help families affected by HIV/AIDS. In this article, ResearchWorks will briefly describe the HOPWA program and how grantees assist individuals with HIV/AIDS and their families in finding stable homes — through transitional and permanent supportive housing — and in managing their illness.

• Gosnold Apartments and Cloverleaf Apartments in Norfolk, Virginia are regional supportive housing complexes that provide permanent housing for homeless individuals from the Norfolk, Virginia Beach, and Portsmouth communities. Developed as part of the region's 10-year plan to end homelessness, the two complexes were financed and supported by three local cities, with funding assistance from a variety of federal, state, and local sources, including HUD rental assistance. Each complex — one a former bottling plant and the other a former skating rink — provides housing and supportive services to 60 formerly homeless individuals. We'll look at how the jurisdictions worked cooperatively to renovate the structures and the funding sources that made it possible.

• Some jurisdictions are now turning to accessory dwelling units (ADUs) — also referred to as granny flats, accessory apartments, or second units — as an inexpensive way to increase their housing supply. Development of these units requires revision of restrictive zoning policies, and may be met with community opposition from residents concerned that ADUs will change their neighborhood’s character, promote overcrowding, and increase traffic congestion. We’ll review a case study that examines the history and benefits of ADUs, and highlights six communities that have successfully implemented ADU ordinances.