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 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.
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.
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.
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.
Since its inception in 1986, the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program has successfully increased affordable housing production in the United States. The federal program awards a limited number of tax credits to state housing finance agencies, which in turn award the credits to developers of qualified projects, typically those that produce housing that is affordable to low-income households.
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 year 2010 marked a crucial milestone in the quest for fair housing. In addition to its longstanding duty to monitor specific instances of discrimination, HUD began to more proactively address the regulatory and structural frameworks that give rise to discriminatory practices.
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.
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.
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.
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Publications
Cityscape
From Street Life to Housing: Consumer and Provider Perspectives on Service Delivery and Access to Housing
Community and Economic Development
Regulatory Barriers to Manufactured Housing Placement in Urban Communities
Affordable Housing
Enhancing Energy Efficiency and Green Building Design in Section 202 and Section 811 Programs
Newsletters
Evidence Matters
Quantifying Energy Efficiency in Multifamily Rental Housing
Insights
Bridging the Gap: Homelessness Policy
