Progress and Possibility: Green Building Criteria in Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Programs

On November 26, 2012, in Economy, Energy, Environment, by editor1

Global Green USA. November 2012.

Over the past decade, green building strategies have become increasingly integrated into the nearly 100,000 units constructed annually under the Federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program, and significant strides have been made toward producing higher quality, more efficient dwellings that mitigate negative environmental impacts. The LIHTC program and the state-level Qualified Allocation Plans (QAPs) that guide the distribution of the tax credits are an effective means to increase the adoption of green building criteria in affordable housing design and construction, according to the authors. [Note: contains copyrighted material].

http://www.globalgreen.org/docs/publication-194-1.pdf [PDF format, 49 pages].

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Laying the Groundwork For Change: Demolition, Urban Strategy, and Policy Reform

On September 26, 2012, in Social Issues, by editor2

Brookings Institution. September 24, 2012

According to the Census, the total number of vacant housing units in the United States grew by over 4.5 million from 2000 to 2010, an increase of 44 percent. While empty houses are everywhere, they are disproportionately found in many older industrial cities, particularly those that have lost much of their population and job base over the past several decades. Boarded houses, abandoned factories and apartment buildings, and vacant storefronts are a common part of the landscape in large cities like Detroit, Buffalo, and Philadelphia, and a host of smaller cities such as Flint, Gary, and Youngstown.

http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/Research/Files/Papers/2012/9/24%20land%20use%20demolition%20mallach/24%20land%20use%20demolition%20mallach.pdf [PDF format, 47 pages].

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Public Housing Transformation and Crime: Making the Case for Responsible Relocation

On April 17, 2012, in Diversity, Justice, Social Issues, by editor2

Urban Institute. April 2012.

Our analysis indicates a complex relationship between public housing transformation and crime in Chicago and Atlanta, though the efforts led to small net decreases in crime over a study period where crime declined significantly. In neighborhoods with public housing demolition, crime rates fell substantially, while in destination neighborhoods for households relocated with vouchers, they did not fall as much as expected. On average, neighborhoods with a modest or high density of relocated households saw higher crime rates than areas without relocated households. These findings suggest a need for thoughtful relocation strategies that support both assisted residents and receiving communities. [Note: contains copyrighted material]
 
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Obama Administration’s Efforts To Stabilize the Housing Market and Help American Homeowners

On February 15, 2012, in Economy, Government, Politics, Social Issues, by editor2

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. February 6, 2012.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of the Treasury present the Obama Administration’s Housing Scorecard, a comprehensive report on the nation’s housing market. Data in the Housing Scorecard underscore fragility as the overall outlook remains mixed. Inventories of existing homes for sale and the overhang of homes held off market improved over the last two quarters and foreclosure starts continued to fall in December. However, data on new home sales and home prices offered mixed signals, while foreclosure completions ticked upward.

http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/documents/huddoc?id=JanNat2012_Scorecard.pdf [PDF format, 8 pages].

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