Located on the southwestern coast of Florida, Sarasota is well known for its rich culture and long stretches of sandy beaches. Recognized as a charming tourist destination, Sarasota's population grows substantially starting in November, due to its mild climate during winter months. Jobs in real estate development and tourism dominate the local economy, but with the economic downturn and job losses primarily in the construction industry, the pool of unemployment has risen to 8.7 percent (up from 3.4 percent in 2000).
The production of natural gas since 2005 from the Marcellus Shale formation ˜ a formation buried deep beneath the surface that contains untapped natural gas reserves ˜ is proving to be an economic boon for the state of Pennsylvania. The natural gas fields can be found beneath 60 percent of Pennsylvania's total land mass, stretching from the southwestern portion of the state to the northeast corner. In many parts of the state, the rapidly expanding natural gas industry has created jobs as well as royalties for property owners with wells developed on their land, spurring the first substantive economic development in years. However, this rapid expansion challenges local governments to deal with a lack of affordable housing.
Multiple sclerosis(MS) is an autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system. People living with more progressive forms of MS sometimes find that the design of a conventional home makes daily activities difficult. To preserve the independence of people with MS, a special needs housing community opened its doors in Freehold Township, New Jersey. Kershaw Commons provides 30 affordable and accessible housing units targeted to people with MS; it is the first development of its kind in New Jersey and only the fourth such project nationwide.
The state of New York, with a population topping 19.4 million people, is widely known for its bustling urban centers, but farms, forest, and mountains dominate most of the state. The North Country region — a rural area at the state's northernmost point — is sparsely populated but in desperate need of affordable housing.
This past December, HUD’s Office of Policy Development and Research, Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration on Aging, and the National Center for Lesbian Rights co-hosted the first-ever LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender] Elder Housing Summit at HUD headquarters in Washington, DC. The landmark event included panel discussions by leading professionals who are working to improve the lives of LGBT elders by addressing the disproportionate challenges facing the population.
For owners, developers, tenants, and local communities working to create and preserve affordable housing, federal funding often makes up a significant share of a property's financing structure. However, when funding comes from multiple sources (as it often does), owners and developers sometimes face overlapping or duplicative administrative requirements.
For owners, developers, tenants, and local communities working to create and preserve affordable housing, federal funding often makes up a significant share of a property's financing structure. However, when funding comes from multiple sources (as it often does), owners and developers sometimes face overlapping or duplicative administrative requirements. Chief among these are the multiple property inspections that have traditionally been required when funding comes from two or more agencies, and "subsidy layering reviews," which ensure that the total funding provided by various public sources does not exceed eligible project costs.
Seven and a half million American households in the country's 100 largest metro areas lack a personal vehicle. In August 2011, the Brookings Institution released a study that describes the characteristics of these households and assesses their economic and transportation opportunities. The two-year study builds on Brookings' recent "Missed Opportunity" report that looks at the spatial mismatch between people and jobs.
Since 1968, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has provided grants for counseling programs to help consumers find, finance, maintain, rent, or own a home. To better understand the nature, outcomes, and effectiveness of these services, HUD initiated a series of studies, beginning in 2008 with "The State of the Housing Counseling Industry," which presented the first systematic overview of the housing counseling industry, the and the clients it serve.
The Office of Policy Development and Research (PD&R) recently hosted a panel discussion on the Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program (LIHTC) and how it relates to fair housing issues. LIHTC is the federal government's largest current program for the production of affordable housing. Tax credits are distributed by State Housing Finance Agencies (HFAs) to developers for the construction or rehabilitation of affordable rental housing.
The University of Washington and Seattle Children's Hospital are partnering to develop 184 housing units in Seattle's bustling University District, an urban neighborhood that services university students. Aligned with the principles of the larger University District Livability Partnership, which aims to encourage a walkable, mixed-use neighborhood near the planned Brooklyn light rail station, the project is believed to be one of the first employer-sponsored housing developments in the city since the early 20th century. According to the initial proposal, approximately 20 percent of the units will be made available to residents earning less than 75 percent of the area median income, and employees of both the university and hospital will be given first priority to lease available units.
Martha's Vineyard is a 100-squre mile island located south of Cape Cod in Massachusetts. With its pristine views and relaxed seaside pace, the island is well known as a vacation getaway for the powerful and affluent during the summer months. Comprised of six towns, the island's estimated year-round population of 15,000 residents swells to more than 75,000 in the summer months.
Poverty in the United States has long been concentrated in inner cities, particularly since the mid-twentieth century expansion of suburbia. Until 2000, most of the metropolitan poor lived in cities; as a result, the infrastructure to provide social services to the poor is more established in central city neighborhoods.
In September 2011, the Southampton Housing Authority (SHA) announced a partnership with the nonprofit community group YouthBuild to redevelop an affordable housing unit in the town of Southampton, New York. The building is one of several properties transferred to Southampton from Suffolk County under the county's Affordable Housing Opportunities Program, also known as the 72-H program.
HUD works with thousands of partner groups — including local and state government officials and agencies, nonprofit organizations, and private sector partners — to deliver housing and community development services and benefits to the American people. The success of HUD's programs depends in part on the strength and health of these partnerships.
Downtown Elgin, Illinois, located just 40 miles northwest of Chicago, has long enjoyed a vibrant arts scene complete with museums, performance halls, opera and theater companies, and the Elgin Symphony Orchestra, the second-largest orchestra in the state. However, downtown Elgin has not always been the premier arts and entertainment destination it is today; urban decay, loss of retail, and a spike in abandoned buildings beginning in the 1970s and continuing into the 1980s left Elgin in economic decline.
Acquiring funds to develop affordable housing was never easy, even before the national foreclosure crisis. In the "post-bubble" market, however, creating affordable housing has become even more challenging, particularly in major metropolitan areas. With support from a local coalition, the city of Chicago met the challenge of encouraging development in an uncertain economic climate by passing the Home Sweet Home ordinance in May 2011.
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