| High-Risk Loans and Increasing Vacancy Rates
David E. Chase
Graphic Detail
Geographic Information Systems organize and clarify patterns of human activity on the earth’s surface and their interaction with each other. GIS data, in the form of maps, can quickly and powerfully convey relationships to policymakers and the public. This department of Cityscape includes maps that convey important housing or community development policy issues or solutions. If you have made such a map and want to share it in a future issue of Cityscape, contact David Chase at david.e.chase@hud.gov.
This article reflects the views of the authors and does not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Recent turmoil in the housing and mortgage markets has heightened concerns about increasing risk of foreclosures and their impact on neighborhoods and communities. Neighborhoods affected by foreclosures and long-term vacancy can affect the value of homes in surrounding neighborhoods,
the quality of life within communities, and the overall local economy. In response to such concerns, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has developed spatial representations (maps) of the distribution of high-risk loans in various metropolitan areas. One such map, exhibit 1, represents Prince George's County, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, D.C. The map combines mortgage data from the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) with a relatively new vacancy data set from the U.S. Postal Service (USPS).
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