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 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.

In May 2011, record rainfall and snowmelt caused the Mississippi River to reach its highest flood stage since 1937 in Memphis, Tennessee. In the aftermath of the devastating flood, when the city of Memphis was in the process of redeveloping blighted neighborhoods, city officials encountered what many local governments would say is an all-too-familiar experience.

March 15 was a historic day for the Strong Cities, Strong Communities initiative (SC2), a partnership between the White House and 14 federal agencies aimed at breaking down federal silos and helping cities facing long-term challenges build capacity...

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.

Beginning in June 2010, HUD and the U.S. Department of the Treasury have jointly issued monthly "scorecards" on the nation's housing market. These scorecards have incorporated key national housing market indicators to show the depth of the housing crisis historically and have highlighted the effects of the administration's unprecedented efforts to stabilize the housing market and aid its recovery.

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.

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.